Coordinator, Society for Old Age Rational Suicide (SOARS)
“Euthanasia: The Right to Die Should Be a Matter of Personal Choice,”
Aug. 19, 2013
2. |
on the ballot in November. In 1997, as executive editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, when the issue was before the US Supreme Court, I wrote an editorial favoring it, and told the story of my father, who shot himself rather than endure a protracted death from metastatic cancer of the prostate. It seems to me that, as with opposition based on whether the physician is ‘active,’ the argument that physicians should be only ‘healers’ focuses too much on the physician, and not enough on the patient. When healing is no longer possible, when death is imminent and patients find their suffering unbearable, then the physician’s role should shift from healing to relieving suffering in accord with the patient’s wishes. Still, no physician should have to comply with a request to assist a terminally ill patient to die, just as no patient should be coerced into making such a request. It must be a choice for both patient and physician.” Senior Lecturer in Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School “May Doctors Help You to Die?,” Oct. 11, 2012 | , ama-assn.org June 2016 |
3. |
Governor of California Statement upon signing ABx2 15, gov.ca.gov Oct. 15, 2015 | There would be other long-term consequences of legalising euthanasia that we cannot yet envisage. We can be sure that these consequences would be pernicious, however, because they would emanate from an initiative which, while nobly motivated, is wrong in principle – attempting to deal with the problems of human beings by killing them.” Australian politician and former member of the Victorian Legislative Council “Opinion: Why We Should Not Legalize Euthanasia,” Nov. 13, 2010 |
4. |
Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Oxford “Assisted Dying and Protecting the Vulnerable,” blog.practicalethics.oc.ac.uk Sep. 17, 2015 | The truth is that assisted suicide as public policy is rife with dangerous loopholes and consequences, especially for the vulnerable in our society. We should reject laws that legalize the practice.” President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities “Assisted Suicide Laws Are Creating a ‘Duty-to-Die’ Medical Culture,” thehill.com Dec. 17, 2017 |
5. |
Retired family doctor “Doctors Debate the Ethics of Assisted Suicide,” scpr.org May 18, 2015 | I believe that the ambivalence and discomfort experienced by a substantial percentage of PAS-participating physicians is directly connected to the Hippocratic Oath – arguably, the most important foundational document in medical ethics. The Oath clearly states: ‘I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.’… Indeed, when patients nearing the end of life express fears of losing control, or being deprived of dignity, compassionate and supportive counseling is called for – not assistance in committing suicide.” Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University “How Does Assisting Suicide Affect Physicians?,” theconversation.com Jan. 7, 2018 |
6. |
US Senator (R-OK) Consideration of House Resolution 2260, Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999, gpo.gov Oct. 27, 1999 |
7. |
Professor of Law, Dalhousie University “Fact Check: Has Assisted Dying Been a Legal Slippery Slope Overseas?,” abc.net.au July 15, 2018 | Indeed, this has materialised to some degree, whether by a formal extension of categories of persons to whom euthanasia is allowed, or by loose application of criteria by personnel involved in the administration of euthanasia. For example, Belgium removed the age restriction for euthanasia in 2014; assisted death has extended beyond the line originally drawn by the law in the Netherlands to patients regarded as legally and mentally incompetent and the possibility of extension to those who are not terminally ill but feel their lives are complete is being considered; severe psychic pain in and otherwise healthy person has been thought sufficient ground for requesting euthanasia; and researchers have found cases of non-voluntary euthanasia in the form of the termination of lives of disabled infants in the Netherlands. Denying euthanasia honours the sanctity of life and the equal, underived, intrinsic moral worth of all persons, including the very weakest who can no longer contribute to society – principles of which so many other laws pivot.” Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and Solicitor “The Case against Physician-Assisted Suicide and Voluntary Active Euthanasia,” Aug. 2017 |
8. |
Opposing euthanasia to palliative care…neither reflects the Dutch reality that palliative medicine is incorporated within end-of-life care nor the place of the option of assisted death at the request of a patient within the overall spectrum of end-of-life care.” Associate Professor in Medical Philosophy, Center for Ethics and Philosophy at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Professor in Philosophy and Medical Ethics, Center of Ethics and Philosophy at the Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam “Assisted Death in the Netherlands: Physician at the Bedside When Help Is Requested,” 2004 | Professor in the Department of Neurology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, New York Medical College 2002 |
9. |
Professor of Palliative Care, Medicine, and Psychiatry, University of Rochester “Should Physicians Help Terminal Patients Die?,” medscape.com Aug. 25, 2016 | Professor of Philosophy, City University of New York “Physician, Stay Thy Hand!,” 1998 |
10. |
“The Facts: Medical Aid in Dying in the United States,” compassionandchoices.org Dec. 2016 | President and CEO, American Association of People with Disabilities “Assisted Suicide Laws Are Creating a ‘Duty-to-Die’ Medical Culture,” thehill.com Dec. 17, 2017 |
ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA
Natalie Leppard Managing Editor [email protected]
© 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved
ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Below are the proper citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): the Modern Language Association Style Manual (MLA), the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), and Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian). Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order):
[Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries.]
[Editor’s Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries.]
UPSC Coaching, Study Materials, and Mock Exams
Enroll in ClearIAS UPSC Coaching Join Now Log In
Call us: +91-9605741000
Last updated on April 7, 2024 by ClearIAS Team
Euthanasia is the deliberate act of ending a person’s life to relieve them of suffering. It is a complex and ethically sensitive topic that has sparked debates and discussions worldwide. There are different forms of euthanasia, and it is regulated differently in various countries.
Euthanasia (“good death”) is the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. It is also known as ‘mercy killing’.
In many countries, there is a divisive public controversy over the moral, ethical, and legal issues of euthanasia. Euthanasia is categorized in different ways, which include voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary. Euthanasia is also classified into active and passive Euthanasia.
Table of Contents
Voluntary, non-voluntary, and involuntary euthanasia can all be further divided into passive or active variants.
Euthanasia raises profound ethical and moral questions. Supporters argue that it can be a compassionate and dignified way to end suffering, particularly in cases of terminal illness.
Opponents argue that it raises significant ethical concerns, including the potential for abuse, coercion, and mistakes in diagnosing terminal conditions.
Historically, the euthanasia debate has tended to focus on several key concerns. According to euthanasia opponent Ezekiel Emanuel, proponents of euthanasia have presented four main arguments:
Emanuel argues that there are four major arguments presented by opponents of euthanasia:
Passive euthanasia is legal in India. On 7 March 2011, the Supreme Court of India legalized passive euthanasia using the withdrawal of life support to patients in a permanent vegetative state. The decision was made as part of the verdict in a case involving Aruna Shanbaug, who had been in a Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) for 42 years until she died in 2015.
In March 2011, the Supreme Court of India passed a historic judgment permitting Passive Euthanasia in the country. This judgment was passed after Pinki Virani’s plea to the highest court in December 2009 under the Constitutional provision of “Next Friend”. It’s a landmark law which places the power of choice in the hands of the individual, over government, medical or religious control which sees all suffering as “destiny”. The Supreme Court specified two irreversible conditions to permit Passive Euthanasia Law in its 2011 Law:
The same judgment law also asked for the scrapping of 309 , the code that penalizes those who survive suicide attempts. In December 2014, the Government of India declared its intention.
However, on 25 February 2014, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India termed the judgment in the Aruna Shanbaug case to be ‘inconsistent in itself’ and referred the issue of euthanasia to its five-judge Constitution bench on a PIL filed by Common Cause , which case is the basis of the current debate.
Then, the CJI referred to an earlier Constitution Bench judgment which, in the Gian Kaur case , “did not express any binding view on the subject of euthanasia; rather it reiterated that the legislature would be the appropriate authority to bring change.” Though that judgment said the right to live with dignity under Article 21 was inclusive of the right to die with dignity, it did not conclude the validity of euthanasia, be it active or passive.
“So, the only judgment that holds the field about euthanasia in India is the ruling in the Aruna Shanbaug case, which upholds the validity of passive euthanasia and lays down an elaborate procedure for executing the same on the wrong premise that the Constitution Bench in Gian Kaur had upheld the same,” the CJI said.
Common Cause Case: In 2018, the Supreme Court issued a significant judgment in the Common Cause case. The court recognized the right to die with dignity as a fundamental right and permitted passive euthanasia. It provided guidelines for the process and conditions under which passive euthanasia could be allowed.
On December 23, 2014, the Government of India endorsed and re-validated the Passive Euthanasia judgment law in a Press Release, after stating in the Rajya Sabha as follows: The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, while dismissing the plea for mercy killing in a particular case, laid down comprehensive guidelines to process cases relating to passive euthanasia.
Thereafter, the matter of mercy killing was examined in consultation with the Ministry of Law and Justice and it has been decided that since the Hon’ble Supreme Court has already laid down the guidelines, these should be followed and treated as law in such cases. At present, there is no legislation on this subject and the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court is binding on all.
The court rejected active euthanasia using lethal injection. In the absence of a law regulating euthanasia in India, the court stated that its decision becomes the law of the land until the Indian parliament enacts a suitable law. Active euthanasia, including the administration of lethal compounds to end life, is still illegal in India, and in most countries.
As India had no law about euthanasia, the Supreme Court’s guidelines are law until and unless Parliament passes legislation. The following guidelines were laid down:
A law commission had proposed legislation on “passive euthanasia”, it said. According to the Centre, the decision to come out with a bill was taken after considering the directives of the apex court, the law commission’s 241st report, and a private member bill introduced in Parliament in 2014.
The Centre said that initially, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of B.P. Sharma, secretary in the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, on May 22, 2015, to examine the draft of The Medical Treatment of Terminally Ill Patients (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners) Bill and the draft of The Euthanasia (Regulation) Bill.
This move to introduce a bill is a welcome step to clear the grey areas in the Euthanasia debate. Students can also link to this issue while answering questions on:
In India, euthanasia has no legal aspect , and there is no penal law yet introduced in the IPC that specifically deals with euthanasia.
Read: Living wills
Article by: Jishnu J Raju
ClearIAS is one of the most trusted learning platforms in India for UPSC preparation. Around 1 million aspirants learn from the ClearIAS every month.
Our courses and training methods are different from traditional coaching. We give special emphasis on smart work and personal mentorship. Many UPSC toppers thank ClearIAS for our role in their success.
Download the ClearIAS mobile apps now to supplement your self-study efforts with ClearIAS smart-study training.
February 11, 2016 at 3:48 pm
excellent one..
February 24, 2016 at 8:34 pm
Giving passive euthanasia to a patient who is already dead (not literally) is a right choice.Its better than making them as well as others to suffer.
July 20, 2017 at 4:28 pm
so very true.
July 1, 2016 at 10:58 pm
If the patient does not wants to suffer and himself asking for euthanasia then voluntary euthanasia should be made legal because it will be difficult for him to live than to die. But in case of involuntary euthanasia, there should be some specific time limit upto which the patient’s relatives must wait for him to recover but if there is no improvement like in case of coma , after 7-10 years , there is less chances of the patient to recover. In such cases , involuntary euthanasia should be made legal.
March 16, 2017 at 12:37 pm
no it is not possible If the patient tends to recover over a period of time or suddenly he becomes normal then the involuntary euthanasia will become very dangerous
March 16, 2017 at 12:35 pm
Very Very Useful
June 26, 2018 at 8:12 am
Helpful source I can use to rely on research. Thank you so much, clear IAS.
May 17, 2019 at 9:58 pm
Thanku for quality content
May 23, 2020 at 10:27 pm
“Mercy Killing ” is a responsible debate . It mainly depends on persons will on his /her life.
July 2, 2020 at 2:26 pm
Euthanasia should not be accepted as there is always some hope for better.
May 24, 2021 at 11:57 am
If under Article 21 of the constitution, right to live with dignity is inclusive of right to die with dignity, then why should the provisions under the Euthanasia act be restricted to the old and dying patients. There are a lot of people in their 60s and 70s with limited financial resources, who feel neglected / unwanted by the family who would like to die with dignity rather than be dependent on their children or the other members of family. They may be in good health but would still like to self determine to end their life with dignity. In such cases the law should allow for such people to adopt active Euthanasia. Such people could be persuaded to donate their organs which will help save other lives.
August 25, 2021 at 9:40 am
euthanasia cannot be legalised because of its higher probability of misuse. whether it is for property, money or because of any family problem
August 4, 2022 at 12:11 pm
A thought for all: If you do not have a choice to life, i.e. choose to be born then how can choosing your own means of death, be fair or valid? Something you cannot create or re-created is not yours to manage. My say: God is the giver of life and He alone should take it. Our sufferings are a means of learning, loving, understanding and above all our closeness to Almighty God.
June 28, 2023 at 6:36 pm
ur death is already written whether you take it or god does so doesnt matter
September 19, 2022 at 12:47 pm
I can’t put my dog to sleep for I am as old as he; and despite our handicaps he also wants to live like me.
Boghos L. Artinian
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Follow the ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains (PCM) Integrated Approach.
Join ClearIAS PCM Course Now
Featured on
and many more...
Download Study Plan
Euthanasia or mercy killing as it is informally referred is the act of ending a person life if it is deemed to be the only way to help a person get out of their suffering. Mostly euthanasia is practiced on patients who are suffering from terminal illness are experiencing severe pain. Therefore, assisted death seems to be the only way to help the patient come out of their suffering. There are two types of euthanasia.
Active euthanasia or voluntary mercy killing that entails assisting the terminally ill patient to end his/her intractable pain through death. The consent of the patient has to be sought. The other method is involuntary mercy killing which is practiced without the patients consent as the patient may not be in position to do so such as when in a coma.
Whether voluntary or involuntary, mercy killing is a topic that has generated heated debate not only among professionals, but also the general public and laws makers. The physicians should do everything possible to save the lives of their patients, but in extreme situations euthanasia should be considered as an appropriate alternative to save such patients from excruciating pains.
Both schools of thought focus on the rights of the patient. They claim that a patient has a right to demand or refuse any form of medication that will help in overcoming their suffering. If a doctor continues to give or deny treatment to a patient against the patients will, that can be considered as violating he patient’s rights.
Those who oppose legalizing euthanasia are informed by what has happened in Holland. Active euthanasia is legal in this country. Legalizing active euthanasia can easily pave way to also legalizing involuntary euthanasia (Life Circle Books para 9). They claim that if law makers do legalize active mercy killing, it soon “becomes a responsibility and obligation of the medical practitioners” (Life Circle Books para 13).
This is such a dangerous path as it is potentially riddled with loopholes for abuse. Its consequences are beyond comprehension. Most people could abuse it for their own personal gain. Consider a person who is intends to inherit massive estate from a terminally ill guardian. This person can nudge the guardian toward assisted death. If this is the case, how many more deaths would occur in world?
This would also mean that people who are of unsound mind and those struggling with severe depression can ask to be put out of their misery by assisted death. This would also take the death rates to high levels. Most importantly, many terminally ill patients who are not willing to die would develop an immense distrust toward doctors, who would have the right to end therefore lives if it seems impossible for them to recover.
It would also put onto jeopardy live of millions of the elderly citizens who are a burden both economically and otherwise to their families. In this case therefore euthanasia becomes not only illegal, but unethical. Its consequences are too disastrous to imagine. Every alternative to mercy killing such administering pain killers should be explored until a person either improves or dies naturally (Life Circle Books para 25).
However, there are those who feel that euthanasia needs to be re-thought and debated afresh so that law makers can find ways of stipulating statutes that protects both the patients and the doctors who practice it. They argue that each person has a right to determine the direction of their lives. Lives of individuals are their own responsibilities (Kingsbury para 2).
About 80% of adult Americans would support this move as they feel that if a person is terminally ill and the condition cannot be reversed by any medical intervention, slow and painful death is the consequence. No one wants a slow and painful death. People should therefore be assisted to end their lives quickly thus avoid prolonging the process of death (Kingsbury para 3).
While opponents of this arguer that its consequences are beyond repair and that it is subject to abuse, research proves otherwise. Their decision is only informed by the fear of the unknown. In Oregon where it is legal, the law has proved very successful and only very few instances of abuse have been reported.
Oregon euthanasia laws requires that a person must be 18 years and over, of sound mind and ascertained by at least three medical doctors that death is the only end of suffering. The doctor only prescribes the drugs but cannot administer it. It’s the patient who tales the drug voluntary without any help from the doctor.
The proponents argue that those people who are under intractable and intense suffering should be assisted to die in dignity, without pain.
In conclusion, the patient’s right to life must be protected. There are fundamental issues that need to be considered when deciding if to legalize euthanasia or not. Such issues include the consideration of the patient’s wish. However, euthanasia should not be taken as the easy way out.
All possible means to sustain a person’s life should be explored. Lastly, there is a question that still lingers in mind of many. How is the consents and the wish of a patient who is in deep coma ascertained?
Kingsbury, Kathleen. “A New Fight to Legalize Euthanasia.” Time Magazine. Posted, 16, May 2008. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1807401,00.html
Life Circle Books. If Mercy Killing Becomes Legal . New York: Lewistown. n.d. Retrieved from http://www.euthanasia.com/mercy.html
IvyPanda. (2019, May 27). Euthanasia: Right to Live or Right to Die. https://ivypanda.com/essays/legalizing-euthanasia-essay/
"Euthanasia: Right to Live or Right to Die." IvyPanda , 27 May 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/legalizing-euthanasia-essay/.
IvyPanda . (2019) 'Euthanasia: Right to Live or Right to Die'. 27 May.
IvyPanda . 2019. "Euthanasia: Right to Live or Right to Die." May 27, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/legalizing-euthanasia-essay/.
1. IvyPanda . "Euthanasia: Right to Live or Right to Die." May 27, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/legalizing-euthanasia-essay/.
Bibliography
IvyPanda . "Euthanasia: Right to Live or Right to Die." May 27, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/legalizing-euthanasia-essay/.
June 11, 2024 Rocío Gómez
On August 8, 2023, Paola Roldán, an Ecuadorian citizen, filed an unconstitutionality action in Ecuador’s Constitutional Court against Article 144 of the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code (COIP), which defines simple homicide. Having suffered from ALS for several years, she sought euthanasia and expressed her desire to “die with dignity.”
After several months of deliberation, the Constitutional Court ruled in her favor, supported by 7 out of 9 judges present. There, in ruling No. 067-23-IN, the Court declared that Article 144 would only remain constitutional if an exception for euthanasia were created:
This article will remain constitutional provided that (i) the doctor who performs the conduct typified in Article 144 of the COIP is not sanctioned in the case where (ii) a person, expressing their unequivocal, free, and informed consent (or through their representative when they cannot express it), requests to access an active euthanasia procedure; (iii) due to intense suffering from a serious and irreversible bodily injury or a serious and incurable disease.
More broadly, the Court ruled that, in this context, the norm of always preserving life was incompatible with the rights to dignity and personal development (autonomy), and that Ecuador’s laws protecting life must allow exceptions to protect other rights. Additionally, the Court highlighted that doctors’ conscience objections should be respected in active euthanasia procedures.
The ruling also stated that:
The Ministry of Public Health, within a maximum period of 2 months from the notification of this ruling, must issue regulations governing the procedure for the application of voluntary and involuntary active euthanasia, considering technical criteria and in line with this ruling. These regulations will be in effect until a new law is approved. The regulations must be submitted to this Court, which will verify their compliance. The National Assembly is mandated to, within a maximum of 12 months from the presentation of the bill, discuss and enact a law regulating euthanasia procedures with the highest standards as established in this ruling. The National Assembly must report quarterly on the progress and compliance with this measure from the receipt of the bill prepared by the Ombudsman’s Office.
In her dissenting opinion, Judge Teresa Nuques Martínez argued that the majority ruling exceeded the Court’s jurisdiction, encroaching on legislative powers. Judge Corral Ponce also dissented. He argued that, while the petitioner’s feelings and thoughts should be respected, Article 144 of the COIP “is not unconstitutional; that the Constitutional Court exceeds its jurisdiction by creating, with manifest and contradictory conceptual errors, an exception to the criminal law ; that the presumption of constitutionality is not broken; that this ruling was not the appropriate action; that human dignity is tied to life, not to living conditions; that the freedom to develop oneself should not undermine human dignity; that active euthanasia is not the solution, but the opposite: euthanasia opens the door to a culture of death, instead of a culture of life.”
As Judge Nuques Martínez outlined, the Constitutional Court not only exceeded its scope but also mandated the Ministry of Health to do the same. Thus, on April 12, the Ministry of Health published the Procedural Rule for the Application of Voluntary and Involuntary Active Euthanasia.
The rule contains an extensive list of considerations, none of which justifies the need for euthanasia. The rule also contains numerous errors that confirm that the rule is unconstitutional, that it violates the rule of law, and that it will lead to systematic human rights violations:
Paola Roldán, the original patient who requested euthanasia in this case, died on March 11, 2024, from “natural causes” according to press reports.
Following the ruling, Ecuador faces numerous challenges that could be addressed through coordinated action. Martha Cecilia Villafuente, founder of Familia Ecuador, mentioned in an interview that until July 2025, the deadline for the euthanasia law, several political changes should happen that could favor this cause. By then, there will be a new government, a new National Assembly, and three new constitutional court judges.
Read a Spanish version of this coverage here .
May 8, 2024 Rocío Gómez
April 10, 2024 Rocío Gómez
March 12, 2024 Rocío Gómez
An official website of the United States government
The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.
The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .
Last month Diane Pretty was refused the legal right to choose the circumstances of her own death. 1 She suffers from motor neurone disease and is experiencing the disintegration of her body. She faces a death that she believes will entail indignity and suffering and physically cannot kill herself. The court has denied her request that her husband be allowed to help her. This decision may be consistent with legal precedent but is morally wrong. That is why the law should be changed.
Suppose that Mrs Pretty became permanently and severely incompetent as a result of brain damage and that her life was being sustained by medical technology. If her doctors believed that medical treatment could provide no benefit because of her inability ever to engage in any self directed activity, then legally they could withdraw life sustaining treatments, including hydration and nutrition. 2 In such circumstances they would foresee that she would die as a result of their failure to perform what would ordinarily be their duty to protect life and health. In most other circumstances clinicians are not allowed this discretion to accelerate foreseeable deaths through inaction.
Against the background of the duty to care, the moral and legal status of not saving a life through failing to treat can be the same as actively taking that life. 3 , 4 For example, a doctor who knowingly allows a patient who could be saved to bleed to death in emergency care might be accused of murder. What is deemed to be morally and legally important here is not the emotionally appealing distinction between omission and commission but the justifiability or otherwise of the clinical outcome. Indeed, the distinction between omission and commission may be of little value in some healthcare settings. When doctors turn off ventilators, foreseeing that death will result, it makes little sense to say that they do so passively.
So it is sometimes acceptable for doctors to stop life sustaining treatments when there are grounds for assuming that this is in the best interests of severely incompetent patients. Equally, action and inaction may be deemed morally and legally equivalent in the context of a deliberate failure to carry out the duty of care to save life when clinicians agree that it should be saved. Thus parliament and the courts should take the next step of recognising that this same equivalence should hold when there is clinical agreement that it is in the best interests of some severely incompetent patients to end their life. 5
The most articulate opponents of involuntary passive and active euthanasia accept that there is no moral difference between commission and omission in the medical withdrawal of life sustaining treatment. Nor do they reject the non-provision of life sustaining treatment in principle. However, they do argue that to be acceptable, such non-provision must fulfil two conditions that rule out involuntary euthanasia in practice. 6 , 7
Firstly, for severely incompetent patients the continuation of treatment must be deemed to be of no medical “benefit” or too “burdensome.” However, for opponents of euthanasia such judgments of benefit and burden must not be linked to any claim that the patient's life is no longer worth living. Once it is accepted that doctors should be allowed to make clinical decisions to end life passively on the basis of such claims, active euthanasia in the best interests of such patients would be the next logical step. Secondly, opponents argue that withdrawing treatment for severely incompetent patients must never be done with the intent of causing death—even if death is a foreseeable consequence. It can only be done to relieve suffering. To do otherwise, they claim, would be tantamount to active euthanasia, and this they see as morally wrong. These arguments are unacceptable for two reasons. 8 , 9
On the one hand, we need to ask what makes life sustaining treatment of no benefit or too burdensome if it can achieve its designated aim of saving life. Severely incompetent patients can only be said to be unable to benefit from further life sustaining treatment or to find it too burdensome if—bottom line—they are judged incapable of benefiting from further life itself. Therefore, when the continuation of life sustaining treatment is described as being of no benefit or of too much burden, the clinician must already have decided that the life of the incompetent patient in question is not worth living and therefore not worth prolonging. This is why withdrawal of treatment is deemed to be in the best interest of the patient and consistent with the duty of care to protect this interest.
On the other hand, if death is in the best interests of some patients—if the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment can be said to be of benefit in this case—then death constitutes a moral good for these patients. And if this is so, why is it wrong to intend to bring about this moral good? For example, suppose a doctor refuses to withdraw life support from an incompetent patient when the clinical team agrees it to be appropriate. He does so for no other reason than his realisation that part of his intention is that she dies a quick and painless death. Far from being morally commendable, his refusal should be viewed as incompatible with what is of real moral importance—the best interests of his patient.
Provided the circumstances are clinically warranted, doctors should be able to withdraw life sustaining treatment when they intend to accelerate death as well as to relieve suffering. Morally, the distinction is irrelevant in this particular context. If passively ending the life of severely incompetent patients is legally and professionally acceptable then involuntary active euthanasia should have the same status.
Returning to Mrs Pretty, why should we not also legalise voluntary active euthanasia in light of these arguments? Were she permanently and severely incompetent, we have seen the circumstances in which her doctors would be allowed to end her life passively and should be allowed to do so actively. Therefore, should she not be able to invite them actively to end her life and to advise them about how this should be done? No one has questioned her competence or courage. Yet her own perception of her best interests, and the perception of those who know and love her, have been judicially overruled.
This decision becomes all the more morally questionable when we realise that Mrs Pretty can refuse life sustaining treatment at any time, and her doctors are legally obliged to respect her choice. 10 Some doctors would probably be only too glad to help Mrs Pretty to end her life. This support should be regarded as a moral good instigated in her interests and at her request. It should be legally condoned—either by the interpretation of existing law by a more courageous judiciary or by new legislation.
Finally, if it can be morally right to kill some competent patients at their request, then it must be morally justified to give them the medical wherewithal to kill themselves. It is open to debate whether what Mrs Pretty requires can best be described as voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide. To provide either of these to appropriate patients who make a competent request represents respect for their autonomy and their desire to die with what they perceive to be dignity.
Of course, any coherent advocate of active euthanasia and physician assisted suicide must take seriously the problem of slippery slopes—of deciding when a request for helping dying is appropriate. Though this may be difficult, it cannot be impossible. The most important question remains: in the face of so much moral right, where is the wrong?
The authors acknowledge the advice given by Julie Stone in preparing this manuscript.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Assisted dying is a general term that incorporates both physician-assisted dying and voluntary active euthanasia.Voluntary active euthanasia includes a physician (or third person) intentionally ending a person's life normally through the administration of drugs, at that person's voluntary and competent request. 2,3 Facilitating a person's death without their prior consent incorporates ...
3. Evolution of euthanasia and assisted suicide: digging into historical events. To understand the evolution and relevance of these concepts should analyze the history of euthanasia and assisted suicide; from the emergence of the term, going through its first manifestations in antiquity; mentioning the conceptions of great thinkers such as Plato and Hippocrates; going through the role of the ...
in active euthanasia the doctor takes an action with the intention that it will cause the patient's death. in passive euthanasia the doctor lets the patient die. when a doctor lets someone die ...
Euthanasia is a Greek word meaning "good death". Euthanasia refers to the deliberate action that is taken with the intention of ending life due to a pressing suffering. The suffering may be for instance incurable diseases, injuries, or irreversible coma. We will write a custom essay on your topic. 809 writers online.
In support of physician assisted suicide or voluntary active euthanasia, the argument is often made that, as people have the right to live with dignity, they also have the right to die with dignity.
A slight majority of the physicians (56, 8%) believe that active euthanasia is ethically unacceptable, while 43, 2% is for another solution (35, 2% took a viewpoint that it is completely ethically acceptable, while the remaining 8% considered it ethically acceptable in certain cases). From the other side, 56, 8% of respondents answered ...
4.4 Objection 4. As was noted earlier in Section 3, there is a widespread belief that so-called passive (voluntary) euthanasia, wherein life-sustaining or life-prolonging measures are withdrawn or withheld in response to a competent patient's request, is morally permissible.
As a medical doctor I have, with some worry, followed the assisted dying debate that regularly hits headlines in many parts of the world. The main arguments for legalisation are respecting self-determination and alleviating suffering. Since those arguments appear self-evident, my book Euthanasia and the Ethics of a Doctor's Decisions—An Argument Against Assisted Dying 1 aimed to contribute ...
In light of the strong hostility of the medical profession towards active euthanasia, ... "On Liberty" in On Liberty and Other Essays. 14-15. Google Scholar Human Rights Act. 1998, HMSO. ... Ward B, Tate P: Attitudes among NHS doctors to requests for euthanasia. BMJ. 1994, 308: 1332- 10.1136/bmj.308.6940.1332. Article Google Scholar
These are active and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia involves the enhancement of death as a show of mercy, while passive euthanasia is letting a person die without trying to help them. This essay looks at the concept of euthanasia and analyses the two categories of euthanasia using a case study. The paper will use different arguments to ...
Involuntary euthanasia is considered unacceptable by most individuals and is not a significant part of the current euthanasia debate and proposals. This paper focuses on active, direct, voluntary euthanasia, and on assisted suicide. Our discussion also addresses the role of health care professionals in acts of euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Definition and current legal framework. Assisted dying is a general term that incorporates both physician-assisted dying and voluntary active euthanasia.Voluntary active euthanasia includes a physician (or third person) intentionally ending a person's life normally through the administration of drugs, at that person's voluntary and competent request. 2, 3 Facilitating a person's death ...
The Death of Socrates, by Jacques-Louis David (1787). The late philosopher James Rachels published one of the most salient pieces on the euthanasia (E) debate in 1975 in The New England Journal of Medicine titled "Active and Passive Euthanasia." Here is a brief outline of his argument. The distinction between active euthanasia (AE) and passive (PE) is thought crucial.
Advocates of "passive euthanasia" argue that it can be. Their reasons, however, suggest that it can sometimes be not wrong to actively kill some patients, i.e., that "active euthanasia" can be permissible also. [1] This essay reviews these arguments. Ferdinand Hodler, "Valentine Godé-Darel on Her Sickbed," 1914 1. Passive Euthanasia
Active and Passive Euthanasia. by James Rachels (1975) Abstract The traditional distinction between active and passive euthanasia requires critical analysis. The conventional doctrine is that there is such an important moral difference between the two that, although the latter is sometimes permissible, the former is always forbidden.
The concept of Euthanasia has been a controversial topic since its inception. The word 'Euthanasia' is derived from Greek, 'Eu' meaning 'good' and 'thanatos' meaning 'death', put together it means 'good death'. Euthanasia is defined as the hastening of death of a patient to prevent further sufferings. Active euthanasia ...
Here are some examples of euthanasia essay topics and titles we can suggest: The benefits and disadvantages of a physician-assisted suicide. Ethical dilemmas associated with euthanasia. An individual's right to die. Euthanasia as one of the most debatable topics in today's society.
1. Legalization. "The right to die should be a matter of personal choice. We are able to choose all kinds of things in life from who we marry to what kind of work we do and I think when one comes to the end of one's life, whether you have a terminal illness or whether you're elderly, you should have a choice about what happens to you….
The word euthanasia, originated in Greece means a good death 1.Euthanasia encompasses various dimensions, from active (introducing something to cause death) to passive (withholding treatment or supportive measures); voluntary (consent) to involuntary (consent from guardian) and physician assisted (where physician's prescribe the medicine and patient or the third party administers the ...
Euthanasia ("good death") is the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. It is also known as 'mercy killing'. In many countries, there is a divisive public controversy over the moral, ethical, and legal issues of euthanasia. Euthanasia is categorized in different ways, which include voluntary, non ...
Active euthanasia is legal in this country. Legalizing active euthanasia can easily pave way to also legalizing involuntary euthanasia (Life Circle Books para 9). They claim that if law makers do legalize active mercy killing, it soon "becomes a responsibility and obligation of the medical practitioners" (Life Circle Books para 13).
On August 8, 2023, Paola Roldán, an Ecuadorian citizen, filed an unconstitutionality action in Ecuador's Constitutional Court against Article 144 of the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code (COIP), which defines simple homicide. Having suffered from ALS for several years, she sought euthanasia and expressed her desire to "die with dignity." After several months of deliberation, the […]
Why active euthanasia and physician assisted suicide should be legalised. St Bartholomew′s and Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 2AD. Last month Diane Pretty was refused the legal right to choose the circumstances of her own death. 1 She suffers from motor neurone disease and is ...