Is Euthanasia Terminally Wrong

The Borderline Between Murder And Help The problem of euthanasia is not new, its history begins in ancient times, and even then it caused much controversy among doctors, lawyers, sociologists, psychologists, and so on. The attitude to deliberately accelerating death of a terminally ill, even for the purpose of termination of his suffering has never been straightforward. English philosopher Francis Bacon to refer to an easy painless death brought the term - "euthanasia" (from the Greek. euthanasia, eu - well, thanatos - death) i.e. good, quiet and easy death, without pain and suffering. Although the idea of euthanasia has arisen for a long time, but even since the time of Hippocrates to the present days traditional medical ethics includes …show more content…
For example, professor Shaw states that there seems to be no reason why we should spend our lives fighting nature for our benefit, only to let it become our master and destroy our dignity at the end of our life (Shaw, 530). Doctor Block and Doctor Ganzini support professor Shaw, and research the relationship of depression with interest in hastened death and propose a solution that would minimize practice of euthanasia. Block and Ganzini conclude: ”If society values the dying and can ensure respectful medical care for all terminally ill patients, then legalized physician-assisted death should be relevant in only a small number of cases” (Ganzini, Block, 1665). On the other hand professor Husak argues that it is difficult to understand the difference between killing and letting die. Husak states that disputants concerning the permissibility of euthanasia cannot rely on a morally neutral distinction between ‘active’ killings and ‘passive’ omissions which result in death (Husak, …show more content…
Passive euthanasia is when the medical equipment sustaining life is turned off, which accelerates the natural death. Most often, when people talk about euthanasia, they mean active euthanasia. It is a practice when the patient is entailed a quick and painless death by introduction of a drug or by other means or actions. Active euthanasia may take different forms. First takes place in those cases when the doctor sees an agonizing suffering hopelessly sick person and isn't able to help him, for example, introduces him to an overdose of an anesthetic drug, bringing death. Another form is suicide, assisted by doctor. It occurs when the doctor is helping a terminally ill person to commit suicide. The last form can take place without the help of a doctor The patient himself turns on a special device that leads to his rapid and painless