EUTHANASIA

• Comes from two Greek words eu, which means “good” and thanatus, which means “death”, or “a good death.”

• Implies mercy killing.• Applies to a practice of hastening

or causing the death of a person suffering from an incurable disease, as an act of mercy.

• A painless killing to end one’s life as a matter of right.• It is allowing someone to die in an

easy death, without using medical science and technologies to keep him/her alive.

KEY CONCEPTS TO BE DISTINGUISHED:1. Mercy killing: is the

unintentional or involuntary termination of the life of a patient by someone.

2. Mercy death: means someone takes direct action to terminate a patient’s life upon his/her request. It is an assisted suicide or murder.

3. Allowing someone to die: implies withdrawal of treatment, and acceptance of the fact that the patient’s illness has reached a point where and when no cure is possible, or further curative treatment has no useful purpose.

May be grouped into:

1. self-administered: may be either

a. active (positive) euthanasia, on which a terminally ill patient will deliberately, directly terminate his life by employing painless methods – it is an act of commission insofar as it is voluntary and deliberate; or

b. passive (negative) euthanasia, in which one allows oneself to die without taking any medicine or by refusing medical treatment – it is an act of omission insofar as one simply refuses to take anything to sustain life.

2. other-administered: may be classified in four ways:

a. Active and voluntary euthanasia: is one in which either a physician, spouse, or a friend of the patient will terminate the latter’s life upon the latter’s request. It is voluntary insofar as it is requested by the patient; it is active insofar as some positive means is used to terminate the patient’s life.

Proponents invoke sanctity or value of life, and such act violates

the mandate not to kill human beings.

Proponents invoke respect for the patient’s autonomy in

choosing to end his/her life.

b. Passive and voluntary euthanasia: is one in which a terminally ill patient is simply allowed to die by the physician, spouse, or an immediate relative, upon the patient’s request. It is passive insofar as no positive method is employed; the patient is merely permitted to pass away. It is voluntary insofar as this is done upon the patient’s request.

c. active and nonvoluntary euthanasia: occurs when it is the physician, spouse or any significant other who decides that the life of the terminally ill patient should be terminated. It is active insofar as some positive method is utilized to terminate the patient’s life; it is nonvoluntary insofar as the termination of the patient’s life is decided by an individual other than the patient.

d. Passive and nonvoluntary euthanasia: is one in which a terminally ill patient is simply allowed to die, as requested by immediate family members, or the attending physician. It is passive inasmuch as no positive means is employed to end the patient’s life; it is nonvoluntary insofar as other persons make the moral decision to terminate the patient’s life.

In general, the following principles are to be considered:1. Euthanasia is intrinsically wrong

because it implies the direct, deliberate killing of an individual – hence, it is murder.

2. Even though the motive is good, the good does not justify the evil means in this case.

3. The principles of stewardship and the inviolability of life may be appealed to.

4. The principle of double effect applies.