What is Euthanasia?

Euthanasia is justified

Euthanasia is not justified

Summary and discussion

The word “Euthanasia is derived from the Greek word
“euthanatos” - eu ‘well’ + thanatos ‘death’

Oxford English Dictionary defines Euthanasia as “A gentle and

easy death.”

In recent use: The action of inducing a gentle and easy death.

Used especially with reference to a proposal that the law should
sanction the putting painlessly to death of those suffering from
incurable and extremely painful diseases.
Voluntary
•Choosing to die yourself
•Some see it as suicide
•Do you have a right to just
end your life?
Involantary
•Having someone else make
the decision for you
•Highly controversial
•Who makes the decision?
Passive – withholding of common treatments, or distribution
of pain medication, knowing it may kill the recipient

Non-active – withdrawal of life support to end a life

Active - use of lethal substances

or forces to kill
•Many arguments against euthanasia are religious
•Human rights allow everyone the right to freedom,
justice and peace
•Harm Principle

•Animals are “put down” when they are too ill. Why do
we have a say over their lives and not over our own?
•Case Study: Dr Anne Turner
The Harm Principle From John Stuart Mill’s
On Liberty:

“In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is,
of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the
individual is sovereign.”
 Dr Anne Turner

•Suffered from supranuclear palsy

• Had limited movement, slurred
speech, difficulty swallowing and
doing simple tasks as a result

"I may look as though I am all right, but I am not.

Doctors should be able to help people to die.”
•Sanctity of Life in religious teachings
•Illegal in USA, UK, France and most countries in the
world
•Death is taboo in the West
•Immoral and violates human rights
Christians believe that
humans have souls and were
created in God’s image,
therefore life is sacred and
should not be violated

“Who knows what

good things can come
out of the last phase of
a person's life?"
The law in Britain, France, USA and most other
countries in the world (not just the west) cannot justify
Euthanasia

Hard to define when Euthanasia is acting in the interests

of the individual concerned rather than another party
 FOR AGAINST
•Freedom to choose how we •Life is special and should
live and how we die be preserved at all costs
•Extreme cases should have •Family and friends left
a choice behind
•Switzerland may hold the •Not legally justifiable
answer
 Are we saving lives or just prolonging them?
The debate is ongoing and there is no right or wrong answer!!