We have a right to a dignified death.
(Desmond Tutu, bishop and theologian)

Kick-off

My sister-in-law was a tall, beautiful, athletic woman. She worked out in the gym every day. One day she felt a little tired and was admitted to Stanford University Medical College Hospital in California, USA.

A few days later, the doctors told us she was brain dead. She had no chance of recovery. But they were able to keep her alive on life support. It took us just a few minutes to say that life support should be taken off. We want to remember her as the vibrant person she was, not the person in a vegetative state she will become. Thirty days from the day she felt slightly tired, she was dead. But she died with dignity.

That was in 2006. Since then, I have been an advocate of the individual right to die. If I have the right to live, then as a consequence I also have the right to die. The right to live does not mean that you have to live. Therefore, the right to live and the right to die complement each other.

Euthanasia means good death. The term is derived from the Greek words “eu” (good) and “thanatos” (death). It is an act of mercy: killing or allowing a hopelessly ill or injured person to die in a relatively painless way.

What is the history, ethics, legality and future of euthanasia?

History and Ethics

If a person’s life “is of no value to themselves or to anyone else, then medicine is not intended for such people and they should not be treated.”
Plato in “The Republic”, ca. 375 BC

Plato believed that such people should be allowed to die. This was also the view in ancient Greece and Rome. Euthanasia to end the suffering of individuals Was In the Middle Ages (476 AD to 1400 AD), euthanasia was morally unacceptable due to the Christian teaching of the sanctity of life.

From 17th From the 17th century onwards, the concept of individual autonomy developed. Its principle was that an individual had the right to be his own person and to live his life according to his own reasons and motives. Therefore, an individual had the right to decide whether he wanted to live or die.

In the second half of the 20th century, movements supporting euthanasia and assisted suicide gained momentum. Public debate intensified and euthanasia and assisted suicide were legalized in several countries.

legality

In 2001, the Netherlands was the first country to legalise euthanasia. Today it is legal or in the process of being legalised in 15 countries.

It is legal in nine countries: Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain.

Physician-assisted suicide is legal in four countries: Switzerland, Germany, Japan and Albania, as well as in some states in the United States and Australia.

In two countries, Germany and Japan, the proposal to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide is being discussed.

In India, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court approved passive euthanasia and advance directives on March 9, 2018. The right to a dignified death is now a fundamental right in India. An Indian citizen can write an advance directive specifying the conditions under which he or she may die.

Future of euthanasia

We use the word euthanasia in connection with physician-assisted killing (physician-assisted death).

US Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch writes in his book “The future of assisted suicide and euthanasia,’ puts forward strong moral and legal arguments against the legalization of euthanasia. He concludes that human life has an intrinsic value,

and that intentional killing is always wrong. But he accepts the patient’s individual autonomy and his right to refuse life-sustaining treatment.

The arguments for allowing euthanasia are:

• Individual autonomy gives the individual the right to decide whether to live or die.
• Older people are unproductive or less productive. They therefore represent a financial burden on society. Advances in medical technology will allow people to live longer. Anyone born today can live to be 200 if they want. Healthcare costs are already high and are rising. Life-sustaining treatments are generally not cost-effective. Living longer is therefore a luxury that only the rich can afford. Mass, long-term ageing will place an unbearable burden on society. Euthanasia avoids the high economic and social costs associated with caring for older people beyond their natural life cycle.
• For the reasons mentioned above, assisted suicide will become generally accepted in the future. Efforts are already being made to make it available to everyone, not just the terminally ill. The call for systematic assisted suicide will become louder.

Arguments against euthanasia are:

• Human life has an intrinsic value and intentional killing is always wrong.
• It will provide a “cover for murder”. Destitute, disabled and old, unproductive people who are considered a burden can be killed even though they want to live.
• Politicians and those in power could use it for genetic cleansing or to kill politically undesirable people.
• It will be commercialized. Euthanasia clinics will spring up like mushrooms and flourish. Euthanasia tourism in places where it is permitted will become as much a source of money as medical tourism.

Diploma

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are among the most controversial political issues of our time. A complex interplay of ethical, cultural and legal factors has shaped society’s attitude towards the right to assisted suicide.

Individual autonomy must be reconciled with the ethical sanctity of life and the need to protect vulnerable populations. The evolution of laws and practices related to euthanasia reflects the changing values ​​of societies grappling with fundamental questions of suffering, dignity and the nature of life and death.

Passive euthanasia, i.e. allowing a terminally ill person to die, will be widely recognized by law and legislation in the future. Several countries have already opted for this and many more will soon do so.

Active euthanasia, the deliberate killing of a person to end their suffering, will be debated for much longer. In the short term, only a few countries will accept it. In the long term, however, it will be widely accepted.

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