Euthanasia - Two Opinions

Paper Summary:

This paper presents these two arguments by each of these thinkers and examines their philosophies on euthanasia. It shows how Ned Cassem uses the term "good death" to mean a painless death that alleviates suffering, and he also means that it is a choice that has been made by the sufferer. This is in reference to passive death. It examines James Rachels position which addresses this distinction and notes that the distinction exists not only in law but in the moral code adhered to by many medical practitioners, who see clear reasons not to engage in active euthanasia but who see passive euthanasia as sometimes necessary.

From the Paper:

"Euthanasia comes from two Greek words meaning "good death" or "happy death," and the term refers to any action that brings a painless death to a person suffering from an injury, disease, or the ravages of age. There is a distinction between active euthanasia and passive euthanasia. Passive euthanasia refers to the withdrawal of "heroic" measures that keep a moribund person alive. Active euthanasia means taking a positive action that leads directly to the death of another person, and active euthanasia is considered murder in most legal and religious systems. As the authors of the articles under discussion note, there are a number of reasons to oppose euthanasia and to question whether there can be any such thing as a "good death." "

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