Two Forms of Euthanasia

Paper Summary:

Euthanasia has become an important issue in the protection of human dignity. As medical science becomes more adept at prolonging life, but not necessarily at making that life valuable, euthanasia becomes an option to be considered by those who suffer, those who love them, and those who are charged with their care. This paper looks at the two distinct forms of euthanasia - the passive form, which refers to the withdrawal of measures that keep a moribund person alive and the active form, where a positive action is taken that leads directly to the death of the patient.

From the Paper:

"Some try to differentiate between active and passive euthanasia and to find that active euthanasia is wrong, while passive euthanasia may be allowable in some cases. James Rachels 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. Rachels, however, finds good reasons why the distinction is not as simple as it might seem and why passive euthanasia may itself involve an untenable choice, making the choice of passive euthanasia not more acceptable than active euthanasia but less."

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