Dr. Md. Selim Reza
Volume-XI, Issue-I, October 2022
Volume-XI, Issue-I, October 2022 | ||
Published Online: 31.10.2022 | Page No: 159-165 | |||
Euthanasia: Active And Passive Dr. Md. Selim Reza, Assistant Professor, Syamaprasad College, Affiliated to Calcutta University, Kolkata-2, West Bengal, India | |
The use of Euthanasia in Medical-Science ethics is a very controversial issue till date. In this article I have tried to address the type of euthanasia is morally preferable if it is to be practiced. The connotation of the term “Euthanasia” is “good or happy death”. In other words, in cases of prolonged, terminally illness and pains, often euthanasia is practiced to give the patient a freedom from pain and die painlessly. However, in this article I have tried to address the moral justification of active euthanasia and passive euthanasia. Here comes the question of “passive duty” vs the “negative duty”. In the opinion of some philosophers, social scientists and medicos, the process of passive euthanasia by gradually withholding the medical support systems for a perpetually critically ill patient, who has no chance of recovery, that process is called passive euthanasia. Here what is obvious that the “passive duty” pursuing from the actions of medicos and patient party although exists, but it is weaker than the negatively that is associated with the process of “active euthanasia” where direct poisons are injected to relive the pain of a dying patient. However, the argument finally foils down to the fact that there is a ethically non-justifiable issue associated with active euthanasia, as it is not clear to anyone, that what should be the exact stage of illness when a dying patient can be allowed to get an active euthanasia. Thus the entire discussion foils down to the use of “passive euthanasia” when needed. | |
Keywords: Definition of euthanasia, active and passive euthanasia, killing and letting die, advantage and disadvantage of euthanasia, problem doing active euthanasia, passive euthanasia. |