is derived from two Greek words, eu

which means well or good and thanatos which means death

a practice of ending life ( human or

animal) in a painless way.

1) Voluntary person decides for

himself/herself to be killed painlessly.

2) Involuntary patient cannot decide for

himself/herself to die painlessly so another person decides for him/her

1) Passive- avoiding intake of common

treatments which will lead to death. 2) Non-active - life support systems shall be withdrawn from the patient. 3) Active lethal substances shall be used to kill the person

 Cases of assisted suicide or physician-assisted

suicide, is up until now debated upon because active euthanasia is considered as suicide. But in Oregon Death with Dignity Act in 1994 where it is not classified as suicide, still, some scholars take it as suicide.

- named given in assisting their patients to death Jack Kevorkian- invented the suicide machine. Philip Nitschke- invented the euthanasia devise (machine) and campaign for the legalization of assisted suicide in Australia. Harold Shipman- the most prolific serial killer

 Aribert Heim - Australian doctor, killed

almost a million of people during Nazi Germany Josef Mengele - Angel of Death Physician, killed thousands of people during the time of Hitler reigned over Germany.

To J. Gay-Williams there are the following reasons why Euthanasia should be condemned: violation of natural inclination to preserve life medical practitioners to become less efficient euthanasia may result in certain undesirable longterm consequences

To E. J. Hayes, P. J. Hayes and D. E. Kelly, Euthanasia is immoral and ought not to be legalized. Legalized euthanasia would lessen the incentive for medical research. Would possible to arrange for the death of an enemy or a wealthy relative.

 medical profession is to preserve life not to

destroy it. Many patients can recover with a miracle of life. Euthanasia would make the doctor a man from whom we would wish to flee in terror when we are seriously ill.

 Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists In putting an end to the lives of the handicapped, sick or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.

A person has a moral obligation to use ordinary means of preserving his life. Proportionate means are those that in the judgment of the patient offer reasonable hope of benefit and do not entail burden or impose excessive expense on the family or the community.

Our tradition does not demand heroic measures in fulfilling the obligation to sustain life. A person may legitimately refuse even procedures that effectively prolong life, if he or she believes that would impose excessively grave burdens on himself, or on his family and community.

The principle that killing of the innocent is always wrong holds also for mercy killingdoing away with the handicapped and terminally ill. Also, when there is no real hope for the patients genuine benefit, there is no moral obligation to prolong life artificially by the use of various drugs and machines.

A cancer patient who desires of having painless death, must the patient be killed or die in pain? A PVS patient, should we continue artificial way of eating and drinking when the family is in financial burden or withdraw the life-support machines?

What about defective newborns? Must they be allowed to die painlessly or should they be treated with utmost care and love so that all medical measures and similar efforts be made for them to recover? Is the withdrawal of AHN safe as far as morality is concerned?