Euthanasia

Introduction to Euthanasia

Euthanasia, practice of mercifully ending a person’s life in order to release the person from an incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death. The word euthanasia derives from the Greek for “good death” and originally referred to intentional mercy killing. When medical advances made prolonging the lives of dying or comatose patients possible, the term euthanasia was also applied to a lack of action to prevent death.

Active euthanasia involves painlessly putting individuals to death for merciful reasons, as when a doctor administers a lethal dose of medication to a patient. Passive euthanasia involves not doing something to prevent death, as when doctors refrain from using an artificial respirator to keep alive a terminally ill patient.

In voluntary euthanasia, a person asks to die (by either active or passive euthanasia). Nonvoluntary euthanasia refers to ending the life of a person who is not mentally competent to make an informed request to die, such as a comatose patient.

Euthanasia differs from assisted suicide, in which a patient voluntarily brings about his or her own death with the assistance of another person, typically a physician. In this case, the act is a suicide (intentional self-inflicted death), because the patient actually causes his or her own death.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Euthanasia in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Euthanasia

In this Section

Euthanasia, Euthanasia Background, Euthanasia Laws, Euthanasia Laws in the United States, Euthanasia Laws in Canada, Euthanasia Laws in the World, Euthanasia Prevalence and Euthanasia Ethical Concerns.

Hierarchical Display of Euthanasia

Law > Rights and freedoms > Rights of the individual > Freedom of self-determination
Social Questions > Social affairs > Social life > Bio-ethics
Social Questions > Health > Health policy > Organisation of health care > Medical law > Patient’s rights > Living will
Social Questions > Health > Health policy > Social problem > Suicide

Euthanasia

Concept of Euthanasia

See the dictionary definition of Euthanasia.

Characteristics of Euthanasia

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Resources

Translation of Euthanasia

• Spanish: Eutanasia
• French: Euthanasie
• German: Euthanasie
• Italian: Eutanasia
• Portuguese: Eutanásia
• Polish: Eutanazja

Thesaurus of Euthanasia

Law > Rights and freedoms > Rights of the individual > Freedom of self-determination > Euthanasia
Social Questions > Social affairs > Social life > Bio-ethics > Euthanasia
Social Questions > Health > Health policy > Organisation of health care > Medical law > Patient’s rights > Living will > Euthanasia
Social Questions > Health > Health policy > Social problem > Suicide > Euthanasia

See also

• Bio-ethics
• Trade in organs
• Living will
• Suicide

• Right to euthanasia