Euthanasia

Question 0

What is the difference between assisted suicide, suicide and euthanasia?

Answer 0

Suicide: when a person kills themselves actively (eg stabs himself)
Assisted Suicide: when a person helps somebody commit suicide but does not actively do it (eg giving someone a knife to stab themself with)
Euthanasia: when a person kills another because that person wants to die and physically commits the action.

Question 1

What does the word euthanasia mean?

Answer 1

‘Eu’ means good and ‘than(atos)’ means death.

Question 2

What are some arguments ‘for’ euthanasia?

Answer 2

• The person who wants to die will live a painful life if euthanasia is not possible.
• If that person has a terminal disease they will die anyway.
• It is less painful than, for example, a heart attack.
• It is cheap (only £45 in some places).

Question 3

What are some arguments ‘against’ euthanasia?

Answer 3

• Many people think it is like ‘playing with God’.
• It is easy to fake (e.g. If someone can’t talk, there is no proof he wants to die)
• It is almost the same as murder and God said ‘thou shalt not kill’.
• Most diseases can be cured or painkillers can be used.