In 1605, lawyer and natural philosopher Francis Bacon stated that the physician’s duty related to the matters of both healing and death. Bacon believed that when nothing can be done for the recovery of the patient, then that patient should be provided fair and easy passage. He termed this fair and easy passage as Euthanasia. Today, public discussion on the merits of euthanasia has centred around the role of the medical practitioner as a healer. Some doctors and conscientious objectors worry that physician-assisted suicide will alter the relationship between doctors and their patients. They argue it is unethical, often in violation of the Hippocratic oath.
Opposers of euthanasia have always presented religious and moral arguments against euthanasia, while proponents have focused on the trauma and pain of terminally ill patients and their families. Euthanasia still remains a contentious issue. The controversy on whether euthanasia is good or bad still exists in many discussion. The question remains that whether euthanasia is really a solution to the torture of dying patients and their relatives, or is it just a way to eliminate bedridden patients?
In this unit, we will learn about the basic facts about euthanasia, the known issues that surround euthanasia and the debate which surrounds this topic. This lesson will also help in examining both sides of the euthanasia debate and help you understand whether euthanasia is the practical and moral choice to make.
