- Question
Should euthanasia be legal?
Ethical aspects of euthanasia (Greek for "good death"), a physician-assisted suicide of a patient with a goal of ending the suffering from a terminal or incurable illness, were debated since the times of Hippocrates. Since then, although modern medicine made a great deal of progress, euthanasia and its validity as a medical practice still leads to controversies. Should a patient in great suffering be able to end his life with the help of a doctor?
Yes, euthanasia should be legal
This position holds that euthanasia should be legal and available to suffering patients with no hope of recovery. It argues that prolonging suffering is unethical, that a dignified death is a human right, and that we already extend such mercy to suffering animals.
No, euthanasia should be illegal
This position holds that euthanasia should remain illegal. It argues that there is no sound ethical or medical justification for it — that suffering can be eased with painkillers, that legalisation invites abuse and a slippery slope, and that it violates the sanctity of human life.