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GROUP
8
BI OETHIC S
 EUTHANASIA
EUTHANASIA IS THE PRACTICE OF ENDING THE LIFE OF
A PATIENT TO LIMIT THE PATIENT’S SUFFERING. THE
PATIENT IN QUESTION WOULD TYPICALLY BE
TERMINALLY ILL OR EXPERIENCING GREAT PAIN AND
SUFFERING.
The word “euthanasia” itself comes from the Greek words “eu”
(good) and “thanatos” (death). The idea is that instead of
condemning someone to a slow, painful, or undignified death,
euthanasia would allow the patient to experience a relatively
“good death.”

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 EUTHANASIA

MERCY-KILLING: THE TERM “MERCY-KILLING”

USUALLY REFERS TO ACTIVE, INVOLUNTARY OR
NONVOLUNTARY, OTHER-ADMINISTERED
EUTHANASIA. IN OTHER WORDS, SOMEONE KILLS A
PATIENT WITHOUT THEIR EXPLICIT CONSENT TO END
THE PATIENT’S SUFFERING.

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TYPES OF
EUTHANASIA
ACTIVE EUTHANASIA: killing a patient by active means, for
example, injecting a patient with a lethal dose of a drug.
Sometimes called “aggressive” euthanasia.

PASSIVE EUTHANASIA: intentionally letting a patient die by

withholding artificial life support such as a ventilator or feeding
tube. Some ethicists distinguish between withholding life support
and withdrawing life support (the patient is on life support but
then removed from it).

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TYPES OF
EUTHANASIA
VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA: with the consent of the patient.

INVOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA: without the consent of the

patient, for example, if the patient is unconscious and his or her
wishes are unknown.. Some ethicists distinguish between
“involuntary” (against the patient’s wishes) and “nonvoluntary”
(without the patient’s consent but wishes are unknown) forms.

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TYPES OF
EUTHANASIA
SELF-ADMINISTERED EUTHANASIA: the patient
administers the means of death.

Other-administered euthanasia: a person other than the patient

administers the means of death.

Assisted: the patient administers the means of death but with the
assistance of another person, such as a physician.

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TYPES OF
EUTHANASIA
PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE: THE PHRASE
“PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE” REFERS TO ACTIVE,
VOLUNTARY, ASSISTED EUTHANASIA WHERE A
PHYSICIAN ASSISTS THE PATIENT. A PHYSICIAN
PROVIDES THE PATIENT WITH A MEANS, SUCH AS
SUFFICIENT MEDICATION, FOR THE PATIENT TO KILL
HIM OR HERSELF.

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 Ethical Issues Related To
Euthanasia
• Euthanasia would not only be for people who are
“terminally ill”
• Euthanasia can become a means of health care cost
containment
• Euthanasia will become non-voluntary
• Legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide leads to suicide
contagion
• Euthanasia is a rejection of the importance and value of
human life
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 Levels of the Problem of
Euthanasia
When physicians decide to treat their patients they do so
under to presuppositions:
• They presuppose that the treatment has a reasonable
chance of being technically successful
• Secondly, they presuppose that the treatment has a
reasonable chance of bringing about a desirable, or atleast
a tolerable state, which is consistent with the patient’s self-
determined goals.

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 01

“Natural Death Act” of 2005

By:

Miriam Defensor Santiago

BI OETHIC S
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CASES OF
EUTHANASIA
BI OETHIC S
 07

CASE #1
A DOCTOR ACCUSED OF
FAILING TO VERIFY
CONSENT BEFORE
PERFORMING
EUTHANASIA ON A
DEMENTIA PATIENT HAS
BEEN CLEARED OF ANY
WRONGDOING BY A
DUTCH COURT.
 07

CASE #2
THE TROUBLED
29-YEAR-OLD
HELPED TO DIE
BY DUTCH
DOCTORS
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Types of Principles

BI OETHIC S
Principle of Double
Effect

o It’s not considered euthanasia to give a drug in order

to reduce pain, even though the drug causes the
patient to dies sooner
o This argument is sometimes known as the DOCTRINE
OF DOUBLE EFFECT (DDE)

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Principle of Justice

o Recourse to euthanasia results in the growth of sinful cultural

and legal structures, which in turn lead to more euthanasia
o If euthanasia becomes socially acceptable, legal safeguards
will be removed or ignored
o The sick and elderly will be pressured into accepting
euthanasia or asking for assisted suicide
o Euthanasia will be administered without the knowledge or
consent of the patient or family
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Principle of Non-
Maleficence

o It refers to the physician’s responsibility not to harm

his/her patient
o It is a prominent ethical principle that underlies laws
about physician’s involvement in voluntary active
euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. (in end-of-
life care)
o It is also a core principle with an extremely common
aspect of everyday neurologic practice-respect for
patient privacy
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Principle of
Beneficience
o To act in a way that benefits the patient

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Thank You !
Members:
CHAVES, LORENA
KANGGAT, DYLAN
AGLIAM, DIANNE
DAULAYAN, RACHEL
BI OETHIC S