Euthanasia is, according to Webster dictionary, the act of killing an individual for the reason of mercy. This paper will examen the issue of active and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia is an intervention that would cause death to take place when it would not otherwise happen. Passive euthanasia is the decision to withold help from an individual, ultimately leading to the death of the individual. This paper is supposed to deal with the circumstances, if any, that euthanasia, active or passive, would be morally permissible. Before I build the wall of moral delineation between these two scenarios, consider that they are but two possible choices on a broad continuum of options about death. I would suggest that there are three "hard points" on this continuum;1. Do not allow death if at all possible2. Do not interfere with death3. Death is a choiceUnder this logic, #1 & #3 define the continuum limits and #2 the center point. I would argue that both active and passive are between #2 and #3. Active is clearly close to #3 while passive still advocates interference with the natural process of death. Passive euthanasia is a choice to allow death when you have the option to prevent it, even in the face of the wishes of the sufferer means that you are exercising a choice about death. So maybe there are really only two hard points to the continuum; #1 and #3? Indeed, even the deciding when to exercise #1 means that you are at #3!The circumstances in which euthanasia would be morally permissible must therefore be drawn upon #3 of the continuum. The #3 says that death is a choice and that both passive and active euthanasia are choices of death. Death being a choice indicates that a decision must be made. The decision therefore lies in the hands of the patient, because he has a natural right to his life and his body. This right to life is "self-evident" and universal. The problem with this argument becomes evident when the ...
