Passive euthanasia

Euthanasia (from Greek: εὐθανασία; 'good death': εὖ, eu; 'well' or 'good' + θάνατος, thanatos; 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. Different countries have different euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics defines euthanasia as 'a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering'. In the Netherlands and Belgium, euthanasia is understood as 'termination of life by a doctor at the request of a patient'. The Dutch law however, does not use the term 'euthanasia' but includes the concept under the broader definition of 'assisted suicide and termination of life on request'. Euthanasia is categorized in different ways, which include voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary: As of 2006 euthanasia had become the most active area of research in bioethics.In some countries divisive public controversy occurs over the moral, ethical, and legal issues associated with euthanasia. Passive euthanasia (known as 'pulling the plug') is legal under some circumstances in many countries. Active euthanasia, however, is legal or de facto legal in only a handful of countries (for example: Belgium, Canada and Switzerland), which limit it to specific circumstances and require the approval of counselors and doctors or other specialists. In some countries - such as Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan - support for active euthanasia is almost non-existent. Like other terms borrowed from history, 'euthanasia' has had different meanings depending on usage. The first apparent usage of the term 'euthanasia' belongs to the historian Suetonius, who described how the Emperor Augustus, 'dying quickly and without suffering in the arms of his wife, Livia, experienced the 'euthanasia' he had wished for.' The word 'euthanasia' was first used in a medical context by Francis Bacon in the 17th century, to refer to an easy, painless, happy death, during which it was a 'physician's responsibility to alleviate the 'physical sufferings' of the body.' Bacon referred to an 'outward euthanasia'—the term 'outward' he used to distinguish from a spiritual concept—the euthanasia 'which regards the preparation of the soul.' In current usage, euthanasia has been defined as the 'painless inducement of a quick death'. However, it is argued that this approach fails to properly define euthanasia, as it leaves open a number of possible actions which would meet the requirements of the definition, but would not be seen as euthanasia. In particular, these include situations where a person kills another, painlessly, but for no reason beyond that of personal gain; or accidental deaths that are quick and painless, but not intentional. Another approach incorporates the notion of suffering into the definition. The definition offered by the Oxford English Dictionary incorporates suffering as a necessary condition, with 'the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma', This approach is included in Marvin Khol and Paul Kurtz's definition of it as 'a mode or act of inducing or permitting death painlessly as a relief from suffering'. Counterexamples can be given: such definitions may encompass killing a person suffering from an incurable disease for personal gain (such as to claim an inheritance), and commentators such as Tom Beauchamp and Arnold Davidson have argued that doing so would constitute 'murder simpliciter' rather than euthanasia. The third element incorporated into many definitions is that of intentionality – the death must be intended, rather than being accidental, and the intent of the action must be a 'merciful death'. Michael Wreen argued that 'the principal thing that distinguishes euthanasia from intentional killing simpliciter is the agent's motive: it must be a good motive insofar as the good of the person killed is concerned.' Similarly, Heather Draper speaks to the importance of motive, arguing that 'the motive forms a crucial part of arguments for euthanasia, because it must be in the best interests of the person on the receiving end.' Definitions such as that offered by the House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics take this path, where euthanasia is defined as 'a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering.' Beauchamp and Davidson also highlight Baruch Brody's 'an act of euthanasia is one in which one person ... (A) kills another person (B) for the benefit of the second person, who actually does benefit from being killed'.