Apuntes sobre la eutanasia
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Abstract
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, human life is held to be sacred, a
semblance of the divine and a gift from God which the individual cannot dispose of at his or her own
will. Hence, these monotheistic religions have made of the crime of murder a transgression of God’s
own commandment not to kill and have extended the applicability of this commandment to the
practice of euthanasia and suicide. On the other hand, some non-religious traditions offer plausible
reasons favoring euthanasia. This is a delicate matter for physicians, since the Hippocratic tradition
forbids euthanasia and because as care-givers they must also bear the psychological, moral and
emotional burden of carrying it out. Physicians are trained to preserve life but not to bring it to an
end. As human beings, they must always respect the principle of nonmaleficence, and as physicians
they must always respect as well the principle of beneficence. It is difficult to accept the fact that ending
a human life can be an act of beneficence. In order to differentiate between passive and active
euthanasia, the concept of proportionality of medical acts must be brought into consideration. For
instance, using high doses of opiates to alleviate pain or withholding the use of an extraordinary
method of treatment are not passive acts aimed at ending the life of a terminally ill patient, but
medical acts that are reasonable, judicious and proportionate to the condition and irreversibility of a
patient’s illness. Therefore, so-called passive euthanasia cannot be considered the same as euthanasia.
On the other hand, medically assisted suicide is a deceitful form of active euthanasia. The aim of this
act is to cause death and the physician is morally responsible for such a death, since he is providing the
means for bringing a human life to an end. Many times the desire to die expressed by terminally ill
elderly and helpless patients is a request for help and an expression of reproach against a society that
allows for their abandonment and neglect.
Indexation
Artículo de publicación SCOPUS
Quote Item
Rev Méd Chile 2005; 133: 371-375
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