Euthanasia

Euthanasia, from Greek "Good death", refers to the practise of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering. The word "euthanasia" was first used in a medical context by Francis Bacon in the 17th century.

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". Euthanasia can be carried out either by taking actions, including giving a lethal injection, or by not doing what is necessary to keep a person alive.

It is usually related to the persistent vegetative state or irreversible coma. A person is tied to a machine that feeds him and makes him breathe. Some people say that this is not living, especially when a person is tied to a machine for many years, and so they prefer "to pull the plug" and to put an end to the patient's life, even not knowing their will.

A higher vision comes from the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who said that rational human beings should be treated as an end in themselves and not as a means to something else. The fact that we are human has value in itself. We exist, so we have value. We shouldn't treat ourselves as a means to our own ends. And this means that we shouldn't end our lives just because it seems the most effective way of putting an end to our suffering. To do that is not to respect our inherent worth.