Suchergebnisse

IN THIS ARTICLE, THE AUTHOR IS CONCERNED WITH THE PROBLEMS, QUESTIONS, MORALITIES, AND DECISIONS INVOLVED IN FORMULATING A NATIONAL POLICY TOWARD THE PRACTICE OF EUTHANASIA. AFTER A DETAILED INQUIRY INTO THE MEANING OF THE VERY TERM "EUTHANASIA" A SATISFACTORY DEFINITION IS REACHED AND THE ESSAY CONTINUES WITH A PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MORALITY OF THE PRACTICE.

The paper addresses the issues of euthanasia and thoroughly analyses Kantian
response to the practice in question. In reference to Kant?s views on many
related issues, such as murder, suicide, autonomy, rationality, honor and
the value of human life, the main goal of this paper is to offer an
explanation for one probable Kantian view on euthanasia in general, as well
as an explanation for a specific form of euthanasia with regard to those
patients suffering from dementia. The author?s arguments, according to which
Kant could even argue that those persons who have begun suffering from
dementia have a duty to die, have all been given special importance in this
paper. The question is could and should this specific moral ever be allowed
to become universal when considering the patients? willingness to commit
suicide once they start suffering from dementia or perhaps once they start
experiencing a loss of rationality? Should suicide even become a patient?s
duty? Furthermore, if a patient shows absolutely no intention or willingness
of taking her/his own life, ?should? the doctor perform a non-voluntary
euthanasia over the patient? This paper analyses the author?s arguments
which are actually in favor of aforementioned questions, and aims to examine
the plausibility of the act as well as to criticize it. The issue of
euthanasia is very important, because the key question is what in fact
constitutes the fundamental value of human life, which lies at the heart of
this problem.