Euthanasia; A Review and Analysis of the Ethical Aspect of

Euthanasia, the practice of killing without pain a person who is suffering from an incurable disease so that the person can die with dignity, is one of the hotly debated areas in medical ethics. This issue has been the subject of speculation during the recent decades in response to the medical development and conscious attempts of the social movements which are interested in this issue. Euthanasia is of different types considering the difference between the moral, juridical, and legal nature. The difference between the two main types of euthanasia, that is; active euthanasia and passive euthanasia, is that in the first a person is killed because he/she suffers from an incurable disease and severe pain, while in the second he/she is left in the lurch until he/she dies. Most religions reject the idea of active euthanasia, but they have a more flexible stance towards some other types. The proponents of euthanasia insist more than any other group on self-determination while the opponents provide ample justification ranging from moral and religious arguments to functional concerns.