________________
rather than unfocussed right thinking & an emphasis on duties as well as individual rights.
The steepness of slope & its treacherous footing are often concealed by an emollient vocabulary.
Euthanasia is a word derived from Greek mean Gentle & easy death. Euthanasia involves 1. decisions which have the effect of shortening life. 2. It is limited to the medical context. 3. Involves patients lives being shortened by doctors & not by relatives. 4. has belief that death would benefit patient, that patient will be off dead because patient is suffering gravely from a terminal or incapacitating, illness or because the patients condition is thought to be an "indignity".
Without 4th feature euthanasia would be nothing but cold blooded murder for selfish motives. Doctor doing something which he foresees will shorten the patient's, life. But doing something intending to shorten the patients life intention is used here in sense of “aim" oy purpose”. : 'Human life is worth valued & wrong to shorten of ill or disabled new baby or woman with advanced senile dementia ethics prohibits shortening of life & requires its preservation human life is to be preserved at all costs. Judaeo Christian traditions doctrine holds human life is created by God in image of God so possessed dignity which should be protected, one must not intentionally kill an innocent human being. The court grants right to refuse medical treatment including life saving medical treatment even refused will result in death.
Patient's and doctor's intention for withholding & withdrawing treatment need not be ending life core justification for VAE is thought to be respect for patient autonomy. This is surely logically inconsistent with a requirement that patient be suffering unbearably, bearably or not at all.
Individual autonomy encounter a logical problem insist that VAE be limited to patients who are suffering unbearably. For if VAE justified by respect for patient self determination. How can it be right to deny it to any patient, who autonomously asks for it, whether or not they are experiencing "unbearable suffering”? or bearable suffering but which the patient doent not want to bear not qualify? What if a patient earnestly asks for VAE because say, he is suffering for some incurable condition such as severe arthritis which is painful & debilitating & which even though it may be bearable he does not want to bear?
e.g. A rock-climber fanatic who has been paralysed from the neck down in a climbing accident & who requests VAE because he say that he does not want to live trapped n a useless body". Why should he be
144
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org