Ethics is a complex and quite often a confusing field. It encompasses the fundamental principles of privacy, respect, autonomy, beneficence, and justice. Privacy is the shield in democracy-to be free from either personal intrusion or interference and personal violation- entangled with the ideas of confidentiality, discretion, and patient autonomy. The issues of autonomy, liberty, and dignity all different aspects of respect on human personality underline the idea of privacy. Euthanasia represents a controversial but sensitive issue, with many discussions taking place through the years and with an epilogue that will probably never be written. This issue tends to intensify especially because of the proliferation of people being in the vegetative state. In the past, those patients would have died due to inadequate technological support, however, todays technology prolongs life expectancy. This article explores the aspects of euthanasia, present different perspectives on the field and approximates the different factors that affect decisions.
Key words: Euthanasia; dignity; ethics; suicide; humanity
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