Definitions

• Euthanasia – from the Greek eu – well and thanatos – death, a good death. The dictionary definition "an easy mode of death: the art or practice of putting painlessly to death, especially in cases of incurable suffering"
• Voluntary Euthanasia – the patient decides that he wants to die
• Involuntary Euthanasia – the killing of a patient for his ‘benefit’ but against his wishes
• Non-voluntary Euthanasia – the killing of a patient for his ‘benefit’ when he is incapable of asking to be killed
• Palliative care – caring for terminally ill patients by making their lives as comfortable and pain-free as possible until they die
• Advance Directives/Living Wills – a document written by a patient to tell the doctor what treatments they do or do not want
• Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) – a person who is alive and whose heart and lungs etc., are functioning without artificial support but who cannot communicate or respond to those around them. It is not possible to know if they have any awareness of others
• Burdensome treatment – treatment which is more of a burden than a benefit e.g. continued chemotherapy for a terminally ill cancer patient

Principle

• Sanctity of Life – everyone has an equal and inalienable right to life
• Patient Autonomy – everyone has a duty to make responsible decisions. A doctor must respect the directions of his patient. For those patients who cannot give consent doctors must give them the treatment that is in their best interests
• Duty of Care – we have a duty of care towards others. We may not harm others
• ‘Dying with dignity’ – those in favour of euthanasia use it to mean intentionally killing someone to end their pain. Real dignity is the right to a natural death made as comfortable and pain-free as possible.

SPUC Scotland Paper 4
The Case Against Euthanasia
June 2002

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