Euthanasia

[jmiranda000]

Hello,

So, in my country (Portugal), there was recently a really big discussion about euthanasia and if it should be institutionalized or not. What is your opinion? I defend it, and am against the possibility of privates being able to also do it, of profiting from it which was something that one of the plans for the institutionalization did not permit, only euthanasia in the public system. But even if that was so, would you support it or no? And why?

[Antiochus]

Well, from an 'individual' perspective its logical for suicide to be a 'right', but this should be looked at in context. Most suicides that occur in the world do not stem from fatal, debilitating diseases that would make life unbearable but from temporary cognitive dissonance when looking at the world, so depression. So I don't think that someone that is 'depressed' should ever be encouraged to kill himself or be given the means to do so.

[Red Carnation]

Yes yes, but euthanasia implies a terminal disease, it's in its definition, terminal cancer for example, someone which with a short time to live and where the disease will probably create lots of suffering. Besides, here the law enforced that someone suffering from any kind of psychological disease would have to be evaluated by a psychiatrist to understand how it affects its decision and to someone suffering from depression, even if they have a terminal disease, euthanasia wouldn't be an option. Basically you would first try to treat this depression, try to make the person emotionally stable and only then, if the person continues to choose euthanasia would you be permitted by law to continue the procedure.