What is euthanasia？ Basic knowledge Active euthanasia
- リップディー（RiP:D)
- Sep 21
- 4 min read
[What is euthanasia? Basic knowledge: Active euthanasia]
First of all, let's remember that euthanasia is academically divided into three types .
1. Active euthanasia
2. Passive euthanasia
3. Indirect Euthanasia
I think many people have heard of all the other three somewhere (three basically means "calm down") .
I will explain it step by step from the top.
First, let's talk about "active euthanasia."
Active Euthanasia
When it comes to active euthanasia, you can think of it as the so-called "euthanasia" that most people imagine.
However, there are two methods, and the rules differ from country to country . It is important to note that the wording also changes depending on the method. That is , how the euthanasia "medicine" is administered to the person requesting euthanasia .
1. is administered by a doctor (imagine receiving an injection)
2. The patient administers the medication themselves (drinking from a cup or opening the IV drip bottle themselves)
Some people may find this a bit inconvenient, thinking, "Aren't both cases just euthanasia?", but in fact it's completely different.
To put it a little dramatically,
1. Murder by a doctor (other person) (similar to abortion and the death penalty)
2. Other people assisting someone in committing suicide
When you look at it this way, you can see that there is a big difference in the weight of the rules .
This will have a major impact on the feelings and burden felt by medical professionals, as well as on the emotions of families. The general public will likely also have a very different impression.
For this reason, (as many of you may have seen in documentaries etc.) in Switzerland, for example, self-administration is mandatory . Saying "A doctor will inject..." is a clear crime (murder).
*Therefore, strictly speaking, "to commit euthanasia in Switzerland" is half incorrect , and the correct answer would be " to go to Switzerland to receive assisted suicide ." However, in Japan, the term "euthanasia" is used for convenience.
On the other hand, there are countries where it is OK to choose and carry out both methods . The Netherlands and Australia have adopted this rule. However, the UK has a law that states that only assistance in suicide is permitted. There is a surprising amount of variation between countries.
The act of euthanasia itself is not difficult, as many people imagine. Safe and stable methodologies and implementation processes have long been perfected.
However, in an era when the world is increasingly accepting euthanasia, how will Japan make its decision? This will likely become an important topic in the future.
To put it simply, remember that the question is "injection or infusion?"
If you dig deeper you will come across many more terms, but for beginners who are unfamiliar with them, this should be sufficient.
By the way, in overseas (English) news,
1. VAD, Maid (euthanasia also appears occasionally)
2. Assisted dying (sometimes assisted death, sometimes assisted suicide) is the term often used.
There are many more, but the above terms are the ones you will come across frequently. I will summarize the types and definitions of terms in a separate article in the form of a "Glossary."
remarks
When people hear the word euthanasia, there are quite a few who feel overly frightened, thinking things like, "Maybe I'll be killed?" (If I may put it in a slightly vulgar way,
Looking around society, legal "murder (or assisting suicide)" is a fairly common occurrence.
For example, the act of abortion is legally defined as murder in principle .
" Abortion is a crime in principle, but the act is permitted under certain conditions ."
To put it in a very unpleasant way, it can also be said that "pediatricians have the right to..." when a baby is sleeping in the mother's womb.
"First of all, it's a crime in principle → but it's acceptable under certain conditions"
This pattern is actually prevalent in society, and when it comes to abortion (in countries where it is permitted), it is a fundamental principle worldwide .
Similarly, for example, the "right of self-defense" ...if a thief breaks into your home and you end up killing the thief in a scuffle...is this an illegal act of murder or not?
Under what interpretation of the law is the death penalty carried out?
What is the legal status of the "right to shoot" when countries are at war?
What about police officers' gun ownership? If they engage in combat with a criminal, what is the legal status of inflicting fatal injuries on the victim?
When you think about it like that, euthanasia is actually surprisingly
It is on the same line as common themes in society.
It will be understood that.
And as I have written here, the existence of euthanasia is now a global trend .
![[World Map] Countries that have legalized euthanasia and countries/regions where it is being considered at the political level](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1e6e15_383e860207b84b97a311e8f6e641e999~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1183,h_635,al_c/1e6e15_383e860207b84b97a311e8f6e641e999~mv2.png)
For those who overreact to the term "euthanasia" without understanding anything about it and think it's scary, if we look at other themes along the same lines, the euthanasia system is actually a surprisingly mild topic , so it would be best to think about it in a more open-minded way.
As stated on our homepage, our fundamental idea behind the "significance of euthanasia" can be expressed as follows:
There are people in the world who are unfortunate enough to have a " serious disability "
Enduring " unbearable pain "
With " tremendous discomfort " in the end
There are quite a few people who are " on the verge of breaking through the limits of their minds . "
In other words, euthanasia as a general rule in the global trend is...
Unbearable pain from an incurable disease
Or the excruciating discomfort of a terminal illness
To those who suffer psychologically from these
Medically assisted death
This is how we interpret it and act.
In other words, this is a topic that we must think of as something that concerns us, not as something that concerns others.
Next, I will explain passive euthanasia.
Passive Euthanasia
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