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1、UnitTwoActiveandPassiveEuthanasia[1]Thedistinctionbetweenactiveandpassiveeuthanasia*isthoughttobecrucial*formedicalethics*・Theideaisthatitispermissible,atleastinsomecases,towithhold*treatmentandallowapatienttodie,butitisneverpermissibletotakeanydirectactiondesignedtokillthepati
2、ent.Thisdoctrineseemstobeacceptedbymostdoctors,anditisendorsed*inastatementadoptedbytheHouseofDelegatesoftheAmericanMedicalAssociationonDecember4,1973・Theintentionalterminationoflifeofonehumanbeingbyanother-mercykilling-iscontrarytothatforwhichthemedicalprofessionstandsandiscon
3、trarytothepolicyoftheAmericanMedicalAssociation'•Thecessation*oftheemploymentofextraordinarymeanstoprolong*thelifeofthebodywhenthereisirrefutableevidencethatbiologicaldeathisimminent*isthedecisionofthepatientand/orherimmediatefamily1.Theadviceandjudgmentofthephysicianshouldbefr
4、eelyavailabletothepatientand/orhisimmediatefamily.However,astrongcasecanbemadeagainstthisdoctrine.InwhatfollowsIwillsetoutsomeoftherelevantargumentsandurgedoctorstoreconsidertheirviewsonthismatter.[2]Tobeginwithafamiliartypeofsituation,apatientwhoisdyingofincurablecanceroftheth
5、roatisinterriblepain,whichcannoIongerbesatisfactorilyalleviated*・Heiscertaintodiewithinafewdays,evenifpresenttreatmentiscontinued,buthedoesnotwanttogoonlivingforthosedayssincethepainisunbearable.Soheasksthedoctorforanendtoit,andhisfamilyjoinsintherequest.[3]Supposethedoctoragre
6、estowithholdtreatment,astheconventionaldoctrine*sayshemay・Thejustificationforhisdoingsoisthatthepatientisinterribleagonandsinceheisgoingtodieanyway,itwouldbewrongtoprolonghissufferingneedlessly.Butnownoticethis.Ifonesimplywithholdstreatment,itmaytakethepatientIongertodie,andsoh
7、emaysuffermorethanhewouldifmoredirectactionweretakenandlethal*injectiongiven.Thisfactprovidesstrongreasonforthinkingthat,oncetheinitialdecisionnottoprolonghisagonyhasbeenmade,activeeuthanasiaisactuallypreferabletopassiveeuthanasia,ratherthanthereverse・Tosayotherwiseistoendorset
8、heoption*thatleadstomoresufferingratherthanless,andisc
