Euthanasia In Ancient Sparta

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Recommended: Euthanasia for terminally ill

The use of euthanasia seems to go back to the dawn of civilization. People with terminal illnesses or debilitating deformities were often killed to both prevent them from becoming a burden on society as well as to end their suffering. In Ancient Sparta, it was common practice to check newborn boys for any signs of illness or deformity. If these were found, the boy would be killed. This process was regarded as a perfect method of protecting Spartan society from the burden of caring for the sick. In ancient Greece, the euthanasia of patients suffering from extremely painful terminal illnesses was made easy- a poisonous drink was given to those who requested it (“A General History of Euthanasia”).
However, even in ancient times, euthanasia was not without its opponents. One notable opponent of euthanasia, and suicide in general, was the …show more content…

This opposition often stems from religious reasoning. For example, the majority of Christians, Muslims and Jews often oppose euthanasia on the grounds that it is strictly prohibited in their religions, as they believe that only God can choose how long a person will live, and that humans should not interfere with the process of dying (Naseh, Rafiei and Heidari). Along with religious opposition, many physicians and nurses base their opposition of euthanasia on the fear that patients, due to the fear of becoming a financial burden on their family, or even the effects of sickness, which often include depression and confusion, may request and accept euthanasia without realising the full consequences of such a procedure (Hurst and Mauron). Another cause for opposition towards euthanasia is the fear of a “slippery slope” situation, meaning that legalizing euthanasia could eventually lead to society’s acceptance of actions that are considered immoral in today’s society- the euthanasia of young children or enforcing euthanasia for those who did not request it, for example (Hurst and

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