The Controversy Surrounding Euthanasia In Ancient Greece

Throughout history, euthanasia has always had a place in law; starting as far back as the Axial Age in Ancient Greece. Although the views and laws surrounding euthanasia have changed time and time again, the fact remains that where there is sickness, there is death and some individuals will choose to end their life instead of suffer.

In Ancient Greece, euthanasia was seen as acceptable by some and unacceptable by others. The government in Athens kept a supply of poison for any individual who obtained official permission to commit suicide. In Rome, suicide was punishable if deemed irrational. Socrates and Plato valued a man’s ability to reason: Plato believed that suicide was acceptable for people that fell into four categories: 1) Those

who take their lives by legal order of the state; 2) Those who are incurably ill; 3) Those who are disabled; 4) Those who have disgraced themselves beyond any hope of self-forgiveness and choose to atone for their actions through suicide (Roberts & Gorman, 1996). It is debated by researchers when the Hippocratic Oath came into existence, who wrote it and the extent of its use in ancient times, but it appears to forbid euthanasia: “To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug, nor give advice which may cause his death” (Roberts, 1996)
During A.D. 330, the Rise of Christianity brought on the belief that there wasn’t a distinction of an emotional act of suicide and choosing to die, even if the choice was because of a prolonged, terminal condition. Individuals who chose to end their life because they were sick were denied a Christian burial. During A.D. 562, the Catholic Church began to excommunicate anyone who committed or attempted suicide.
The term euthanasia comes from the Greek words “Eu” (meaning good) and “Thanatos” (meaning death). There are many interpretations and meanings to the term euthanasia. The acting definition of euthanasia is “any action undertaken for the direct purpose of ending another person’s life (i.e., deliberately causing someone else’s death” (Euthanasia, 2011). Some definitions also include the voluntary and involuntary terminations of life; such as Passive Euthanasia, Active Euthanasia, Physician Assisted Suicide, Voluntary Euthanasia, Involuntary Euthanasia, and Natural Death.
Passive Euthanasia refers to withdrawing or withholding life-giving means of support. This could be removing life support equipment, stopping medical procedures or medications, stopping nutrition and hydration or not delivering/stopping CPR. Active Euthanasia causes the death of an individual deliberately. Physician Assisted Suicide refers to when a physician supplies an individual with the medications needed to end their life. Physician Assisted Suicide is more commonly called voluntary passive euthanasia (VPE). Voluntary Euthanasia refers to when an individual has initiated the request to end their life. Involuntary Euthanasia refers to a situation where an individual’s life is ended without their consent. This is more commonly used when a patient is in a Persistent Vegetative State and the chance of regaining conscientiousness is sparse. Natural Death occurs when there was no intentional act to cause an individual’s death.