Euthanasia

The text is primarily intended for medical students and follows the usual scheme of lectures in medical ethics (problem definition, arguments, legislation). However, the text is written in such a way as to be understandable to the general public and to contribute to the national debate.

The first chapter defines the terms that the reader will encounter in the book. We also learn here that the very word „ euthanasia“ is one of the most difficult words to define in medical ethics. What follows is a brief historical excursus, the purpose of which is to provide facts about developments in post-war Euro-Atlantic civilization and especially about developments in Europe, since any good ethics necessarily begins with a neutral and accurate description of the issues and knowledge of medical and historical facts. The following are chapters of descriptive ethics.

In the Czech Republic, two bills have recently been drafted on the so-called. a dignified death in 2008. The second of the two proposals was considered by the author as a member of the ethics committee of the Ministry of Health and was therefore involved in the ethical assessment of the whole matter. The topic of euthanasia is still widely discussed in the Czech Republic.