Of Philosophy, Ethics and Moral about Euthanasia: The Discomfort between Modernity and Postmodernity

Abstract

Euthanasia ('Good Death') and dysthanasia are medical procedures that concern the death of the human being and the most appropriate way of dealing with it. Euthanasia is primarily concerned with the quality of human life in its final phase, while dysthanasia seeks the extension of the human life quantity, fighting death. Euthanasia differs from social euthanasia, or misthanasia (miserable death) because it has no relation with the search for a good, smooth and painless death. Orthothanasia (art of well-dying) rejects all forms of misthanasia, yet does not fall into the trap of euthanasia or dysthanasia. There is a link between the economic devaluation of human beings and the cultural tendency that is increasingly emphasized in refusing the will of the right to live for those who are too weak to demand this right.