Other
Life on the Edge; Intensive Care, the So-Called Right to Death, Euthanasia, Transplantation
Zvonimir Šeparović
; Faculty of Law, Zagreb
Abstract
The potential and possibilities of modern medicine in maintaining life have become such that the purposefulness and justifiability of some actions are being doubted. According to some opinions the prolongation of life at any cost becomes senseless because it means the manipulate with life and death. It is to a certain extent the reign of terror over mankind. Medicine can terminate life when it is found to be »senseless«. Medicine can also maintain life, even were it only for not being reproached of terminating it too soon, or to gain time for transplanting parts of the body. Intensive care, which maintains life of serious patients, with great efforts and sophisticated technologies, brings about the problem of the so-called passive euthanasia, problems of organ transplantation, patient's approval, etc. These are undoubtedly some of the most urgent question of medicine but this means that they are also ethical and legal questions.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
155323
URI
Publication date:
30.6.1990.
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