[img]2012q1/ct_etoefm_etoefspeakc_2097_20121[/img] [originaltext]Professor

Professor
    There are many new controversial topics in medical ethics. Cloning, genetic engineering, and biomedical research on human subjects are all on the cutting edge of contemporary science, yet they have all given rise to complex moral dilemmas.
    There are two older topics that are just as controversial, namely abortion and euthanasia. The abortion debate has been raging for decades in many countries and there is no sign that it will be resolved anytime soon. In the U.S. , it is now the hottest political topic, hotter than crime, drugs, poverty, education, pollution, gun control, or even the $6 trillion national debt—every political candidate from the local to the national level is under some pressure to take a stand on this issue.
    Euthanasia, another key topic, is more prominent globally because of the mushrooming population and the escalating costs of health care. Euthanasia is often referred to as "mercy killing". It may be either voluntary or involuntary, and it may be either active or passive. The least controversial category is voluntary passive euthanasia. In such cases, nature is merely permitted to take its course, without any interference from the medical profession except perhaps to alleviate pain. In the case of involuntary active euthanasia, the doctor takes direct action to end or shorten a life without the specific consent, and sometimes without the specific knowledge, of the person about to die. Most jurisdictions in the U. S. call this murder, though a few have considered permitting it under very strictly controlled circumstances defined by the law. Voluntary active euthanasia and involuntary passive euthanasia are now allowed in some jurisdictions, but with strict legal controls. There is no jurisdiction that provides euthanasia on demand.