Involuntary euthanasia is the ending of a person’s life without their consent, often due to the perceived lack of value of that life. It is usually considered homicide and is illegal, but withholding treatment for a dying person who cannot consent is considered involuntary passive euthanasia. The legality of these actions depends on the country and area in which the euthanasia takes place.
Involuntary euthanasia is the ending of a person’s life without their consent, typically due to the perceived lack of value of that life. The intended semantic difference between this type of euthanasia and homicide is that homicide is an aggressive act intended to punish, whereas euthanasia is usually used for situations where life is ended for philosophical or presumably rational reasons. According to many people, there is no difference between these two terms, nor is there always a legal difference. Typically, when a person refers to involuntary euthanasia it is in a philosophical or conceptual sense, because actually performing euthanasia without the patient’s consent is almost always considered homicide in today’s legal systems.
When euthanasia is performed without a person’s consent, it is considered involuntary euthanasia. The person may violently resist euthanasia if it is actively performed, meaning actions are taken to actively kill the person. In most cases, this type of euthanasia is done by withholding treatment rather than actively killing a person. This can be done without the patient’s knowledge, often by a doctor, or without the patient’s consent when he or she is mentally incapacitated.
Euthanasia of any kind usually refers to the termination of a life due to medical factors or lack of worth. A person who is killed because they are seriously ill, mentally impaired or dangerous to society could be considered a victim of euthanasia. Euthanasia is defined as an emotionless act by the physician or the person who commits it. This is one of the main differences between euthanasia and homicide.
From the point of view of the Nazis during the Holocaust, for example, there are arguments to be made that the deaths of Jews in the gas chambers could be considered involuntary euthanasia. The Nazis believed that the lives of Jews, as well as a wide variety of other people, were worthless and therefore that it was rational to cleanse society of them. Clearly, from the perspective of all other parties and future generations, these actions constituted murder. Determining what is euthanasia and what is homicide largely depends on what one feels life is worth, and this depends on both the time period and the culture at hand.
Involuntary euthanasia is not always considered the same as withholding treatment for a person who is dying and cannot legally consent due to a coma or other disability. This is usually considered involuntary passive euthanasia, which generally means that, while consent cannot be obtained from the patient, the patient’s interests are being represented because he will die very soon and will not regain consciousness at any time. Babies with severe birth defects are sometimes subjected to involuntary active euthanasia, which is usually considered mercy killing. The legality of these actions depends on the country and area in which the euthanasia takes place, and public opinion of these proceedings may not always reflect the law.
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