Does euthanasia violate the Hippocratic oath?

Euthanasia is quite a controversial topic. It may only be legal in 1 US state (Oregon) but that doesn't take away from the fact that a certain form of what could be called suicide is legal.

There is no such part to the modern oath...the original does have a reference to avoid "harm and mischief"

This is actually closer to casting doubt on euthanasia: "Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. Above all, I must not play at God."

Although i would argue it's only respecting the patient's decision, not like being a nazi doctor "euthanizing" the sick and disabled against their will....or a lethal injection at an execution of a prisoner, which is why they have difficulty getting any doctor's involvement

You might also be surprised that only half of medical schools require any form of the oath. There also doesn't seem much legal or professional consequence to breaking it

What's surprising to me is assisted suicide is legal in only 8 countries. However, it's actually legal in 5 states now. Oregon was only the 1st

Masterhawk said:

Euthanasia is quite a controversial topic. It may only be legal in 1 US state (Oregon) but that doesn't take away from the fact that a certain form of what could be called suicide is legal.

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I don't think so. Do you think there is no harm in the freakish medical lengths we go to to keep people alive who are begging to die? Do you think there is not harm in us trying to make ourselves the judge and jury of when someone has suffered hard enough to deserve their own right to self-determination?

No one but the individual has a right to decide the circumstances under which they will live. If someone assists who has gotten informed consent, they are merely facilitating it.

All of medicine "plays god." This is in no way unique in that sense.

chromium said:

There is no such part to the modern oath...the original does have a reference to avoid "harm and mischief"

This is actually closer to casting doubt on euthanasia: "Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. Above all, I must not play at God."

Although i would argue it's only respecting the patient's decision, not like being a nazi doctor "euthanizing" the sick and disabled against their will....or a lethal injection at an execution of a prisoner, which is why they have difficulty getting any doctor's involvement

You might also be surprised that only half of medical schools require any form of the oath. There also doesn't seem much legal or professional consequence to breaking it

What's surprising to me is assisted suicide is legal in only 8 countries. However, it's actually legal in 5 states now. Oregon was only the 1st

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Which is why your average GP can be replaced by WebMD, wikipedia and youtube videos

Masterhawk said:

Euthanasia is quite a controversial topic. It may only be legal in 1 US state (Oregon) but that doesn't take away from the fact that a certain form of what could be called suicide is legal.

Click to expand...

Of course it does, if she does it. If the patient does it with drugs supplied by the doctor, then not really.

PS: But, I am not sure that the oath should be the issue. It is a matter of societies' ethics and not of oaths.
Also, there is another question involved. Euthanasia can mean two types of killing that have a different quality in out ethical environment. It is presently used to denote killing on demand by the person to be killed. Traditionally it has usually meant killing persons unfit for life or with genetic deficiencies and the like. While this type of eugenics is no longer practiced or considered ethical in our part of the world, one might note that it was proposed in the US, was considered quite progressive at the time but was marginalized and never widely practiced like was the milder form of sterilization of unfit persons, which people like Teddy Roosevelt.

Masterhawk said:

Euthanasia is quite a controversial topic. It may only be legal in 1 US state (Oregon) but that doesn't take away from the fact that a certain form of what could be called suicide is legal.

Click to expand...

Assisted suicide is legal, I believe, in Oregon. Euthanasia is called murder. The difference. In assisted suicide I decide I don't want to live and ask for help in dying. In euthanasia, I decide that you should keep living and kill you with no input from you.

Assisted suicide and killing someone without their consent are not remotely the same thing.