RESUMEN Al definir “suicidio”, la Real Academia Española toma una opción filosófica que se aleja de algunos propósitos y puntos de vista de la salubridad pública, y acentúa su carácter de actividad íntima que realiza un sujeto capaz de acción. Los límites del concepto no son claros; hay un continuo entre el suicidio y encontrar la muerte por causa natural, accidental o conducta de riesgo. Pero el suicidio solo puede ser fruto de un acto soberano, de modo que quien esté (...) privado de voluntad no es un suicida. Esto permite discutir los planteamientos de B. Spinoza e I. Kant, así como algunas posturas de sanidad pública que no ven ese carácter soberano del suicidio. ABSTRACT In its definition of “suicide”, the dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy opts for a philosophical position that distances itself from some public health objectives and points of view, in order to emphasize the nature of suicide as an intimate act carried out by a subject capable of action. The boundaries of the concept are unclear: there is a continuum between suicide and death due to natural or accidental causes or reckless behavior. But suicide can only be the result of a sovereign act, and, therefore, someone who lacks will cannot be a suicide. This makes it possible to discuss the proposals of B. Spinoza and I. Kant, as well as some of the public health approaches that disregard the sovereign nature of suicide. (shrink)

The target article (Nelson et al. 2023) offers a valuable contribution to the “paradox of experience,” which was illustrated by using examples about access to unproven medical products and disabili...

BackgroundFollowing the increased presence of the Right-to-Die Movement, improved end-of-life options, and the political and legal status of aid-in-dying around the globe, suicide tourism has become a promising alternative for individuals who wish to end their lives. Yet, little is known about this from the perspective of those who engage in the phenomenon.MethodsThis study applied the qualitative research approach, following the grounded theory tradition. It includes 11 in-depth semi-structured interviews with Israeli members of the Swiss non-profit Dignitas who contemplated traveling (...) to Switzerland for aid-in-dying.ResultsSeven themes emerged from the data analysis, including health and functioning; feelings regarding survivorship and existence; interacting with the health sector; attitudes regarding death and dying; suicide; choosing death; and choosing suicide tourism. A significant portion of the participants had experienced suicidal thoughts and had even previously attempted suicide, some more than once. Most of them referred to chronic illnesses, functional disability, and social isolation. They understand suffering within the subjective dimension, namely only by the person who is actually subjected to the disease, ailments, and disability. Participants regarded aid-in-dying in Switzerland as positive thanks to its guaranteed outcome: "beautiful death", compared to "disadvantaged dying" which places a burden on the participants' loved ones throughout the prolonged dying. Most of them do not necessarily want to have their loved ones beside them when they die, and they see no significant meaning in dying in a foreign country to which they have no emotional or civil attachment.ConclusionThe desirable approval or tragic refusal by Dignitas to participants' requests for suicide tourism enhances the paradox between the perception of aid-in-dying as a mechanism for fulfilling controlled death and its bureaucratic and materialistic characteristics specifically reflected in a paid, formalized approach to aid-in-dying that cultivate dependency and collaboration. (shrink)

The legal and moral validity of euthanasia has been questioned in different situations. In India, the status of euthanasia is no different. It was the Aruna Ramachandra Shanbaug case that got significant public attention and led the Supreme Court of India to initiate detailed deliberations on the long ignored issue of euthanasia. Realising the importance of this issue and considering the ongoing and pending litigation before the different courts in this regard, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of (...) India issued a public notice on May 2016 that invited opinions from the citizens and the concerned stakeholders on the proposed draft bill entitled The Medical Treatment of Terminally Ill Patients Bill. Globally, only a few countries have legislation with discreet and unambiguous guidelines on euthanasia. The ongoing developments have raised a hope of India getting a discreet law on euthanasia in the future. (shrink)

Euthanasia has been a subject of debate worldwide. It has brought up multiple controversies in different countries and among different societies. Over the years, euthanasia has been an active topic of research in the field of bioethics, owing to its numerous ethical and legal implications. In this article, we take a brief look into the laws and legislation surrounding euthanasia in different parts of the world.

Al definir “suicidio”, la Real Academia Española toma una opción filosófica que se aleja de algunos propósitos y puntos de vista de la salubridad pública, y acentúa su carácter de actividad íntima que realiza un sujeto capaz de acción. Los límites del concepto no son claros; hay un continuo entre el suicidio y encontrar la muerte por causa natural, accidental o conducta de riesgo. Pero el suicidio solo puede ser fruto de un acto soberano, de modo que quien esté privado (...) de voluntad no es un suicida. Esto permite discutir los planteamientos de B. Spinoza e I. Kant, así como algunas posturas de sanidad pública que no ven ese carácter soberano del suicidio. (shrink)

Although death is an inevitable part of life, tourism scholarship has not comprehensibly engaged with this concept. Death-related tourism literature has focused disproportionally on places and experiences of dark tourism, leaving a vast array of other dying-related tourism discourses at the periphery. Drawing on anthropological and existential conceptualisations of death, we develop an all-encompassing theoretical framework comprised of four dimensions: Perspective, Intention, Number, and Involvement. Supported by existing studies, mass media reports, and other secondary data, we demonstrate that the interplay (...) between death and tourism is complex and involves a range of events, tourists' behaviors and experiences. The conclusion proposes future research directions at the intersection of death and tourism. (shrink)