Today, people who are at the hover between life and death, due to physical or mental diseases, view euthanasia as a way to end their pain. For people who are unfamiliar with it, euthanasia is the act of intentionally ending someone’s life, usually when they are suffering from an illness with no hope of recovery. It seems quite similar to murder, but they are completely different. It is easy to differentiate them by the purpose of the two acts. While murder is against the law and carried out without considering the victim's opinion, euthanasia is done with the agreement of the patient and the permission from their family or relatives, and it is meant to relieve pain and provide them a calm and gentle end to life. However, many people view euthanasia negatively, and this has caused a lot of controversy over whether it should be allowed or not.

The concept of euthanasia, meaning ‘good death’ in Greek, has existed since ancient times. In ancient Greece and Rome, the ideas about euthanasia were connected to philosophical, ethical, and medical views of life. Many philosophers have discussed the idea of death and the afterlife. Socrates, who didn’t have a specific opinion about euthanasia, but accepted his death by drinking poison, could be associated with early ideas related to euthanasia. He faced death without fear and accepted it as a part of life. This has influenced later discussions about euthanasia. Hippocrates, a physician, had a strong opinion about euthanasia. He has specifically stated in his Hippocratic Oath that “I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan.”, which just means that he won’t give deadly drugs even if the patient has requested it. It is due to the principle of not harming the patient. Giving a deadly drug to a patient harms the patient, which violates this ethical principle.

As medical knowledge and technology started to become more advanced, the perspective against euthanasia began to change as well. As the medicines have been improved, patients could cure their disease more easily and extend their lives. However, some patients who suffered from diseases with no hope of recovery. The development of anesthesia and pain management allowed many people to die with less suffering, but doctors still wondered whether it was truly ethical to help a patient end their life, even if it meant relieving their pain. These situations have led people to argue about whether euthanasia is right or wrong.

People who support euthanasia state that it is a better choice than leaving a patient who doesn’t seem to have any chance for recovery and is suffering from both physical and mental pain. For these people, continuing to live may be more painful and exhausting. In this situation, euthanasia helps these patients by giving them eternal peace. Another reason is that they consider personal freedom important. They believe everyone should have the right to make decisions for their own life, which also includes death. Some human rights activists support the idea of ‘dying with dignity’, which is an ethical concept that prioritizes the patient's autonomy, comfort, and well-being. When they are near the end of life, they should have the right to choose between passing away peacefully or continuing to live a short, painful life, which is meaningless. Some countries that allow human euthanasia such as Belgium, Canada, and the Netherlands. The first country to decriminalize euthanasia was the Netherlands in 2002.

While many people support euthanasia as a way to relieve pain and respect personal choice, others strongly disagree with the idea. They believe that intentionally ending a life, regardless of the reason, is morally wrong. Religious people also usually disagree with euthanasia because they think life is sacred. They say, “God gives people life, so only God has the right to take it away”. Also, the ‘slippery slope’ is a concern that is raised against euthanasia, that legalizing it will eventually lead to more extreme situations, including those that are considered morally unacceptable. Countries that ban euthanasia are the UK, Russia, and Germany. Most Asian countries ban or do not have laws legalizing euthanasia.

After many debates over many years, euthanasia is still controversial and remains a social issue. As medical technology continues to develop and more people face difficult decisions between life and death, the debate about euthanasia will likely continue. Regardless of which opinion people have against euthanasia, it is important to think carefully about life and death, and death with dignity.