Summary

* Individuals must understand the role that social justice has in the implementation of practices such as physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. * Social justice is the primary form of justice, but it encompasses other types of justice such as commutative, restorative, distributive, and contributive. * The four types of social justice are significant as they cover all the human entitlements. The social work department incorporates human rights in the creation and implementation of policies dealing with end of life decisions. * Euthanasia has evolved to become an important ethical concern especially for the elderly. * Many individuals in the recent times have changed their outlook regarding the issue of physically assisted death. Main ethical concerns * Euthanasia is a Greek word, which implies a ‘good death.’ * In the contemporary world, euthanasia is the compassionate activity of ending the life of a terminally ill patient. * Conversely, physician-assisted death occurs when a doctor provides the means of suicide to a patient who has chosen to end their life. * There are two categories of euthanasia, which are active and passive. * Active euthanasia involves the activity by a physician to fasten the death process such as administering of a lethal injection. * Passive euthanasia involves the behavior of withholding the essential care that leads to survival such as refusing to administer the necessary medications. * Active and passive euthanasia can either be voluntary, involuntary or non-voluntary.
What ethical theories, if any, are used to support the various viewpoints * It is argued that active and passive euthanasia are justified depending on three elements, which are the cause, motive, and means. * In both types, the cause of death is a terminally ill disease. * The