Year: 1983 Source: Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1983. p.1-6 SIEC No: 19920981

Passive euthanasia, allowing a death to occur,is viewed as morally defensible by many while active euthanasia, ending a life through intervention, is not. The author argues that the distinction between active & passive forms is meaningful only in legal terms & is not morally defensible. Passive euthanasia may cause more pain & suffering than active; the distinction between them is not as important as the ultimate suffering of the patient.