Resumen

SIQUEIRA-BATISTA, Rodrigo  y  SCHRAMM, Fermin Roland. Conversations on the "good death": the bioethical debate on euthanasia. Cad. Saúde Pública [online]. 2005, vol.21, n.1, pp. 111-119. ISSN 0102-311X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2005000100013.

Despite extensive current debate on euthanasia, many open and apparently unsolvable issues persist, awaiting a better conceptual treatment. The area includes "prejudices and fundamentalisms" in relation to the theme, still viewed as taboo by a major share of society, specifically in the case of Brazil, while semantic imprecision in the term and argumentative tensions surround the issue, focusing on the principles of sacredness of life, quality of life, and autonomy and the so-called "slippery slope" argument. The purpose of the current essay is thus to serve as a sphere of inquiry concerning euthanasia, moving from historical antecedents towards a better solution to the problem and the demarcation of necessary future perspectives for enhanced understanding of the issue.

Palabras llave : Euthanasia; Bioethics; Public Health.