The social acceptance of euthanasia does not stem from patient's autonomy in Japan

Abstract

"Attitudes towards euthanasia and death-with-dignity of people who participated in the seminar on "life" were studied with questionnaires before and after a lecture regarding these issues. The results indicated that the number of the participants who accepted patient's autonomy increased after the lecture. However, the respondents who accepted the idea of patient's autonomy were less likely to accept euthanasia in general or wish for it in their own case. These data suggest that in this Japanese group, the acceptance of euthanasia may stem from a form of mercy-killing as part of cultural and historical background, not from the autonomy principle."