Propos à partir de et autour de l'euthanasie et de la dignité, ou « l'envers de l'histoire contemporaine »

The article focuses on the ethical and legal debate on euthanasia and assisted suicide. The debate should be scrutinized when we talk about euthanasia. Euthanasia is an action. The faculty to request euthanasia or assisted suicide falls within a status of dignity. The person is not in possession of his/her dignity and his/her wish is weighed by the judge, whilst the request for euthanasia is triggered by the applicant. To stand up to the euthanasia request not only through autonomy but also dignity is contradictory. It does not belong to the human legislator to organize the deaths of the innocent and the Law creates no obligation except that of opposing them by conscientious objection. The fact of being human is not enough to become a legislator. Through the request for death, the person denies his/her legal status, only used to disappear. Human nature does not automatically imply that social quality. The potential creation of human sub-categories is therefore at stake.