"Human beings have dignity." A statement in the Constitution of the Republic of Korea and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Every time she hears this statement, she feels elated. "Yes, I am a dignified being!" So, when did my dignity begin? The answer to this question is surprisingly simple. From the moment she became a human being, the moment she began her life journey, none other than the moment of conception.
So when will my dignity end? The answer to this question is also simple. The moment that human life ends, it ends in death. So far there seems to be no problem. However, we humans are sometimes tempted to arbitrarily decide on what to do with this dignity. In particular, with the development of science and technology we can intervene at the beginning and at the end of life, the temptation continues to increase.
If you look into the discussion of bioethics, you can sometimes feel deep regret about what is discussed. "Why are you so anxious that you can’t kill them?" Whether it's the beginning stage of life or the end of life, there are certain standards which when not met we prevent life. At the center of this kind of talk is the disregard for the dignity that comes with life.
For example, the meaning of 'death with dignity, which is spreading through the media in our society, is being turned into an expression that glorifies 'euthanasia'. The word euthanasia is derived from the Greek words 'eu' (good) and 'thnatos' (death), meaning good death. Today, however, euthanasia has lost its traditional meaning. Rather, it refers to death intentionally caused by the administration of a toxic substance or the omission of essential treatment. However, 'death, being killed' is increasingly glorified as if it were a dignified death. Many people misunderstand that Korea's "Hospice, palliative care, and life-sustaining medical decisions laws" as partially legalizing euthanasia.
Life-sustaining treatment decisions when the patient has no hope with continued medical help can be suspended. The distinction between killing and allowing to die helps differentiate between deaths we are morally responsible for and those for which we are not.
However, it is regrettable that many people tend to focus only on the suspension of life-sustaining treatment. The Life-sustaining Treatment Decision Act aims to "protect dignity and value as a human being" by ensuring that dying patients can die in care for their last hours while minimizing pain and receiving basic medical practices, including nutrition and hydration, even if they stop life-sustaining treatment.
We can never call "being killed" a dignified death. Consequently, we can read our society as a culture that seeks to defend the "death of being killed". They say that neglect of the meaning of "concern" and "care" leads to neglect of life. Humans are beings who rely on each other to live "I can take care of someone or be cared for by someone." It is at the beginning and end of our lives that we need care the most. Therefore, requesting and guaranteeing care at a time when it is most necessary for us is to protect our dignity as humans, turning a blind eye to this care and defending killing is not respecting the dignity of life.
