Studies on Beliefs, Values and Morals: The Philosophical Underpinnings of Dysthanasia

Beliefs, values, and morals, although abstract concepts are deep rooted in the sub conscience of
every adult individual and constitute a moral system whose application oversees every action in our
daily life. In medical practice, the end of life procedures, treatment, and prognosis, are associated to
ethical dilemmas, which are established in conformity with individual or collective beliefs and values.
Dysthanasia, from Greek, means to make death difficult, and it is currently an ethical problem with
significant consequences. Considering that death itself has two moments, the process of death and
the moment of death, dysthanasia is the undue prolongation of the process of death with the help of
technological devices that allows the life sustaining procedures. Although it is through the
technological advances that the moment of death can be delayed, it is the beliefs and values, that are
deep rooted in the sub conscience of the physicians, that are responsible for the demeanour of end of
life ethical dilemmas. Beliefs and values, when encompassed in areas like phenomenology of
knowledge, dialectic of technology, conflict of values and existentialism and metaphysics, can
somehow explain this issue that is current, emerging, and compelling. Beliefs and values are abstract
concepts of an individual. When they overcome the boundaries of the self and are enfolded by the
society due to its broad acceptance, beliefs and values become the cornerstone of any field that
frames the societies.