Abstract

SILVA, Sergio Gomes da. Euthanasia, finitude and biopolitic. Rev.Mal-Estar Subj [online]. 2013, vol.13, n.1-2, pp. 331-368. ISSN 1518-6148.

To understand life and death in current life, the author point out three major systems of thoughts. The first one, called medical-biological model, is pointed out from three different perspectives, namely: the organic, the neurosensitive and the singular perspective. All of them is based on the doctrine of vitalism. In vitalism perspective, there is a strength or inherent to life and vital impulse acting directly on organized matter which force or vital impulse would result in life itself in relation to humans or animals . The second one, the religious model, is founded on the idea of sacredness of life and unworthy of life and are based on Judeo-Christian precepts. Finally, the third model, the legal and political, legitimate actions preservation of life and penalty of death, operating fractures in the two previous models. Life and death in this model are understood from the device of law and legal system. Thus, this paper aims to analyze the issue of euthanasia and finitude, discussing them from a theoretical and philosophical view, trying to show the place of negativity in human subjectivity. It then presents some current data on euthanasia in Brazil and in the world to finally analyze the issue through the paradigm shift from biopolitics to tanatopolitic in Giorgio Agamben approuch. We conclude that the advancement of medical technology has forced more and more legal and political system to convert the policy on the life (biopolitics) in a policy on death (tanatopolitic), bringing as a result the need to think about: a) the management of palliative care (orthotanasia); b) psychological support to patients and their families; c) the institutionalization of organ donation and e) the policy to legalize euthanasia and orthotanasia.

Keywords : eutanásia; life; death; finitude; biopolitic; thanatopolitic.

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