The empathic genesis of the Right to Euthanasia

Euthanasia is an ancient theme that, especially since individual autonomy became the health paradigm in contemporary societies, has aroused deep reflections and declared dissensions between socio-ideological quadrants. The relationship between Empathy and Morality has been addressed several times over recent centuries. Studies and opinion articles present disparate conclusions regarding this relation, mainly because a heterogeneous, nebulous and somewhat maladjusted conceptual approach to human nature has prevailed. In this article, we argue that considering diversity as the fundamental axiological axis of a democratic rule of Law, Empathy is essential to respond appropriately to the most diverse circumstances in which an ethical-legal decision is pending, as in Euthanasia.