Where do we stand in reference to death now that the extension of life expectancy and progress in medical techniques have had such a huge impact on the “final passage”? Are we not heading, without acknowledging it, towards an interminable and dehumanized end? While public debate is focussed on euthanasia, the call for the right to die with dignity, Pascal Hintermeyer looks at the issue from a different angle, querying our concept of a “good death”. He examines the current state of palliative care, showing how it can clarify the terms of discussion, and arguing for greater attention on the end of life. What meaning can we bring to this ultimate point in the human condition and to death?

Is euthanasia the ultimate guarantee of the dignity of life? This paradoxical question is one of the sharpest debates raging at the turn of the third millennium. Several western nations have already modified their legislative arsenals in this respect, and the taboos seem to be starting to crack. Pascal Hintermeyer provides indispensable analysis of the current situation and debate.