Objective: The aim of this paper is to consider the history of human beings killing one another and reflect upon their reasons. Has it ever been altruistic?
Method: Important examples of large episodes of killing, such as wars, the Crusades, the Inquisition and genocides were examined.
Results: Reasons are always advanced for killing large numbers of people who did not want to die. They were not based on logic nor on altruism but on moralities constructed from religious and political beliefs. Those who wanted to die because of unrelievable pain involved in the process of dying from an incurable illness are always preserved against their wishes. Once more, the reasons were usually religious and/or politically supported.
Conclusion: The belief that it is acceptable to kill those who do not want to die but unacceptable to kill those who want to die provides a curious paradox.
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