Abstract · The aim of this study is to examine the ethical questions related to palliative or terminal sedation occurring in literature, for example, the intention behind the practice, the principle of double effect, the differences between euthanasia and sedation. Furthermore, the study discusses several topics such as the philosophy and perception of the body, the aspect of ethical and existential questions, as well as the ethical communication of end-of-life decisions. The analysis is made in the framework of the European cultural context.

Abstract · In this study I report on some important results of a survey research involving 591 respondents among university and college students of Budapest studying in the fields of economy, engineering, and humanities. I mainly examined their relationship to death and dying, and their awareness of hospice care, and its organisation; furthermore, I asked their scales of values in order to explore more profound reasons and connections. I was interested in their opinions on the basic needs of seriously ill family members and the responsibility they feel to satisfy the needs of the dying. What do students think if the patient does not wish to spend their last days in a hospital but at home, among their loved ones? What is their opinion on the right to human dignity by dying patients? My studies verify that the students’ relationship to death and dying is controversial and vague; their knowledge of hospice care is often incomplete. Although, only one quarter of the respondents had heard of the hospice care before, there are some positive facts: Half of the students think that the best place for the dying people is at home among family, and two third of them believe that the presence and support of the family in the last weeks of the patient is highly important.