The subject of euthanasia has become very controversial in recent decades. The argument becomes more controversial when it comes to the life, or lack thereof, of patients who are terminally ill and in a persistent vegetative state. To further perpetuate the dilemma, one must ask under what specific circumstances does euthanasia become morally justified for these patients? Philosophers like Peter Singer and Margaret Battin have devoted their personal and professional time to evaluating the choice to which a person has the right to continue living. or die. To do this, we must first examine what exactly euthanasia is. The practice of euthanasia can be classified in two different ways. First, euthanasia can be active or passive. Active euthanasia involves the direct interruption of ongoing daily functioning that would otherwise be sufficient to sustain life. Passive euthanasia involves withholding or withdrawing treatment that may support ongoing daily functions; Without medication or treatment, the body would continue its shutdown process. In the case of passive euthanasia, it can be argued that the treatment actually delays the natural dying process. Second, euthanasia can be divided into three categories based on the level of consciousness: involuntary (death against the person's wishes), voluntary (death based on expressed wishes), and non-voluntary (inability to consent or make a decision competent). without saying that involuntary euthanasia, with the exception of a few scattered legal systems (Netherlands, Oregon), is illegal as it should be. The concepts of voluntary and non-voluntary are something that Peter Singer thinks deeply about in his book, Prac...... middle of paper ... the patient sometimes appears awake” (Rakestraw, 392). In order to use the principle of mercy as previously stated, suffering must be present. A patient without self-awareness will not be aware of their physical suffering. Therefore, the principle to which Battin supports the justification of euthanasia is alien in circumstances of persistent vegetative state. -97.Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, nd Web. April 7, 2014.Peter Singer, Practical Ethics, 3rd edition. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011), pp. 157-171. Robert V. Rakestraw, “The Persistent Vegetative State and Withdrawal of Nutrition and Hydration.” (Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, September 1992), pp... 389-405.