ABSTRACT
The value of human life and, in particular, its beginning and end, have been debated in bioethics since the inception of this discipline more than 50 years ago. In all this time, bioethicists, scientists, theologians, academics, politicians and society have been discussing this question, from different worldviews and ideological patterns, without reaching a consensus. This chapter makes a brief approach to the subject from the double perspective, beginning and end of life, reviewing the different ethical assessments of human intervention and science and biomedical progress in these phases of life (assisted reproduction, abortion, euthanasia). From the ethical assessment and also in its legal regulation, these issues are being resolved differently for the countries, according to their social and cultural evolution. The content of the chapter is necessarily only a brief overview since each of these topics could lead to a complete book, but we try to collect the essential elements of the discussion and the state of the art today.
