Is Euthanasia Immoral? Euthanasia comes from the Greek word "Thanatos" meaning death and the prefix "eu" meaning easy or good (Russell 94). Thus, "eu-Thanatos" meaning easy or good death. In today's society there are many disagreements about the rights and wrongs of euthanasia. Although death is unavoidable for human beings, suffering before death is unbearable not only for terminal patients but for the family members and friends. Euthanasia is a better choice for terminal patients than suicide. In our society, suicide is always traumatic for families and friends. If there is no alternative to relieve the suffering of terminal patients, then the more humane option to suicide is euthanasia. An option for people that are unsure of euthanasia is called DNR or do not resuscitate(McCuen 2). This means that if the patient has a heart attack or another potentially fatal problem in the hospital, the doctors are told to preform a " No Code" which means that they should let the patient die peacefully with any amount of painkillers or medication requested by the patient(McCuen 3). Doctors that are treating a dying patient should treat them with care. They should make them as comfortable as possible and give them medication to dull their pain. Instructors tell doctors in training to treat dying patients as people " that are alive but just that their death is more imminent than our own"(Moroney 2). Many families could rest easy that their relative is being treated well and are receiving the necessary attention. A lot of terminal patients decide to sign DNR forms or request euthanasia so that they would not be a burden on their families. Euthanasia should be legalized in all of the United States because it would end much suffering and pain. Euthanasia is the justified killing or assisted killing of a disabled or terminally ill person at their will or if the patient is incapable of making the decision, at the family's will(Satris 260). The doctor or in some cases, a family member, uses injections, weapons, or other means of killing to act out euthanasia. But euthanasia is usually gentle and quiet. In most of the cases of euthanasia, the patient died by lethal injection or certain life support systems were withheld. There are many types of euthanasia. The most common type is voluntary euthanasia(Russell 32). Voluntary euthanasia is euthanasia that is preformed at the will of the patient. Involuntary euthanasia is the other type of euthanasia(Russell 32). That is when the patient does not want euthanasia, but it is administered (i.e.-compulsory). There are also different ways to administer euthanasia. One is direct euthanasia, which is deliberately inducing death in order to terminate hopeless suffering(Russell 31). Then there is indirect euthanasia which is indirectly causing death with the use of drugs to relieve pain, but hasten death(Russell 31). When a patient pleads for euthanasia doctors are placed in a dilemma. If they help the patient die then their practicing license could be taken away and they may be taken to court, possibly ruining their career(McCuen 53). However, the patient who is constantly in pain will always be on the doctor's conscience unless they do something about it. Usually the doctor decides to help the patient by either giving the patient extremely strong painkillers and telling them the lethal dosage or directly assisting in the death of the patient(McCuen 53). A doctor that has helped terminal patients die is Dr. Jack Kevorkian. He is probably the most well known for this practice because he does not deny he practices it. The first case that Dr. Kevorkian had was in 1990. He met his "patient" in Michigan (which did not prohibit euthanasia at that time). The woman's name was Janet Adkins, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease(Levine 114). Using a machine that Kevorkian invented she killed herself. This machine that Kevorkian made consisted of an IV that first dripped salt water into the patient. Then when the patient was ready, she pressed a button that released a chemical agent that induced unconsciousness. After about five minutes, the machine delivered a lethal dose of potassium chloride(Levine 115). Some people think that euthanasia is not acceptable in our society because of a variety of reasons. Many who oppose of euthanasia fear that if it were to be legalized then many people would die needlessly and murders in so- called "mercy killings" would run rampant(Satris 262). Others believe that since we are the property of God then we should wait until He is ready to receive us(Russell 93). Many churches and religious groups oppose euthanasia stating that the sixth commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill" also extends to euthanasia. But this also raises many questions. Why do these churches and religious groups specifically target euthanasia as horrific killing when there is war in this world. Every day countries send troops to kill and to be killed, but these religious groups seem to ignore these problems(Russell 93). Many medical doctors also oppose euthanasia. They say that assisted suicide "violates one's will to survive" and that it violates our dignity. They believe that one of our natural human goals is to survive and if we practice euthanasia, then that goal is destroyed(Satris 258). When doctors receive their license to practice medicine they have to take the Hippocratic Oath. This oath says that " I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody when asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to that effect."(Levine 104). However, many pro-euthanasians say that the oath means that they should not give anybody a deadly drug to kill an enemy with, nor should they tell the person what to use to kill. A quote from Carol Levine says, " on the other hand, if the goal of medicine is not simply to prolong life but to reduce pain, then questions arise about the oath"(105). Another problems with euthanasia is that if an elderly patient is entered into a hospital, they are immediately deemed to be frail and are treated like terminal patients. The thought of euthanasia as a choice instead of a cure may prompt doctors to prematurely induce death(McCuen 2). The recovery from an illness requires that we fight it. If we know that there is an easy way out, such as euthanasia, then the human consciousness instinctively tries to take that way out(Satris 262). Other problematic situations with euthanasia is that a person with a non-terminal disease may blindly choose euthanasia without a settled desire to die(Haifetz 21). It is also likely that a person who chooses euthanasia may change his or her mind at the last moment and then it is obviously too late(Heifetz 21). On the other hand, a growing number of people believe that euthanasia is acceptable in our society because it relieves the unnecessary pain and suffering of patients and their family. Euthanasia is also a good way for people that have family members that are either extremely deformed or retarded to help out the person and end their incapacitated lives. In the Netherlands, euthanasia can be legally administered under four conditions: a) if the patient is suffering intolerably and there is no hope of recovery, b) if the patient is capable of deciding whether to choose euthanasia or not, c) if the patient repeatedly asks for euthanasia over a repeated period of time, and d) if another doctor that has not treated or previously examined the patient agree that euthanasia should be enforced(Levine 110). Robert George has his opinion on the "right to die", He says that 1) people own themselves, 2)owners can dispose of their property as they see fit, and 3) people are therefore entitled to kill themselves and even to engage the help of others in doing so(50) Euthanasia is also a very good choice for senior citizens because they often suffer much before they finally can die.Sufferring is a terrible thing and we have a clear duty to comfort those in need and to ease their sufferring when we can. Elderly people are also prone to painful diseases and medical problems. Mercy killing can end their pain in a non-traumatic way for their families'. In the days of Socrates, Plato and the Stoics euthanasia was even permissible(Russell 42). The Greeks had a tradition that when all the old members of the society outlived their usefulness, they would ge together and drink a deadly poison(Russell 42). Thus eliminating a burden on their families and on themselves. To date, there is still much controversy about the legalization of euthanasia. But as long as there are willing and kindhearted doctors and people, eventually there will be a time when euthanasia will be allowed and poor souls can die peacefully. So far, 35 states allow the withdrawal or withholding of life sustaining equipment of terminal patients at their will. The trend in mercy killing will continue until leaders in health care can show that there is another alternative that is more merciful(McCuen 3). Until then, Doctors and family members, will still have to resort to illegal euthanasia to help their patients and loved ones. Works Cited George, Robert P. and William C. Porth Jr. "A Duty to Live?" National Review 26 June 1995 Heifetz, Milton D. and Charles Mangel. The Right to Die. Toronto: Longman Canada Limited, 1975. Levine, Carol. Is Physician-Assisted Suicide Ethical? Guilford: The Dushkin Publishing Group Inc.,1991. Russell, Ruth. Freedom to Die. New York: Human Sciences Press, 1977. Society for the Right to Die. The Physician and the Hopelessly Ill Patient. New York: Society for the Right to Die, 1985. Works Consulted Lemonrick, Michael D. "Defining the Right to Die." Time 15 April 1996. 82. Moroney, Catherine. "Three Choices for Death." America 21 November 1992. Nichols, Mark. "Dying by Choice." Maclean's Magazine. 20 May 1996. 47 William, J. Gay. "The Wrongfulness of Euthanasia." Intervention and Reflection: Basic Issues in Medical Ethics. Ed. Ronald Munson. Gilford, Connecticut: Dushkin Publishing Group Inc, 1979
In “1984,” Orwell uses Winston to portray a single individual’s attempt to take action against a powerful government, culminating in his failure and subjugation. His individual efforts failed tremendously due to the overarching power of the Party to control every aspect of social life in Oceania. Orwell uses Winston’s deeply seated hatred of the Party to portray his views on power and social change. Winston’s actions show that even in the direst of situations ...
what they feel morally justified to do. The moral aspects of killing a person would be the
Things to know: 1984 was a book written about life under a totalitarian regime from an average citizen’s point of view. This book envisions the theme of an all knowing government with strong control over its citizens. This book tells the story of Winston Smith, a worker of the Ministry of Truth, who is in charge of editing the truth to fit the government’s policies and claims. It shows the future of a government bleeding with brute force and propaganda. This story begins and ends in the continent of Oceania one of the three supercontinents of the world. Oceania has three classes the Inner Party, the Outer Party and the lowest of all, the Proles (proletarian). Oceania’s government is the Party or Ingsoc (English Socialism
There are several important ethical issues related to euthanasia. One is allowing people who are terminally ill and suffering the right to choose death. Should these people continue to suffer even though they really are ba...
In the early twentieth-century, many people felt as if their societies were headed for a horrible downfall. With the Great Depression taking place, many people found great comfort in those individuals who rose to the occasion to help the people. Those such as Hitler, who promised jobs and a better life, also provided a scapegoat, just as Big Brother did in 1984, written by George Orwell. However, there were also those individuals who felt that the world was going to come to a rapid end if people did not learn to appreciate the things that had been given to them, as William Yeats speaks of in "The Second Coming". In both pieces, the author has a very evident fear of the future and what is to come.
George Orwell creates a dark, depressing and pessimistic world where the government has full control over the masses in the novel 1984. The protagonist, Winston, is low-level Party member who has grown to resent the society that he lives in. Orwell portrays him as a individual that begins to lose his sanity due to the constrictions of society. There are only two possible outcomes, either he becomes more effectively assimilated or he brings about the change he desires. Winston starts a journey towards his own self-destruction. His first defiant act is the diary where he writes “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER.” But he goes further by having an affair with Julia, another party member, renting a room over Mr. Carrington’s antique shop where Winston conducts this affair with Julia, and by following O’Brien who claims to have connections with the Brotherhood, the anti-Party movement led my Emmanuel Goldstein. Winston and Julia are both eventually arrested by the Thought Police when Mr. Carrington turns out to be a undercover officer. They both eventually betray each other when O’Brien conducts torture upon them at the Ministry of Love. Orwell conveys the limitations of the individual when it comes to doing something monumental like overthrowing the established hierarchy which is seen through the futility of Winston Smith’s actions that end with his failure instead of the end of Big Brother. Winston’s goal of liberating himself turns out to be hopeless when the people he trusted end up betraying him and how he was arbitrarily manipulated. It can be perceived that Winston was in fact concerned more about his own sanity and physical well-being because he gives into Big Brother after he is tortured and becomes content to live in the society he hated so much. Winston witnesses the weakness within the prole community because of their inability to understand the Party’s workings but he himself embodies weakness by sabotaging himself by associating with all the wrong people and by simply falling into the arms of Big Brother. Orwell created a world where there is no use but to assimilate from Winston’s perspective making his struggle utterly hopeless.
In 1984, George Orwell presents an overly controlled society that is run by Big Brother. The protagonist, Winston, attempts to “stay human” in the face of a dehumanizing, totalitarian regime. Big Brother possesses so much control over these people that even the most natural thoughts such as love and sex are considered taboo and are punishable. Big Brother has taken this society and turned each individual against one another. Parents distrust their own offspring, husband and wife turn on one another, and some people turn on their own selves entirely. The people of Oceania become brainwashed by Big Brother. Punishment for any uprising rebellions is punishable harshly.
As patients come closer to the end of their lives, certain organs stop performing as well as they use to. People are unable to do simple tasks like putting on clothes, going to the restroom without assistance, eat on our own, and sometimes even breathe without the help of a machine. Needing to depend on someone for everything suddenly brings feelings of helplessness much like an infant feels. It is easy to see why some patients with terminal illnesses would seek any type of relief from this hardship, even if that relief is suicide. Euthanasia or assisted suicide is where a physician would give a patient an aid in dying. “Assisted suicide is a controversial medical and ethical issue based on the question of whether, in certain situations, Medical practioners should be allowed to help patients actively determine the time and circumstances of their death” (Lee). “Arguments for and against assisted suicide (sometimes called the “right to die” debate) are complicated by the fact that they come from very many different points of view: medical issues, ethical issues, legal issues, religious issues, and social issues all play a part in shaping people’s opinions on the subject” (Lee). Euthanasia should not be legalized because it is considered murder, it goes against physicians’ Hippocratic Oath, violates the Controlled
the request of the dying. The job of a physician should always be to help
Kornbluth, C. M. "The Failure of the Science Fiction Novel As Social Criticism." The Science Fiction Novel: Imagination and Social Criticism. (1969): 64-101.
President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. Defining Death: A Report on the Medical, Legal and Ethical Issues in the Determination of Death. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1981.
According to A Handbook of Literary Terms, satire is defined as "a work or manner that blends a censorious attitude with humor or wit for improving human institutions or humanity" (Harmon and Holman 461). The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics further asserts that satire is "both a mode of discourse or vision that asserts polemical or critical outlook, and also a specific literary genre, embodying that mode in either prose or verse" (Preminger and Brogan 1114). In essence, satire emerges as a device to successfully diagnose human faults and offer a cure for society.
treatment. Patients also have the right to make decisions regarding end of life care (Torrey,
Should a patient have the right to ask for a physician’s help to end his or her life? This question has raised great controversy for many years. The legalization of physician assisted suicide or active euthanasia is a complex issue and both sides have strong arguments. Supporters of active euthanasia often argue that active euthanasia is a good death, painless, quick, and ultimately is the patient’s choice. While it is understandable, though heart-rending, why a patient that is in severe pain and suffering that is incurable would choose euthanasia, it still does not outweigh the potential negative effects that the legalization of euthanasia may have. Active euthanasia should not be legalized because
Patients always go for this advance measured when they realize that they have suffered enough and consider euthanasia or DNR as an extreme measure that could help reduce their suffering. This measure may affect decision making in the society because individuals may be making this kind of decisions when they are start thinking hopeless about life, when life should actually be about hope, for instance, patients flood Netherlands so that they may have euthanasia done on them. Therefore, these orders may influence suicides that may be deemed as lawful. Additionally, families remain to be guilty when such decisions are made because of their personal or religious beliefs about life. A patient who is clinically dead and still in a life support machinery may be very wary and costly to a family, it may drain their savings that have been accumulated over an extended period without a change in patient condition being witnessed. In some cases, patient relatives may end up getting depression or a psychotic disorder secondary to the death of their parent or child based on these