The Defense Of Euthanasia John Warren

Euthanasia was an idea created in the mid 1800’s, when John Warren recommended the used of chloroform to hasten death and take away pain. By definition, it means good death. Even if a death was brought upon out of mercy from a physician, but nothing good didn’t came from it, it’s not consider to be euthanasia. The greater good and the lesser evil can be interpreted in different way, and what is the value in life and it’s relation to the definition of death can also vary. Consequently, countless debates and cases emerged, where the decision to whether or not kill the patient was situated. Who get to decide and is it morally permissible in the first place. This problem emerges from each individuals’ value on life and how they perceive death.

These people believed that the value of life can be given a value and using that value we can determine whether life is worth living. If a person was in a car accident and he/she was brain death, and his/her body was now supported by a ventilator and an iron lung. Is it immoral to end the support? Defender of euthanasia would say no, because they believe that ending the life now would give better consequence than dragging the support out, knowing he/she will die anyway. How about a person who have a terminal illness, like Mr. Mitten in Eckholm’s article. It told us a story of Mr. Mitten, a local man who has a heart disease that will kill him within six months and no matter what treatment they give him it will fail. And he doesn't have the money to continue his treatment. It’s hard enough for his sister to support him and he can't work. And he said if he could, he would end his own life. The defense for euthanasia said that the value of life in something that we can put a number to. They recognized that we should hold this value against all else, however if this value was effected in anyway, like a terminal illness, then we can determine the best action that will give the best consequences. In addition, relating it back to autonomy. One value of life are linked to the idea behind free will. Since one has that value we are free to do as we wish, including making the decision euthanizing