Ethical Arguments For and Against Voluntary Euthanasia

Euthanasia is defined as an 'act of killing someone painlessly to

relieve his or her suffering'[1]. It's etymology is derived from the

Greek 'eu thanatos' which means a good death. It is a contentious

issue that provokes strong arguments for and against changing UK

legislation to permit it. The UK currently prohibits active

euthanasia. Active euthanasia is an act where the intention is to end

or deliberately shorten someone's life. A doctor will administer a

drug such as morphine or potassium chloride. Such an act is considered

to be murder and a doctor found guilty of this offence faces a long

prison sentence. An extremely significant case which played a part in

determining whether voluntary active euthanasia is illegal was the

case of Dr Cox. His patient Lilian Boyes, who was seventy years old

and suffering from severe rheumatoid arthritis, asked him to kill her.

She was expected to die within a matter of days, but the pain she was

suffering from was unbearable. Out of compassion he gave her a lethal

dose of potassium chloride. As there was a possibility that she could

have died from other causes due to her condition, he was only charged

with attempted murder. Some people may believe that this case was

unfair and the fact that Dr Cox was acting out of mercy and compassion

should act in favour for him. Even with modern pain control people can

still suffer right to the end of life.

If the killing is done at the patients request it is called 'voluntary

euthanasia'. If it is done without the patients request, even though

they could have requested it before they were in a state which

prevented them from doing so, then it is called inv...

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...stop treatment, withholding is to never give it

and both are seen as legally equal.

[3] Tony Hope, Julian Savulescu, Judith Hendrick. 'Medical Ethics and

Law'. pp157.

[4] Campbell, Alistair. Gillet, Grant. Jones, Gareth. 'Medical

Ethics-Third Edition'. pp200

[5] Alison Davies. 'Briefing notes on voluntary euthanasia/assisted

dying.'

[6] In fact, the term 'best interest' is easily miss understood as

meaning the patients 'wishes'. What it really means is what will

preserve their health or prevent them from dying.

[7] www.bbc.co.uk/print//religion/ethics/euthanasia/rcatholic.shtml

[8] Robert A Bowie, 'Ethical Studies'. pp190.

[9] 'Declaration on Euthanasia' 1980.

[10] www.hospicecare.com/Ethics/fohrdoc.htm

[11] www.ves.org.uk

[12] Glover, 1977, pp.92-93.

[13] 'Kusha', 1991, pp302.