Index: Introduction Body Types and Terminology Legal Status Arguments Against Euthanasia Arguments Supporting Euthanasia Alternatives Conclusion References I. Introduction The word euthanasia stems from the Greek words “eu thanatos” meaning “good death” and it’s used to describe the act of a certain individual, usually a doctor, to deliberately end the life of someone. It’s important to differentiate between euthanasia and assisted suicide at this point. Assisted suicide is a term used to describe the action of an individual deliberately ending their own life, based on guidance, information, tools, or medication supplied by a third party individual. For example, a doctor could prescribe an overdose of muscle relaxants to a patient suffering …show more content…
It’s based on the idea that if we start allowing medical organizations to “pull the plug” then the government will soon be able to murder patients without their consent for various reasons. The argument has at least two fallacies, False equivalence and Fallacy of division however for the sake of covering all the related points I’ll explain more about it. Individuals who use this argument believe that supporting active euthanasia and having the idea publicly acceptable will lead the community to gradually accept non-voluntary euthanasia and involuntary euthanasia. They also believe that the legalization of voluntary euthanasia will lead to a spectrum of consequences that were unaccounted for such …show more content…
2- Doctors may give a wrong diagnosis to a patient, and the patient may choose to go with euthanasia believing that they have a terminal illness. 3- Scientists would be discouraged to research new cures for terminal illnesses. Yet another popular argument against euthanasia is the medical ethics argument. Opponents of euthanasia quote a piece from the International Code of Medical Ethics that states 'A doctor must always bear in mind the obligation of preserving human life from conception '. They believe that legalizing euthanasia would encourage health professionals to abandon their empathy and compassion, and consider ending patients’ lives as just a routine administrative task. Individuals who use this argument often forget that morality is not originated from law, and to think that a doctor would prefer ‘killing off’ patients rather than saving their lives would imply that doctors only try to save patients because they’re getting paid to do so. Individuals who favor this argument also believe that people with complex health needs or those with disabilities might grow distrusting of their doctors, which is another fallacy since it can only be true if we assumed that a doctor sees other humans as customers or job tasks instead of seeing them as human
Euthanasia comes from the Greek root-eu, meaning good, and thanatos meaning death. Together they signify "good death." For example, you have a terminal illness and doctors informed you that your life span would not exceed four weeks starting from today, and during this waiting period, you will suffer excruciating pain and unbearable agony. What would you do? You decide to take action. What should it be? An injection, a pill, or jumping off a building? Applying the concept of euthanasia, it means you will either choose an injection or a pill.
The word Euthanasia comes from the Greek and means “good death” (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/hp.asp) and in the range of this paper, it is called physician assisted suicide or “active” euthanasia. The definition of “active” euthanasia is ending one’s life yourself or with the aid of a doctor. It can be done in various different ways; however, the most common form is with a combination of drugs, usually given by a physician. ( http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/hp.asp) The reason Physician Assisted Suicide (or PAS) is an important issue in this country and around the world is that there are many people out there suffering from debilitating, incurable and intensely painful diseases that would like to end their lives with dignity and without suffering.
Euthanasia comes from the Greek word that means “good death” (“Euthanasia” Literary). In general, euthanasia refers to causing the death of someone to end their pain and suffering oftentimes in cases of terminal illness. Some people call this “mercy killings.”
“When a patient says, ‘Help me doctor,’ he is assuming that his doctor is on the side of his life.” This quote by Dr.Margaret Cottle , who is a palliative care physician , shows the mentality that most patients have when it comes to patient care. Euthanasia is a very controversial topic that has been debated on throughout the years. Whether it may be active euthanasia, passive euthanasia, voluntary euthanasia, involuntary euthanasia, indirect or physician assisted the morals and reasoning behind each are controversial. Though some people may believe euthanasia may be justified in a critical situation and critical punishment, euthanasia should be prohibited because euthanasia weakens societies respects for the sanctity of life, euthanasia might not be in the person’s best interest, and euthanasia affects other peoples rights, not just the patients.
Some people fear that allowing euthanasia sends the message, “it 's better to be dead than sick or disabled.” The subtext is that some lives are not worth living. Not only does this put the sick or disabled at risk, it also downgrades their status as human beings while they are alive. Some have regarded people with disabilities as inferior, or as a burden on society. Those in favor of eugenics go further and say that society should prevent 'defective ' people from having children. Others go further still and say that those who are a burden on society should be eliminated. Many people fear that any legalization of euthanasia, no matter how strictly regulated, puts doctors in an unacceptable position of power. Many believe that this position of power allows doctors to, “play God,” and that it is morally incorrect. An Age Concern dossier in 2000 showed that doctors put ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ orders in place on many patients without consulting them or their families. In the United States, ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ orders are commonly used for black people, alcohol misusers, non-English speakers, and people infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This suggests that doctors have stereotypes of who is not worth saving. "It must be recognized that assisted suicide and euthanasia will be practiced through the prism of social inequality and prejudice…Those who will be most vulnerable to abuse, error, or indifference are the
Doctors prefer to never have to euthanize a patient. It is a contradiction of everything they have been taught for a doctor to euthanize someone, because a doctor’s job is to do everything in their power to keep the patient alive, not assist them in suicide. The majority of doctors who specialize in palliative care, a field focused on quality of life for patients with severe and terminal illnesses, think legalizing assisted suicide is very unnecessary. This is due to the fact that if patients do not kill themselves, they will end up dying on a ventilator in the hospital under the best possible care available, with people around them trying to keep them as comfortable as possible. Legalized euthanasia everywhere has been compared to going down a slippery slope. Officials believe that it could be done over excessively and the fear of assisted suicide numbers rising greatly is a great fear. This is why euthanasia is such a controversial subject worldwide. But, even though it is a very controversial subject, euthanasia is humane. Every doctor also has a say in whether or not they choose to euthanize a patient or not, leaving only the doctors who are willing to do this type of practice, for euthanizing patients. Medicine and drugs prescribed by a doctor for pain or suffering can not always help a person to the extent they desire, even with the help of doctors
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
Whose life is it, anyway? Euthanasia is a word that means good death. Euthanasia normally implies that the act must be initiated by the person who wishes to commit suicide. But, some people define euthanasia to include both voluntary and involuntary termination of life. Physician assisted suicide is when a physician supplies information and/or the means of committing suicide (lethal dose of sleeping pills or carbon monoxide gas) to a person, so that they can easily terminate their own life.
Assisted suicide brings up one of the biggest moral debates currently circulating in America. Physician assisted suicide allows a patient to be informed, including counseling about and prescribing lethal doses of drugs, and allowed to decide, with the help of a doctor, to commit suicide. There are so many questions about assisted suicide and no clear answers. Should assisted suicide be allowed only for the terminally ill, or for everyone? What does it actually mean to assist in a suicide? What will the consequences of legalizing assisted suicide be? What protection will there be to protect innocent people? Is it (morally) right or wrong? Those who are considered “pro-death”, believe that being able to choose how one dies is one’s own right.
Over the course of this paper, I will give a brief history, background, and address many of the arguments that are opposed to and for euthanasia. These arguments include causation, omission, legal issues, the physicians involved, the slippery slope that might potentially be created, autonomy rights, and Christianity.
to over turn the law. Also Kevin Andrews was strongly not in favour and with
Society’s major arguments in favor of euthanasia believe that first, human beings have the right to decide when and how to die. Secondly, they believe that it is cruel and inhumane to refuse someone the right to die, when they are suffering intolerable and unstoppable pain, or distress. Thirdly, euthanasia should be allowed when it is in the best interests of all involved and does not violate anyone's rights. Finally, if death is not a terrible thing, then making it come sooner isn't a bad thing (life related issues). Also, they believe that allowing the act of ending someone’s life helps shorten the grief and suffering of the patient’s loved ones.
Euthanasia is a medical procedure which speeds up the process of dying for people with incurable, painful, or distressing diseases. The patient’s doctor can stop treatment and instead let them die from their illness. It come from the Greek words for 'good' and 'death', and is also called mercy killing. Euthanasia is illegal in most countries including the UK . If you suffer from an incurable disease, you cannot legally terminate your life. However, in a number of European countries it is possible to go to a clinic which will assist you to die gracefully under some very strict circumstances.
Each form of euthanasia also has a set of arguments that accompany them. Some of the common pro euthanasia arguments are the right choice. The patient should be able to be given the option to make the decision to die and to do with dignity. The quality of life argument is another. This is when only the patient knows what it is like to have persistent unstoppable suffering, and pain. Even with pain relievers it is not enough. With the pro arguments comes the cons. The most common cons are guilty, slippery slope to murder, competence, and what the doctor’s role is in all of
People believe physicians should be able to aid in this process because they have valuable knowledge on how the body works, “… knowledge that can be used to kill or to cure” (Callahan 74). This argument contradicts the moral meaning of medicine. Indeed, the word "medical" comes from the Latin word “mederi,” which means "to heal." Medicine is understood to heal, cure, or comfort people, not kill. As a matter of fact, in the International Medical Code of Ethics and the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics fully states that the act of euthanasia violates their role and shall not be performed. Just because of the mere fact that physicians have the knowledge and medical equipment to kill does not indicate a physician should be permitted to perform euthanasia. Dan Brock states, “… permitting physicians to perform euthanasia, it is said, would be incompatible with their fundamental moral and professional commitment as healers to care for patients and to protect life” (77). Dan Brock also raises the question, if euthanasia became a common practice that was performed by physicians, would we eventually fear or lose trust in our physicians?