Euthanasia

Doctor-Assisted Suicide Suicide is the act or instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally especially if that person is of sound mind. Euthanasia is the act or practice of killing individuals who are hopelessly sick or injured for reasons of mercy. Doctor-assisted suicide is a term used to describe the act of a doctor or physician providing direct or indirect means of assisting someone in taking their own life. There are 2 types of euthanasia. Passive euthanasia is withholding life-sustaining treatment either before or after it has been initiated.

Many people oppose all forms of euthanasia, but as long as it is carried out under the request of the patient with proper regulations in place, it would alleviate the suffering of many. Euthanasia has different meanings depending on its usage (“Euthanasia”, 1). When the person who has died expressed no wish to be aided in death it is called non-voluntary euthanasia (“Robert Powell Center for Medical Ethics”, 1). Voluntary euthanasia occurs when a person does express the wish to die (“Robert Powell Center for Medical Ethics”, 1). When a person gives a terminally ill individual the knowledge and means to take their life, intendi... ... middle of paper ... ...edia of Philosophy.

As sincere as this plea may sound, there are certain things to consider should euthanasia be legalized and things run out of hand. Hence this paper will look at the dangers of legalizing voluntary euthanasia. In a recent survey carried out in the US, where euthanasia is still illegal, most of those in favor of legalization of voluntary euthanasia or PAS (Physician Assisted Suicide), are males aged between 18 and 44 (Yuill, 2000). Thus it looks like the younger generation is the driving force behind euthanasia. It is also worth comparing this with a study done in Holland, where euthanasia has been decriminalized since 1986, which revealed that only 2-3% of patients with terminal illness request euthanasia (Yuill, 2000).

Also the method of which he carried out the suicide raised questions (Hendin, ³Seduced by Death² 130). Among supporters of Euthanasia he became something of an antiestablishment here (Larson 230). This was the first of over a hundred assisted suicides that he would perform (Uhlman 111).     	Works Cited Betzold, Michael. ³The Selling of Doctor Death.² New Republic 26 May 1997: 22-28.

2007 < http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=412&scid=6>. “The Death Penalty – Amnesty International.” 30 Mar. 2007. Amnesty International. 4 Apr.

As definition states, assisted suicide is the suicide of a patient suffering from an incurable disease. Assisted suicide originated so that a terminally ill patient could be aided with his/her intentions of suicide. (Webster, 2011) Also to give the patient an opportunity to die on their own terms. Euthanasia also plays a key role in assisted suicide. Euthanasia has to be required by a conscious patient suffering from an irreversible affliction inducing physical and/or psychological suffering, with no hope for improvement or for rapid spontaneous death; request for euthanasia has to be written by the patient or by his (her) representative who has no interest in the patient death.

How does one let a patient or a family member breathe but not live? The practice of euthanasia or assisted suicide is “the painless killing of a patient suffering an incurable disease or a irreversible coma” (OxfordDictionaries). Euthanasia has many other names such as assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide, and sometimes even “mercy killing”(“Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide”). To “pull the cord” when a patient is under coma or life support is called passive euthanasia. When a doctor directly guides a patient (with their consent) to end his or her life by lethal injection, this ethic is called voluntary or as active euthanasia.

Chicago: Franklin Watts Publishers, 1993. Robinson, B.A. Web. February 2005 “Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide.” http://www.religioustolerance.org/euthanas.htm Weil, Peter A. Time Magazine Interview.

Is any form of death good? All of these questions can be answered differently by each person. Today euthanasia is generally taken to mean that act which a health care professional carries out to help his patient achieve a good death. The terms euthanasia and assisted suicide are sometimes used interchangeably, but they differ. In the assisted suicide, a doctor prescribes a lethal dose of medication, making the means of death available but not participating in it.

The purpose of this paper is not to support either side, rather this paper will discuss what euthanasia really is, the past of euthanasia, and both the positive and negative sides of euthanasia. Euthanasia and its history According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Euthanasia “is the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering.” Euthanasia has an intention of killing by either act or omission, intention is the keyword that defines euthanasia, if it was not intended, then it is not euthanasia. But where did the practice of euthanasia come from? According to euthanasia.com the history of euthanasia traces back all the way to about 400 B.C. and was called The Hippocratic Oath by the Greek physician Hippocrates, in his oath he said: “"I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel" (euthanasia.com).