Pros And Cons Of Euthanasia

What is euthanasia, and why is it considered to be morally different to murder or suicide? Is it?

What is Euthanasia? Ian Dowbiggin, PhD, Professor of History at the University of Prince Edward Island, wrote in his 2005 book A Concise History of Euthanasia: Life, Death, God, and Medicine, that euthanasia is, “an easy death through the mitigation of pain rather than a death hastened by a physician through the administration of poison" (Dowbiggin 23). One can also think of euthanasia as a means of painlessly killing one suffering from an incurable illness. Voluntary, involuntary, and non-voluntary are the three types of euthanasia. The first involves explicit consent from the patient, for example, through a living will. Involuntary is the case in which the patient has not consented or is not aware of euthanasia being performed. The third concerns cases where consent is not available, for example, in cases where the person is severely injured or in a

Having a choice to end one's own life, when one previously did not have the freedom to do so, could pressure the ill and the elderly to opt for euthanasia so that they would no longer be a burden for their families and friends. At times, this might mean that people choose euthanasia not because they wish to die by their own will, but rather because of outside pressure. In this case, euthanasia becomes very similar to suicide.

In the same way, involuntary euthanasia is also morally quite similar to a murder. In this case, the victim has not consented to their death just like a victim of murder. Even if the victim desires to continue living, he or she is killed regardless. As a result, both involuntary and non-voluntary means of euthanasia are morally similar to a murder and are banned in many countries. Some countries treat such kind of euthanasia as a criminal