The Moral Permissibility of Legalizing Active Euthanasia

The Moral Permissibility of Legalizing Active Euthanasia

To date, in the united States of America, active euthanasia has been seen as

unacceptable in legal terms. However, the issue is not so clear in moral terms among the

public, and especially among the medical community. In fact, nearly half of the doctors

in the United States say that they would prescribe active euthanasia under certain

circumstances. The law that prohibits active euthanasia restricts many people from doing

what they feel morally justified to do. The moral aspects of killing a person would be the

primary point in the argument that society would be harmed by the legalization of

voluntary active euthanasia. Therefore, it is most important to morally justify the

practice of active euthanasia in order for an argument to be formed in favor of the

legalization of active euthanasia. I will first prove that passive and active euthanasia

have the same moral permissibility and therefore should have the same legality. I will

also discuss the two main arguments for the moral justification of active euthanasia as

well as refute four arguments against the legalization of active euthanasia. I believe

some of the arguments against active euthanasia can be dismissed, and some of the

arguments can be overridden by the importance of an individual’s self-determination and

well-being.

Before arguing my first point, it is necessary to understand the difference between

killing and letting die. Some argue that letting die, which is the action considered to take

place in passive euthanasia, is morally permissible and killing, which is the action

considered to take place in active euthanasia, is not morally permissible....

... middle of paper ...

...he moral permissibility argument for active euthanasia. I

have argued that the legalization of active euthanasia would not lead to the decline in

medical care, erosion of the right to refuse treatment, and widespread abuse of the law. I

have made it is obvious that the motivations for legalizing active euthanasia are all

positive and have good intentions to promote the will of the individual, and if

implemented in the correct way, the results of legalizing active euthanasia will be

beneficial to society as a whole.

Bibliography:

Bibliography

Brock, Dan W. “Voluntary Active Euthanasia: An Overview and Defense.” Excerpted

from “Voluntary Active Euthanasia,” Hastings Center Report 22 (March/April) 1992:

pp. 165.

Rachels, James. “Active and Passive Euthanasia,” The New England Journal of

Medicine, 292, No. 2 (January 9, 1975), pp. 78-79.