Voluntary Euthanasia: A Compassionate Option

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I picked voluntary euthanasia as my written assignment topic this week because while reading through it, my mother’s comment of that she wants to just pass away quickly, rather suffering slowly and be a burden to everyone around here a long time ago came to my mind. She made that comment after visiting someone dying from cancer, so I understand why she made that remark. The reasons cited for voluntary euthanasia is to end the suffering and stop being a burden to everyone around you and is asking for health professionals to assist in ending your life (Young, 2014). Not many countries as we learned has legalized euthanasia, but a few like the Netherlands has set 5 very strict conditions for asking for voluntary euthanasia which are: “suffering …show more content…

Voluntary euthanasia involves at least two people, the patient, and the healthcare professional, so I will look at the point of view from both to see if they compare or contrast in deciding if morally right or wrong. From the patient point of view is of course a bit more simple when we assume she is terminally ill, suffering terribly from pain and only being a burden to one 's loved ones, ending her life sooner will end the suffering and end the burden on her loved ones and finally find peace, so for consequentialist ethics patient, voluntary euthanasia is not a moral dilemma at all. For the health professional being asked to perform voluntary euthanasia he would be looking at what is the negative which is he will help kill someone, any normal human being knows killing another human being is not normal, but in this case when it comes to how can he help the patient with voluntary euthanasia is to end the suffering she and her loved ones are going through much sooner with his action, so everyone will be better off because of his action which is a good deed …show more content…

A patient no matter how bad the terminal illness and suffering will be bound by nonmaleficence, so she cannot harm herself, let alone ask to be killed through voluntary euthanasia. A healthcare professional that is practicing deontological ethics will also be bound by nonmaleficence as the ultimate duty, and cannot do injury to others and fidelity of the duty to keep promises will also come into play since doctors swear an oath to do no harm, so he will not be able to comply with the patient’s request for voluntary

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