Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
ethical implications of euthanasia
ethical implications of euthanasia
abstract for assisted suicide
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: ethical implications of euthanasia
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
There has been much debate over euthanasia and assisted suicide with
no agreement in sight. Currently Oregon is the only state that allows
euthanasia and assisted suicide in the United States. Like all
questions involving the projection of personal beliefs upon the fate
of an entire population, this is an issue that may never be resolved.
Euthanasia and assisted suicide are methods people may take to end
their lives either on their own with lethal prescriptions from
physicians, or under the care of a doctor or assistant with various
methods, lethal injection and the "pulling of the plug" on life
support machines being the most common. An assisted suicide would be
granted only to a person "who is terminally ill, and who feels that
their life is not worth living because of intractable pain, and/or
loss of dignity, and/or loss of capability and who repeatedly and
actively asks for help in committing suicide and who is of sound mind
and not suffering from depression". [Robinson]
Conservative religious groups, and some medical associations and
disability groups are the most common protesters of assisted suicide.
Many fundamentalist religions believe that it violates the natural
desire to live, it harms other people, and ultimately, that life is a
gift from God and should only be taken by God. [Robinson] Some
disability groups fear that assisted suicide may lead to more cases of
people being killed against their will in order to fulfill society's
desire for a disability-free population. Medical associations often
disagree because their goals are often to extend and prolong life as
long as possible. Th...
... middle of paper ...
...g. To rule out the
option completely is taking away a personal human right.
As with most ethical squabbles, the debate over legal euthanasia is a
personal one. The desire is strong, in government and religion, to
decide the fate of it's people based on individual position. It seems
that personal choice is the only resolution to the debate over
euthanasia. Those opposed to assisted suicide would not choose to have
one and would respect the choice of others to live or end their lives
as they so choose. Assisted death is not something to be taken lightly
or to be used often. Strict laws to govern the use are necessary. In
conclusion, a quote by Derek Humphrey, a euthanasia advocate,
describes the necessary conditions for euthanasia. He said,
"Euthanasia should always be voluntary, justified, legal, and rare."
[Gray]
In her paper entitled "Euthanasia," Phillipa Foot notes that euthanasia should be thought of as "inducing or otherwise opting for death for the sake of the one who is to die" (MI, 8). In Moral Matters, Jan Narveson argues, successfully I think, that given moral grounds for suicide, voluntary euthanasia is morally acceptable (at least, in principle). Daniel Callahan, on the other hand, in his "When Self-Determination Runs Amok," counters that the traditional pro-(active) euthanasia arguments concerning self-determination, the distinction between killing and allowing to die, and the skepticism about harmful consequences for society, are flawed. I do not think Callahan's reasoning establishes that euthanasia is indeed morally wrong and legally impossible, and I will attempt to show that.
In life people encounter many roads some are pleasant, and others harsh. Humans just as all other species in the world have many obstacle in life, and a decision has to be made whether you will continue to struggle, and keep on living or if you have made it as far as you will go, and end it all. When it comes to assist suicide there should be some regulation that the government enforces solely for the protection of the patient. A person who is terminally ill should have the right to go to a doctor who performs euthanasia, and have him or her assist them in ending their life in a peaceful, and pain free way. There are many people in the United States who would agree that a patient who is terminally ill should have the option to die with the help of their doctor, but just as in any other topic there are also those who oppose it. Assisted suicide allows a patient who is in the brink of death, and everyday of their life is filled with pain to have the right to end the pain with the help of a profession doctor who will make that patients last moment pain free as they descend this world.
didn't want to wake me. Then he would begin to howl, like a dog. When
The topic of euthanasia and assisted suicide is very controversial. People who support euthanasia say that it is someone 's right to end their own life in the case of a terminal illness. Those in favor of this right consider the quality of life of the people suffering and say it is their life and, therefore, it is their decision. The people against euthanasia argue that the laws are in place to protect people from corrupt doctors. Some of the people who disagree with assisted suicide come from a religious background and say that it is against God’s plan to end one 's life. In between these two extreme beliefs there are some people who support assisted suicide to a certain degree and some people who agree on certain terms and not on others.
Today's society is now introduced to one of the most controversial issues; assisted suicide. Just like in other controversial arguments, there are many people that feel that it is wrong for people to ask their healthcare provider to end one's life; while others feel that if the person is terminally ill and has given their will to die, that they can be assisted in suicide. Though both sides are reasonable many people believe that people should not take part in helping someone take their own life, assisted suicide should be legal because, it plays a factor of conquering one’s feelings, gives an option to those whom are terminally ill or in immense pain, and every human
Euthanasia and assisted suicide is known as a process in which an individual (sick or disabled) engages in an act that leads to his or her own death with the help of physicians or family members to end pain and suffering. There are several other terms used for this process, such as active euthanasia or passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia refers to what is being done to actively end life while passive euthanasia is referred as eliminating a treatment that will prolong a patient’s life, which will eventually lead to death (Levy et al., 2103, p. 402). Euthanasia and assisted suicide pose a significant ethical issue today, and understanding the issue requires examining the different principles, such as the ethical issue, professional code of conduct, strength and limitations, autonomy and informed consent, beneficence and nonmaleficence, distribution, and confidentiality and truthfulness.
Although euthanasia and assisted suicide are frowned upon, legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide would be beneficial to society. Through many forms of euthanasia and assisted suicide, people choose to end their own lives to relieve their suffering, to keep their autonomy and their desire to be able to perform their daily activities, and to prevent the fear of burdening their family. Even though euthanasia and assisted suicide are not considered the norm by doctors, the goal of a doctor should be to relieve the pain of a patient in any way the patient requests.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines euthanasia as “the action of inducing a gentle and easy death” (Oxford English Dictionary). Many people around the world would like nothing more than to end their lives because they are suffering from painful and lethal diseases; suffering people desperately seek doctors to help them end their lives. Many people see euthanasia as murder, so euthanasia is illegal in many countries. Euthanasia is an extremely controversial issue that has many complex factors behind it including medical costs, murder and liberty rights. Should people have the rights to seek euthanasia from doctors who are well trained in dealing with euthanasia?
“I 'm not afraid of being dead, I 'm just afraid of what you might have to go through to get there”, stated by Pamela Bone during her deterioration from cancer (Bone). Giving someone the choice of ending their life was not known by many until a man of the name of Jack Kevorkian began performing this procedure. He was the first to assist others in ending their lives due to medical illnesses. His actions caused many years of conflict with the court system, forcing him to spend eight years in prison. Kevorkian’s procedures aroused national controversy over the moral and ethical issues surrounding this extremely sensitive topic. Assisted suicide is slowly becoming more prominent in the world with the discussion of the benefits of the practice, the need for the law due to the possible detrimental aspects of it, and the obligation to remain true to the morals one has set for themselves.
In recent years the media has shifted more focus on the hot topic of physician assisted suicide. This expanded coverage has caused an ever widening gap on both sides of the debate because of the ethical concerns that come along with this act. Due in part to the advancements in modern medicine, assisted suicide should be viewed as a morally correct decision for individuals to make for themselves when there is no overcoming a life impairing mental or physical ailment. This form of medicine should only be used when the individuals have exhausted all possible procedures and options and the have a bleak chance on being healthy once again. The results of assisted suicide can be viewed as morally correct in regards to consequentialism, social contract theory, as well as deontological ethics. The act of assisted suicide can be viewed as selfless if one does not ultimately want to be a physical or monetary burden on other individuals. A patient can also help to save others in regards of organ donations. We as a country need to learn to observe the choices of the terminally ill patients and understand when they want to concede in their battle. If a person chooses to end their life, it should not be viewed as a sign of weakness, but rather as a statement that this individual does not want to suffer anymore.
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.
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
Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide has been a hot topic of debate for quite some time now. Some believe it to be immoral, while others see nothing wrong with it what so ever. Regardless what anyone believes, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should become legal for physicians and patients. Death is a personal situation in life. By government not allowing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide they are interfering and violating patient’s personal freedom and human rights! Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide have the power to save the lives of family members and other ill patients. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should become legal however, there should be strict rules and guidelines to follow and carry out by both the patient and physician. If suicide isn’t a crime why should euthanasia and assisted suicide? Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should be legal and the government should not be permitted to interfere with death.
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.
Euthanasia and assisted suicide is a rising controversial problem in the world. Many people are against the idea of helping someone 'kill themselves'. This is a problem because many people who have had fatal incidents and are left with chronic conditions live everyday in pain, mental suffering, and emotional suffering. Euthanasia and assited sucide is to help someone who no longer wants to live, pass on. A poll taken by CBS News asked respondents if they thought "a doctor should be allowed to assist the person in taking their own life" who "has a disease that will ultimately destroy their mind or body and they want to take their own life." About 56 percent of Americans said yes and 37 percent said no. This close tie of public opinion has been continuous throughout many years, but euthanasia and assisted sucide has not been legalized in the United States.