Ethical Essay: The Pros And Cons Of Euthanasia

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It is stated directly in the Hippocratic Oath, a promise made by every physician, “I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel” (Lasagna 1). Euthanasia is the practice in which physicians administer a lethal dose of drugs, commonly pentobarbital or sodium thiopental, to a patient. Patients either request this procedure, due to a terminal illness, or their family may request it if the patient is in a coma or is in a paralyzed state. Euthanasia dates back thousands of years, but recently, its ethics have been heavily debated. Since the year 2000, many patients with severe medical conditions and activist groups have fought for the right to not only refuse treatment, but to end one’s own life in order to bring …show more content…

The morals of euthanasia have become unclear in that cases that once seemed “black and white” have expanded into the “gray area,” where euthanasia is highly debatable (Pawlick and DiLascio 2). Furthermore, People in depression often look to suicide as a resolution for their emotional struggle. This blurs the line that doctors must use to determine whether or not one is in a reasonable state to request such a procedure as euthanasia. If the doctor refuses, they could be sued for refusal of medical treatment, but if they don’t, they could be charged with murder (Pearson 5). This describes how cases in which a patient has requested euthanasia have various issues that could possibly permit such a procedure, such as an illness that could leave them paralyzed or dead in the future, but these issues are not enough to permit euthanization without deeper questioning. Also, if later it is found that the procedure was unnecessary for the patient, the physician or physicians who performed the procedure will indefinitely be imprisoned for their actions. Euthanasia is often argued against because it violates the Hippocratic oath, which includes “promises not to provide deadly medicine” to patients, no matter their request or appeals (Newton 1). The Hippocratic oath defines what is and what is not an ethical medical professional, and is used …show more content…

The act of euthanasia may be justifiable, in that it gives those in pain an escape from their lives, however, it places a lot of power in the patient’s healthcare provider. Medical professionals are more pessimistic in patients’ diagnosis and rate their live value lower than it actually is (Pawlick and DiLascio 2). The negative diagnosis of these medical practitioners makes the patient feel especially drawn to euthanasia as a solution for the problem they may possess. Furthermore, the legalization of euthanasia would “cause society to devalue all life,” in that it makes everyone, not just patients, feel that euthanizing those who have medical issues is a better way to fix problems within our society, rather than treating them (Wekesser 64). Those against legalization say that the open availability for someone to end their life could lead to people feeling “more driven toward, or even forced” to be euthanized due to their emotional, rather than physical, pain (Lee and Stingl 1). During times of hardship such as a terminal illness, one often feels that their life is decreasing in value under the circumstances of the effective suffering their situation causes to the family and loves ones around them. It is therefore easier to end their life in a way that puts ease on the family and loved ones, in a

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