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Ethical issues in euthanasia
Ethical principles involved in euthanasia
Ethical principles involved in euthanasia
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According to Longman dictionary euthanasia means “the deliberate killing of a person who is very ill ‘(terminal illness)’ and going to die, in order to stop them suffering.” There are two different types of euthanasia; active and passive. Euthanasia is legalized in some parts of the world like Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Oregon, Montana and Washington. Euthanasia should not be legalized in Canada because it is not lawful, ethical, and violates Canada’s respect for every religion. First, it is not lawful. According to Canadian law it is a crime. For instance, the criminal code section #241 part b) states that anyone who assists in suicide whether complete or incomplete is guilty for indictable offense, resulting in 14 years of imprisonment. …show more content…
Doctors should not be given Legislative power to administer death since it can cause a slippery slope. For example, euthanasia is allowed in Netherlands for twenty three years and doctors have went from killing terminally ill who asks for it, to killing chronically ill who asks for it, and to newborn babies who are born with birth defects at their parents request. Furthermore, euthanasia might become the cost effective way treat people with terminal illness. For example, the patient might request euthanasia because he/she does not want their loved ones to spend so much money on them when eventually they have to die, or the family might ask the doctor to euthanize the patient since they can’t afford it. All in all, it is unethical in the terms of giving the doctor power to kill and …show more content…
"Euthanasia and aiding suicide to remain criminal acts in Canada." Euthanasia and aiding suicide to remain criminal acts in Canada. Version BMJ 2013;347:f5280. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 27 Aug. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f5280>.
• BBC. "Home." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/against/against_1.shtml>.
• Yount, Lisa. "3." Euthanasia. San Diego, Calif.: Lucent Books, 2001. 33. Print.
• LifeNews. "LifeNews.com." LifeNews.com. Version 2012. LifeNews, 4 July 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://www.lifenews.com/2012/07/04/thousands-in-netherlands-die-without-consent-since-euthanasia-ok/>.
• BBC. "Euthanasia, assisted dying, suicide and medical ethics." BBC News. Version 2012. BBC, 21 Aug. 2012. Web. 12 Oct. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/islamethics/euthanasia.shtml#euthanasiasuicide>.
• "34 Bible Verses about Euthanasia." What Does the Bible Say About Euthanasia?. Version 2001. Good News Publishers, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2013. <http://www.openbible.info/topics/euthanasia>.
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The term Euthanasia is derived from the Greek roots, taking the words ‘eu’, meaning good or well, and ‘thanatos’, meaning death, to create the term “good death ”. (Definition of Euthanasia . 2011) The term ‘Euthanasia’ is not defined specifically within Australian Legislation, however the generalised definition states that Euthanasia is intentionally taking another person’s life by the means of a direct action or depriving a person of the medical care needed to preserve life. (Euthanasia: What Does It Really Mean? Date Unknown). Linda Jackson (2005) continues to add that Euthanasia can then be further separated into four specified categories: Passive voluntary euthanasia, active voluntary euthanasia, passive involuntary euthanasia and active involuntary euthanasia. Voluntary Euthanasia will be the specified area that will be focused on within this assignment.
On the other side of things, this is seen as a mercy killing for those who are suffering. Why do patients live their final months in pain and suffering? There are so many arguments for and against physician-assisted suicide, and unfortunately there’s no true or correct answer, it’s simply an opinion. There are concerns that the legalization of this will bring forth deaths for the wrong reasons. It’s not that people don’t deserve the right to die, it’s that people don’t deserve to feel like they have to die.
The most argued issue with assisted suicide is grounded in morals and religion. The sanctity of life is the philosophy that human life is sacred and should be protected from any form of v...
Euthanasia also known as physician assisted suicide is a practice of ending life to relieve pain or incurable diseases with the help of a physician. Whether or not euthanasia is justified is a very serious moral issue. The practice of physician assisted suicide can be optional. As long as it is a person’s own decision, euthanasia is justified in some cases. Every person should have the right to end their life just like some other legal rights. As long as it is an individual’s own decision and the pain they are suffering is incurable, euthanasia can be justified.
Those who support active euthanasia can argue that helping the ill to bring their own deaths, allowing them to determine the how and when, is not only a human act but also allows the person, who is "living to die," to maintain their dignity; this way, they will let them die in peace, rather than suffer to the end. Because if not, they think of themselves as a disgrace, to those they love. According to recent researches and surveys, many Canadians would agree to this, but my question is, have they taken a close look at the ethical debate? Those who are against active euthanasia would say not, and would argue that by participating in the practice of active euthanasia, they are "playing God," or perhaps, that they are not acting out of mercy, therefore, the act is nothing less than cold-blooded murder. Murder by the law is defined as; "The unlawful, premeditated killing of one human being by another." Euthanasia, in Canada, remains unlawful as of today, and the act of euthanasia is premeditated, whether for the purpose of mercy or not, euthanasia is, by definition, murder. According to Kantian perspective established by Kant the philosopher, and the Holy Bible, murder is both a sin and a crime, therefore we ought not participate in the practice of euthanasia, because it is murder, and it is the wrong thing to do.
This article is important because Canadians need to be informed of the changing laws in Canada. Canadians should be provided with information to help them decide their take on the matter, and having knowledge of other countries or states experiences can help a great deal. The article talks about three jurisdictions where euthanasia is already legal; Belgium, Washington and Oregon. Euthanasia is an act where a medical doctor intentionally causes the death of a patient. In order for a person to qualify for euthanasia they would have to be suffering for a terminal illness. Although Quebec's Bill 52 seems to set out strict criteria for qualifying for this treatment, cases from Belgium cause concern for what may become a slippery slope. The problem in Belgium is that patients are no longer dying from an illness, but are just feeling helpless and depressed and are ending their lives through euthan...
Any discussion that pertains to the topic of euthanasia must first include a clear definition of the key terms and issues. With this in mind, it should be noted that euthanasia includes both what has been called physician-assisted "suicide" and voluntary active euthanasia. Physician-assisted suicide involves providing lethal medication(s) available to the patient to be used at a time of the patient’s own choosing (Boudreau, p.2, 2014). Indifferently, voluntary active euthanasia involves the physician taking an active role in carrying out the patient’s request, and usually involves intravenous delivery of a lethal substance. Physician-assisted suicide is felt to be easier psychologically for the physician and patient than euthanasia because
The voluntary active euthanasia is legitimately moral. It is morally right for a person to seek euthanasia because it is their freedom or autonomy to control their own lives. It ends the suffering of the patient without harming other people. Furthermore, it prevents the person to suffer by giving him/her lethal injection or medication that prevents a person to die slowly with pain. On the other hand, the arguments against euthanasia are not sound. A thorough assessment will protect patient who request euthanasia for the benefits of others. A patient who seek for euthanasia does not use him/herself as means, but as ends to respect his/her own humanity. Furthermore, God as a benevolent will not allow a person to suffer which endorse the purpose of euthanasia – to end suffering. Therefore, voluntary active euthanasia should be legalized in the United States.
Doctors prefer to never have to euthanize a patient. It is a contradiction of everything they have been taught for a doctor to euthanize someone, because a doctor’s job is to do everything in their power to keep the patient alive, not assist them in suicide. The majority of doctors who specialize in palliative care, a field focused on quality of life for patients with severe and terminal illnesses, think legalizing assisted suicide is very unnecessary. This is due to the fact that if patients do not kill themselves, they will end up dying on a ventilator in the hospital under the best possible care available, with people around them trying to keep them as comfortable as possible. Legalized euthanasia everywhere has been compared to going down a slippery slope. Officials believe that it could be done over excessively and the fear of assisted suicide numbers rising greatly is a great fear. This is why euthanasia is such a controversial subject worldwide. But, even though it is a very controversial subject, euthanasia is humane. Every doctor also has a say in whether or not they choose to euthanize a patient or not, leaving only the doctors who are willing to do this type of practice, for euthanizing patients. Medicine and drugs prescribed by a doctor for pain or suffering can not always help a person to the extent they desire, even with the help of doctors
The transformation the legal system had on the healthcare system mainly involved the use of euthanasia. Similarly, to many countries euthanasia remains illegal in Canada. Engraved within the Criminal Code of Canada, laws deeming euthanasia illegal remain significant. One of the laws that can be found states, “Everyone who a. counsels a person to commit, or b. aids or abets a person to commit suicide whether indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years” (Criminal Code, Section 241). Dying with Dignity in Canada also adds that 80% of Canadians are in favour of euthanasia, concluding the drastic change is this number, as many years ago this percentage was extremely lower.
Urofsky, Melvin I. Lethal Judgments: Assisted Suicide and American Law. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2000. Print.
Euthanasia and suicide s a very serious topic of discussion in the world we live in today. Euthanasia is a choice that an individual may or may not make in there life. It is when someone or the individual thinks it is better for them to die rather then suffering in the hospital bed or hardly living. It mostly happens when their life depends on nutrients coming through an HIV tube, or a breathing mask etc. It eases the pain completely by pulling the switch. By pulling the switch on the machine, what ever is aiding you to survive will no longer function and you will die peacefully. Suicide is a more talked about and rising topic in society especially Montreal in the past few years. As of 2011, Canada is ranked in the world suicide poll at 67 out of 192 (World Life Expectancy). Suicide has different approaches to everyone in the world. Everyone who has ever committed or attempted suicide have a reason why. “ Warning signs of suicide could be the following. Hard time concentrating, loss of interest in stuff that use to amuse the individual, drugs or alcohol use etc”(Dr.Davidson,3).
Euthanasia has been an ongoing debate for many years. Everyone has an opinion on why euthanasia should or should not be allowed but, it is as simple as having the choice to die with dignity. If a patient wishes to end his or her life before a disease takes away their quality of life, then the patient should have the option of euthanasia. Although, American society considers euthanasia to be morally wrong euthanasia should be considered respecting a loved one’s wishes. To understand euthanasia, it is important to know the rights humans have at the end of life, that there are acts of passive euthanasia already in practice, and the beneficial aspects.
First of all, euthanasia saves money and resources. The amount of money for health care in each country, and the number of beds and doctors in each hospital are limited. It is a huge waste if we use those money and resources to lengthen the lives of those who have an incurable disease and want to die themselves rather than saving the lives of the ones with a curable ailment. When we put those patients who ask for euthanasia to death, then the waiting list for each hospital will shorten. Then, the health care money of each country, the hospital beds, and the energy of the doctors can be used on the ones who can be cured, and can get back to normal and able to continue contributing to the society. Isn’t this a better way of using money and resources rather than unnaturally extend those incurable people’s lives?
People believe physicians should be able to aid in this process because they have valuable knowledge on how the body works, “… knowledge that can be used to kill or to cure” (Callahan 74). This argument contradicts the moral meaning of medicine. Indeed, the word "medical" comes from the Latin word “mederi,” which means "to heal." Medicine is understood to heal, cure, or comfort people, not kill. As a matter of fact, in the International Medical Code of Ethics and the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics fully states that the act of euthanasia violates their role and shall not be performed. Just because of the mere fact that physicians have the knowledge and medical equipment to kill does not indicate a physician should be permitted to perform euthanasia. Dan Brock states, “… permitting physicians to perform euthanasia, it is said, would be incompatible with their fundamental moral and professional commitment as healers to care for patients and to protect life” (77). Dan Brock also raises the question, if euthanasia became a common practice that was performed by physicians, would we eventually fear or lose trust in our physicians?