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? The bases for western knowledge, the Greek and Roman empires, usually supported euthanasia. Although they did not like giving “’a deadly drug to anybody, not even if asked for,’” by the patient, they preferred a gentle death as opposed to their patients suffering a miserable life (ProCon). It was not until the middle ages that euthanasia was actively opposed. In the middle ages the predominate religions of Europe were Christian and Judaism; these two religions did not approve of euthanasia because not only was suicide itself a sin, but the doctor who helped the patients would have committed the sin of murder. The three major religions that influence the world, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, all see suicide as a sin. These three religions have a major impact on the world today, so the trend of criminalizing euthanasia continued up into the modern era with euthanasia still being illegal in many parts of the world. The first law explicitly prohibiting euthanasia in the United States was enacted in New York in 1828 (ProCon). Since then many more states have outlawed ... ... middle of paper ... ...2011. . Opposing Viewpoints."Introduction to Euthanasia: Opposing Viewpoints." Euthanasia. Ed. Carrie Snyder. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. http://ic.galegroup.com.library.collin.edu/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=OVIC&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010134107&userGroupName=txshracd2497&jsid=af2eacb374dfea6a89c0773d16c35a50 Oxford English Dictionary. "Euthanasia." Def. 3. Oxford English Dictionary. Sept. 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. . ProCon. "Historical Timeline." Euthanasia - ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 28 Sept. 2010. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. .
The Web. 2 May 2011. “Euthanasia.” Literary Reference Center. Web.
Barnet, S. & Bedau, H. Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1996. "Euthanasia: Should Doctors Intervene at the End of Life?" (Barbara Huttman, pgs 422-424, James Rachels, pgs 427-430).
The Euthanasia Society of America was formed in 1938 with the aim of proposing legislation to allow active voluntary euthanasia. Three past presidents and one treasurer also favored involuntary, active euthanasia, according to Yale Kamisar in Euthanasia and the Right to Death. In 1967 the society's name was changed to the Euthanasia Educational Council and it officially supported voluntary, passive euthanasia. Many of its members, however, were in favor of active euthanasia.
Euthanasia is a problem that has been facing people since the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Manning states that the ancient Greeks and Romans preferred to die, then to go through the pain and suffering (Manning 6). During the time of the Romans and Greeks, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide was a common, everyday thing. However, a group called the Pythagoreans opposed euthanasia back then because they believed that God valued the human life itself and the act of killing someone who is already suffering was considered disrespectful (Manning 6). Plato and Aristotle both opposed euthanasia for a couple of reasons. Plato opposed suicide, but on the other hand, he rejected that the right to take a life had only belonged to the gods (Manning 8-9). According to Manning, Plato believed when a person’s life was considered useless...
Euthanasia is the act of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. The House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics of England defines euthanasia as a deliberate intervention undertaken with the intention of ending a life, to relieve suffering(Harris, NM. 2001)., in the Netherlands euthanasia is defined as the termination of life by a doctor at the request of a patient(BBC,2011).
ProCon (December, 13, 2013). Euthanasia. Retrieved from http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000126 “This was a fantastic source to reference throughout this essay, it covers boths sides of this controversial issue without bias. It also covers the history of the subjects, which helped with building a timeline”
Before discussing the way the Catholic Church has responded to the topic of euthanasia, it is important to understand what euthanasia truly is. Euthanasia comes from two Greek works: eu which means good and thanatos which means death. These terms come together to mean “good death”, referencing the common practice of voluntary suicide by old or sick people who wish to have a painless death by drinking the poison hemlock. The term euthanasia has assumed several dimensions throughout history. During the 17th century the term came to explain actions taken by a physician to reduce pain in dying patients, associated with assisting in death or suicide. In ...
Euthanasia has been a part of societies since 5th Century B.C. in ancient Rome and Greece. The concept of euthanasia was considered to be tolerant before the creation of Christianity. Pagan physicians would do both voluntary and involuntary mercy killings. Although the Hippocratic Oath prohibited doctors from giving drugs to kill anybody, not even if asked for, or from suggesting such an action, few ancient Greek or Roman physicians followed the oath. Though there was a wide spread support of voluntary death throughout the Rome and Greek territories. (ProCon.Org)
Larson, Edward J. “Legalizing Euthanasia Would Encourage Suicide” Euthanasia- Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Carol Wesseker. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1995. 78-83. Print.
Kuhse, Helga. “Euthanasia.” A Companion to Ethics. Ed. Peter Singer. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 1991. 294-302. Print.
Euthanasia has been practiced in human culture throughout history, though it was usually called mercy killing. Ancient Greek philosophers considered it to be morally acceptable, but it was still carried out in secret, up until now. Physicians and common folk alike have had to perpetuate euthanasia in secret because of the strict laws surrounding it. Assisted suicide was against the law as well as physician-assisted suicide, so if it were to be done, it had to be in secret. In the 1940’s, technology advancements allowed more means by which to keep sick and dying patients alive, which greatly decreased the chances for assisted suicide to take place. At that time, numerous doctors strictly interpreted the Hippocratic Oath, meaning that by all
“Euthanasia is a cowardly death.” according to an ancient Greek Philosopher, Aristotle. Just like today, the ancient Greeks tried to use euthanasia to end pain and suffering. Euthaxznasia is the painless killing of patients induced by drug overdoses or lack of treatment (“Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide”). Euthanasia is considered assisted suicide and assisted suicide is illegal, so euthanasia should be illegal. Christians strongly believe that suicide and euthanasia is against the Ten Commandments and is morally wrong. Also a type of euthanasia known as involuntary euthanasia is considered murder.The topic of euthanasia is arguable because of the different beliefs of people. People that favor euthanasia believe it is mercy
Gielen, Joris, Stef van den Branden, and Bert Broeckaert. "Religion And Nurses' Attitudes To Euthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide." Nursing Ethics 16.3 (2009): 303-318. MEDLINE. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. In this review of empirical studies we aimed to assess the influence of religion and worldview on nurses' attitudes towards euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. The article explained differences in attitude were found to be influenced by religious or ideological affiliation, observance of religious practices, religious doctrines, and personal importance attributed to religion or worldview.
Beginning in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the majority of the populations had been supporters of physician-assisted suicide, and had even given it the name euthanasia, which literally means “good death.” Opinions began to change in the thirteenth century due to the introduction and rise of Christianity. The people of Christian and Jewish faith condemned euthanasia because it violated the gift given by God: life. Along with that, as stated in The Bible under the ten commandments, commandment number six is, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20: 13.). The sixth commandment forbids one person to kill another, which to many Christians, this includes a doctor killing a patient via a request. In modern times, the argument of whether or not euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should be legalized had only grown more complicated, because of cases such as Mathilde Cramer - the wife of Mars Cramer who decided to legally use euthanasia after suffering from Waldenstrom’s Disease, and the many patients of Dr. Jack Kevorkian - an American pathologist otherwise known as Dr.
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?