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Active Euthanasia Essay

1371 Words6 Pages

In this essay I will analyse if killing a patient is better, in a medical context, rather than letting them die. I will discuss how people’s opinions of euthanasia are altered by the doctrine of the American Medical Association, religious affiliations, best interests, the psychological and emotional trauma related to letting die, obligations of medical professionals and justifications, and whether killing or letting die is better in a medical context. Before continuing I will refer to killing as active euthanasia and letting die as passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia involves a physician providing medical means such as a lethal injection to a patient that has very little to no chance of survival in order to alleviate their suffering. (Bernat, …show more content…

However, there are many cases in which the interference of natural sequences are necessary and are in the patient's best interests. Sometimes the natural sequence are not always the best path and therefore, passive euthanasia in this sense is justifiable. It does ultimately come down to what the patient wants as opposed to what is considered moral in a medical context. If a patient is dying of a disease such as Alzheimer’s disease and wishes to die from a lethal injection, is it better to deny this request or to accept it? In this case, denying this request would mean an unmeasurable amount of pain for the patient and for their family. For the patient, this would mean slowly but surely losing all of their memories of who they are, experiences, friends and family and forgetting how to do simple learned tasks such as talking, eating, walking, and going to the bathroom. Being unable to complete these tasks can be embarrassing for the patient as it diminishes their confidence and mental health. Of course, this disease affects each person at different rates but ultimately, they all are unable to perform basic daily task which can also affect the patient’s family and their mental wellbeing. Active euthanasia on the other hand, would mean not having to experience the prolonged pain and suffering that is Alzheimer’s disease and in this case killing is better than letting die, in a medical

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Dan Brock and James Rachel both make persuasive arguments regarding the controversial dilemma "Is Euthanasia morally permissible?". Of the two articles, however, Dan Brock's analysis of the key arguments and resolution of the points brought against euthanasia is the stronger argument compared to James Rachel's moral argument that active euthanasia is permissible because passive is. The main problem lying with euthanasia is simply put, do we as a society weigh actual life more than quality of life. Euthanasia however, should be, and is based upon quality of life, which is why it's morally permissible as a course of action. Dan Brock's Voluntary Active Euthanasia

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Euthanasia is vastly controversial around the globe. Euthanasia is the act of painlessly killing a person either with serious medical conditions, or in a few places around the world patients can be killed solely out of desire. This can be broken down into two forms, passive or active euthanasia. The passive form is known as letting the patient die, or withholding the necessary medical treatment, while active is administering a drug that results in death (Vaughn 264). After reading Rachels and Williams readings of their views on euthanasia, I know have a clearer view of my side in this debate.

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In society, euthanasia is considered to be “a good death,” which in other words is a painless way to die. This particular practice relieves the suffering of an individual from any amount of pain, which allows a patient to die in peace. This procedure is not accepted in the greater part of the United States because there is a fear that there will be a lack of medical care if euthanasia became legal. However, when a patient is euthanized, they are relieved of suffering and do not have to deal with consequences. I believe active voluntary euthanasia should be accepted in order to give terminally ill patients a chance to die painlessly.

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All euthanasia is requested, so how beautiful and meaningful can life truly be to a person who wants so greatly to be released from it. Also the majority of people who disagree with euthanasia believe that taking your own life is murder, no matter what the circumstances. It is understood that a person taking their own life is horrible, but it should be thought that forcing someone to stay alive while experiencing continuous pain is worse than them dying. Whatever that argument is, it should always be believed that the patient should be given the opportunity to choose and that their decisions should not be made by others who do not understand their

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But when we delve deeper into the nature, attitudes and effect of medically assisted killing, it soon becomes clear that euthanasia is never a humane response to suffering. Indeed, Pope Benedict has said: “euthanasia is a false solution to the drama of suffering, a solution unworthy of man. Indeed, the true response cannot be to put someone to death, however ‘kindly’, but rather it

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In the status quo, one can also engage in passive euthanasia, where he/she refuses treatment, such as being taken off life support. One may also attempt painful, violent, or uncertain methods of suicide. Patients can obviously choose to die in a passive way that could be long and miserable, or resort to extreme methods that could be painful or harmful and potentially ineffective. They should be permitted to obtain the same results more comfortably, if that complies with their desires, since it would minimize their own and their family’s suffering. There are many individuals who are afflicted from terminal illnesses which deteriorate their physical and mental abilities, and may be in constant pain and retrogression.

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Any Physicians that partakes in assisted-suicide are breaking their Hippocratic oath of harming patients instead of healing patients. Doctors were never supposed to be trained killers but compassionate caregivers. In like manner, euthanasia is just a halfway house to legalizing murder. Henceforth, If terminating life is a beneficial to that person, the reasoning goes, why should euthanasia be limited only to those who can give consent if it is beneficial to society? The effects of legalizing Euthanasia completely could be very detrimental and unneeded in

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The patients should be allowed to have a physicians assisted suicide because of how much the patient suffers. A patient undergoes physical, emotional and psychological pain during treatments. Cathleen Kaveny from Gale database says, “The term euthanasia in general refers to a situation in which one party adopts a course of action with the intention of causing the death of a second party to alleviate suffering.” Euthanasia or assisted suicide is a way for a person who is suffering to end their suffering which is causing them emotional trauma. Some people believe in letting one naturally end their life but assisted suicide is a way to get rid of the pain in an easy way.

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Euthanasia at its core is backed by utilitarianism, because to euthanize someone is to relieve pain and suffering of that person, which would be morally correct according to Utilitarian values. If there’s an instance where an older man entered a

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Another issue with legalizing euthanasia would be that society would be too easily convinced to support it. "It would be hard to devise procedures that would protect people from being persuaded into giving their consent." (Foot, p. 112) There is no possible way to know if a person is giving their consent because they actually want to or maybe because they were persuaded to do

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However, now, there is more insight on the topic and it can be understood more thoroughly and clearly; therefore, after lots of research and many discussions, the conclusion is that euthanasia should not be legal in the United States, whereas physician assisted suicide should be. Currently euthanasia is illegal in all 50 states, and legalizing it might be too drastic of a change. It can be easily abused and gives the physician immense power. Overall, the drawbacks overpower the benefits when it comes to euthanasia, and it can be too much of a risk as the patient does not always give a clear consent. However, physician assisted suicide gives the patient a free choice, and when it is used, the patient is usually able to give a clearer consent and is aware of what his actions will result in.

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Active euthanasia is killing a patient who requests to die. For example, a patient with a terminal illness may wish to end their battle. To fulfill these wishes the physician may administer a lethal injection. Except in special circumstances, it is illegal to deliberately cause the death of another person. I contend that life is a gift from God and he has the ultimate power to decide when to take this privilege away.

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From an economic standpoint, euthanasia is a brilliant alternative. Though many see it as unethical, it may be relieving for the victims to know that once they’ve passed they’re no longer considered burdens to their families. Though harsh, keeping a terminally ill person alive for a year costs no less than $55,000, dying in a dignified way is their last resort when they know their condition is not going to improve. Many patients with incurable diseases have stated that the lengthy and expensive time and operations granted by their families are not worth the few extra months they get of spending time on Earth.

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The act of euthanasia, whether active or passive, is heavily obstructed in the medical field. Through medical ethics, the act of passive euthanasia is condoned by withholding treatment and thus, allowing the patient to die. Without any direct contact with the patient, the doctor is not considered as the cause of death. Thus, the medical field views passive euthanasia as of lesser and more permissible value in comparison to active euthanasia. In the statement made by the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association, they perceive this as contrary to mercy killing, as it is, the cessation of the employment of extraordinary means to prolong the life of the body when there is irrefutable evidence that biological death is imminent is the decision of the patient and/or his immediate family.

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