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Ethical Dilemma Of Euthanasia

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Euthanasia Being an Ethical Dilemma
Natasha N. Raju
California State University of Long Beach

Abstract
An ethical issue such as euthanasia raises many questions in our society. It can be moral or immoral to an individual or a society as a whole. Patients who are competent to make that decision are those who have suffered enough and don’t to suffer anymore. Then there are some patients who not incompetent and do not have that choice to make. Sometimes families are not able to make a decision either. People may think that death should happen when it happens by itself. Those don’t agree with euthanasia as being an option think it is immoral and should not be legal. This issue is very important because it pertains to one’s life. …show more content…

It has been an ethical dilemma for years now. “Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide (dying) , doctor-assisted dying (suicide) , and more loosely termed mercy killing, basically means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable (persistent, unstoppable) suffering” (Nordqvist, 2010). Euthanasia is an ethical issue because there those who believe it’s an immoral act and then there are those who think it can be beneficial for the patient. Euthanasia is performed on individuals who want their life to end due to suffering such as pain. Sometimes the patient doesn’t have the opportunity to make that decision. This is when it can become an issue. There are few reasons why it may be a good decision or a bad …show more content…

People have many pros and cons about this dilemma. A few pros to euthanasia are the right to die, patient suffering at end-of-life, slippery slope to legalized murder, Hippocratic Oath and prohibition of killing, and government involvement in end-of-life decisions (Procon, 2010). Patients should have the right to die if they wish to, especially if he or she is severely suffering from an illness. They have the right to make their own decisions as long as they’re competent. Once patients start to suffer at the end of their life, they sometimes might feel like they’re being forced to live. Those who are suffering greatly may not want to live longer because the pain they feel everyday may be excruciating. Hippocratic Oath is still held sacred by physicians: to treat the ill to the best of one's ability, to preserve a patient's privacy, and so on (Medicine net, 2013). Physicians have the responsibility to treat the patient with the best care possible even if it pertains to euthanasia. All the pros mentioned can be a down side as

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