Euthanasia, abortion, and sexual morality are three very sensitive topics in American culture. These issues all share one thing in common, they are extremely personal issues that affect the individual the most. I believe ethical egoism would be a far simpler and more objective ethical theory to apply when looking for answers and direction in these complicated and emotional situations.
Ethical or moral theories can be broken down into 2 very broad groups; consequentialist and non-consequentialist. Ethical egoism is a consequential moral philosophy which dictates that the individual take care of themselves first by putting their goals and interests first and foremost. The ethical egoist is not concerned with the overall good of others, or the results of their actions, they are only concerned with what is good for themselves. I think this applying this moral theory to the above-mentioned issues makes the most sense. The actions of the ethical egoist always benefit the individual first and may have a positive, negative, or neutral impact on others. For me, this is a logical way of thinking when dealing with life and death situations, like euthanasia or abortion. I also feel this is a good philosophy to apply to the issues of sexual morality involving consenting adults.
There are two types of euthanasia; passive and active. With active euthanasia, the individual takes direct action to end their own life and sometimes wishes the assistance of a doctor. Passive euthanasia results