Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
Euthanasia in healthcare
Euthanasia in healthcare
Ethical issues that surround euthanasia
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Euthanasia in healthcare
Euthanasia in healthcare
Ethical issues that surround euthanasia
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Euthanasia in healthcare
Since Oregon began allowing physician-assisted suicide of the terminally ill in 1997, more than seven hundred people have ended their own lives with prescription medications in the state alone (NPR.org). Physician-assisted suicide is not only becoming a topic of controversy in the United States, but foreign countries as well. Supporters of the issue believe that competent people who do not have a chance of longevity should be able to choose their fate. Opponents argue that terminal diagnoses can be inaccurate, or that the person with the illness may not be capable of making informed decisions. Assisted suicide refers to the act of one giving another the “Instructions, means, or capability to bring about their own demise.”
This brief paper talks about Euthanasia in general, and it serves to critically analyze how the concept of Euthanasia has its pros and cons. Euthanasia should be analyzed very well and thoroughly before getting into it. In my opinion, I believe that being euthanized is never an option for any of us patients because life can be very surprising and things might change for the better with a blink of an eye, and our souls are very precious and worthy. This paper will attempt to how these rights can be well-adjusted and how people can have the personal choice whether they want to be euthanized or not because in the end of the day it’s their life and this decision is based on what they want. Although Euthanasia is illegal in most countries
The practice of physician-assisted suicide is not a modern phenomenon. A young woman suffering from cancer became the first person known to die under the law on physician-assisted suicide in the state of Oregon when she took a lethal dose of drugs provided by her doctor in March 1998. The Oregon Death with Dignity Act passed a vote in November 1997, and for the past twenty years it has been a response to the progress of modern medicine. The issue of physician-assisted suicide has been the subject of the heated dispute in current years. Many people worry that legalizing physician-assisted suicide is opening the floodgate to non-critical patient suicides and other abuses and will decrease the value of human life.
Both Smith and Jones acted with the same motive, personal gain and both had the same ending in mind when they acted. Jones argument “ I only let him die.” Morally speaking, according to Rachael this is no defense at all. The central point is the same, the bare difference killing and letting die does not, and in itself have any form of moral difference. Rachael argues that killing is not in itself any worse than letting die, “ if my contention is right, it follows that active euthanasia is not any worse than passive euthanasia.”
However, the phrase “right to die” can be used in various circumstances. A physician may allow a patient to refuse life-saving treatment because it is their personal choice, yet may not engage in active euthanasia. Active euthanasia is the act of assisting in painlessly ending a person’s life through poisonous substances. In a way, both scenarios could be considered forms of murder or mercy killing because the end result is still death. The distinction is that one is letting nature take its course while the other is initiating external death-causing agents and causing death almost immediately.
Euthanasia has its roots of discussion that are predominantly ethical in nature and has been a topic of debate for centuries. It is difficult to argue its justification since people have varying perspectives on the topic that stem from their morals and respective beliefs systems. There is no definitive answer to this debate. Many studies have been conducted to this day about euthanasia, and their findings may clarify the debate. Doctors, family members of a euthanized person, and the community all have their outlooks on euthanasia, much of which falls whether it should be legal or not.
To elaborate how euthanasia can affect the public’s views, there are polls which have taken place to obtain public opinions which is evidence that proves this topic can alter perspectives. Since the 1980’s till date the feedback has been weighing in on one side of the moral action that is an option to take place. For example overtime the data for people who think a hopeless patient with no chance of recovery should be allowed for a lethal dose is increasing as people have been introduced to the benefits euthanasia can have. Additionally overtime safer methods/dosage of the substance have been introduced providing a safer death and higher satisfaction of friends and families.
I will identify many issues regarding Euthanasia through 65 year old Godelieva De Troyer’s case and apply two ethical theories to the dilemma at hand. I will argue for and against the topic of Euthanasia and what society sees it as. The first ethical theory will be Kantian ethics; the second will be utilitarianism, repeating the same arguments. I will conclude with a statement/evaluation on whether I believe Euthanasia is ethical or not and whether the doctor should be punished for assisting Tom Mortier’s mom’s euthanasia without having any experience on how to deal with mental health patients and also whether depressed patients such as Troyer who was physically healthy should be able to make the choice of wanting to end their life, or should they suffer in silence until one day they decide to commit suicide themselves. I can say this without any hesitation because if we were to look at the statistics, most cases of deep depression eventually lead to suicide.
Euthanasia extermination originates from the Greek words, Eu (good) and Thanatosis (death) and it signifies Good Death or Gentle and Easy Death. This word has come to be utilized for mercy killing. It is the deliberate murdering by act or oversight of a needy person for his or her claimed advantage. (The catchphrase here is "deliberate". On the off chance that passing is not proposed, it is not a demonstration of an act of Euthanasia).
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines euthanasia as “the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy”. In other words, euthanasia is the termination of certain patient’s lives in order to relieve them from their suffering and pain. As this issue progressed and became a widely debated, controversial subject, society and scholars are divided into two groups, opponents and proponents, both groups have strong reasons to defend their cases. Opponents believe that euthanasia -in all its forms- is an act of murder, and should be prohibited no matter what the case is. On the other hand, proponents defend their arguments by saying that it is the patient’s right to avoid excruciating pain and embrace a timely death.
Euthanasia is usually used to refer to active euthanasia, and in this sense, euthanasia is usually considered to be criminal homicide, but voluntary, passive euthanasia is widely non-criminal. Voluntary Euthanasia is conducted with the consent of the patient while Involuntary Euthanasia is conducted against the will of the patient. Beginning with the philosophical aspects of euthanasia we must first understand the importance of the sanctity of life. Human life is sacred because God made humankind in His own image, and that each individual human
Imagine having to endure so much pain and suffering for a majority of your life that you would just want it all to end. Well, there is a way one can stop their own pain and suffering and it is called euthanasia. Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease. The act may only be done solely to those diagnosed with terminal illnesses such as cancer, aids, and heart disease. Many people agree with the idea of euthanasia as it can help those who are suffering be stripped of all the pain they are enduring.
Conclusion To conclude, Medical Euthanasia has steadily been accepted by different sections of society despite usual resistance from religious sectors. The results from the surveys above show that newer generations are more accepting and open minded about humanity and human life. The topic of Medical Euthanasia will always be a controversial topic though the research conducted and the literature reviewed show a developing tolerance and acceptance that people should be able to decide to end their lives in order to end their own suffering, pain felt only by
In a few nations there is a divisive open discussion over the ethical, moral, and legitimate issues of euthanasia. The individuals who are against euthanasia may contend for the holiness of life, while defenders of euthanasia rights accentuate mitigating enduring, substantial respectability, determination toward oneself, and individual autonomy. Jurisdictions where euthanasia or supported suicide is legitimate incorporate the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Estonia, Albania, and the US states of Washington. CLASSIFICATION OF EUTHANASIA Euthanasia may be characterized consistent with if an individual
Euthanasia is the end of a person that was suffering from an illness or a traumatic accident in the past that has affected them and changed them to a different person. Most of these people find them self to believe they are a nuisance to others such as family members or some care givers. Euthanasia is the process of end a live of someone in great suffering to relive the pain of whatever caused it in the first place. Euthanasia is one of the most controversial topics because of religious purposes or the choice of choosing a sooner death. Euthanasia is legal in very limited parts of the world.