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Utilitarianism And Euthanasia

806 Words4 Pages

Is it Medical Assistance in Dying Morally Acceptable?
Medical assistance in dying promotes the greatest amount of happiness in the greatest number of people, thus it is morally acceptable.
Euthanasia derives from the Greek word euthanatos meaning “a good death” and is the practice of intentionally ending a life prematurely in order to relieve pain and suffering. Many individuals, particularly those suffering from a terminal illness, believe that they have a right to a good death, commonly referred to as dying with dignity (Collier & Haliburton, 2015, p. 320). In 2016, the Canadian Federal government passed the Medical Assistance in Dying Act. This act enables competent adults suffering from a grievous, irremediable medical condition to choose …show more content…

In particular, the utilitarian theory acknowledges that the purpose of morality is to improve one’s life by increasing the amount of good, such as pleasure and happiness, and decreasing the amount of bad, such as pain and unhappiness, experienced by individuals (Collier & Halibuton, 2015, p. 9). By applying the utilitarian theory, it will help to clarify why medical assistance in dying is morally acceptable.
Applying Utilitarianism to …show more content…

467). For instance, prolonging the life of a patient who has an incurable illness will only serve to extend the duration of their illness resulting in dissatisfaction with their quality of life. Watching and/or caring for a terminally ill loved one can also take a toll on the family’s well-being, leading to feelings of burnout and unhappiness (Quaghebeur et al., 2009, p. 469). However, when a patient with a terminal illness, is able to receive voluntary active euthanasia, they will experience happiness as they are able to alleviate their agony. As well, once the terminally ill patient is at peace, their family members will feel relief and happiness knowing that their loved one is no longer suffering (Quaghebeur et al., 2009, p. 469). In addition, when a terminally ill patient undergoes voluntary active euthanasia, this will save a significant amount of healthcare resources which would have been used to prolong the patient’s life. As a result, the resources can then be used to potentially save patients who have curable medical conditions, consequently producing a significant amount of satisfaction within the health care system (Guedj et al., 2005, p.315). Therefore, medical assistance in dying is morally acceptable as it produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people in society (Collier & Haliburton, 2015,

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