The Problem Of Euthanasia

“Do we “play God” when we seek to end life?”(Proquest Staff). Where is the line that separates lives worth living and lives that are better off dying? Euthanasia is defined as the act or practice of ending the life of a person suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable disease(Proquest Staff). A more familiar name for euthanasia is mercy killing, which involves doctors providing and administering the drugs needed to kill someone. In society, euthanasia is becoming a more controversial problem, but it should be treated as an individual problem(Baggini). Mercy killings are similar to the problems of abortions because it comes down to the ultimate controversy of sanctity of life versus the freedom of choice (Lavi). Euthanasia is not …show more content…
While dieing may be an uncomfortable thing to do, easing the pain by killing someone would be considered murder( ProQuest Staff). After the initial “do no harm” command, the Hippocratic Oath goes on to say,” Nor shall any man’s entreaty prevail upon me to administer poison to anyone”(Zamichow and Murray). That line of the Oath shows why euthanasia goes against the promise doctors take when they become licensed. “We think unrealistically if we expect to make all dying free of severe suffering”(Rifkin). Many supporters of euthanasia argue that it is a way for someone to die peacefully, but there is no way for everyone to be able to die in the same way. That is where the term “mercy killing” has come into play. “Sometimes helping someone die is an act of mercy” (Nuland). Supporters also claim that it is a way for terminally-ill people to find peace in a life with no hope (Proquest …show more content…
If the person does die, it is before their time because depression can be relieved with medication and therapy (McHugh). By arguing against euthanasia, it is protecting the rights of the weak to remain alive. On the other side of the spectrum, supporters claim that it protects the right of the weak by letting them have a peaceful exit from life (Baggini). “It’s very difficult to avoid this debate”, says Jacqueline Herremans, president of the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity in Brussels. “People are feeling: Who is the master of my life? It’s not God. It’s not the state. It’s not the physician. I am the master of my life and I am the one to decide if I have to suffer or not” (Knox). Although this is a good argument, life is too precious to determine the difference between people who are not mentally capable to decide their fate or those who are actually in their right minds (“Life is Too