Euthanasia: An Annotated Bibliography Keown, John. " Voluntary Euthanasia and Physicianassisted Suicide: Should the WMA Drop Its Opposition?. " World Medical Journal, vol. 62, no. 3, Oct. 2016, pp. 103-107.…
In the article, “Active and Passive Euthanasia” the author Rachels argues that both passive and active euthanasia are permitted. Active euthanasia is purely known as taking a positive action, which is designed to kill the patient who is incurably ill. Passive euthanasia, on the contrary, means easily holding back from doing anything to keep the patient alive. To further explain what Rachels suggests, he uses two cases as an example. First he gives the scenario of Smith who will inherit a large sum of money if his six year old nephew dies.…
The physician may not see viable life in the patient and may need to empty the bed to make room for new patients. At this point, the physician makes the decision to terminate the patient against their silent will. At this point, who speaks for the patient? It would be easy for someone to view this as murder. Dr. Pollard also states that the views of the ones that are actually effected by euthanasia are not usually the ones that we hear.…
Annotated bibliography Dowbiggin, Ian. A Concise History of Euthanasia. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. Dowbiggin?s book provides a substantial chronological framework with a clear breakdown of classical historical changes of euthanasia documentation through classically accepted periods of change. He touches on concepts from antiquity through the modern area and discusses some broad changes in philosophy, historiography, and cultural beliefs during these periods.…
The four interviews conducted by the yellow team will undoubtedly render different viewpoints on euthanasia. The spiritual perspective considers the existence of human beings from the context in which God created; therefore, it is the moral duty of believers to not take the role of presumptive creators because the sanctity of life or destiny belongs to God alone (Marshall, 2015). Based on this belief, it is spiritually wrong to consider euthanasia to end life; however, the only circumstance in which it may considered justifiable is if exhaustive measures are being medically used to keep someone alive who is otherwise considered brain dead or terminally ill. The interview of the healthcare professional’s (Nurse Manager’s) perspective…
Luke J. Davies believes that offering euthanasia to children ages four through eleven suffering from intolerable pain that can’t be cured or adequately treated should be allowed. He believes there's no reason to prohibit it even though children can't make there own choices it should be accepted. Considering the option since it was legalized in Belgium, they require that the child understand what euthanasia does, therefore, the parents has to then give their consent. One of the main considerations that has to be met is parents and healthcare professionals authorizing children to opt that decision for them. Believing so, children who can make the decision, accepting the euthanasia…
Voluntary active euthanasia and Physician assisted suicide, is there no morally relevant difference? Some may say there is no morally relevant distinction between voluntary active euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. Voluntary active euthanasia requires the involvement of the physician in the act itself; whereas physician assisted suicide requires the physician to prescribe the medication that the patient can later take to kill him or herself.…
The Bill of Rights is a name for the first ten amendments of the Constitution of the United States guaranteeing rights of American citizens. The House of Representatives had already approved of the Bill of Rights on September 24 1789. This decision was considered extremely controversial as it went against the anti-federalists will, assuring their fear that the federal government would be granted superabundant power which in turn would deprive the people of certain liberties. This resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court mandating that the state governments accept and protect the liberties stated in The Bill of Rights. It was ratified by certain states on December 15, 1791 and officially went into effect on March 1, 1792.…
In James Rachel’s “Active and Passive Euthanasia,” he specifically argues, “that the traditional distinction between killing and letting die is untenable” (Rachels, 1975, p. 678). Rachels believes killing is not any worse than letting someone die. Therefore, passive euthanasia is not better than active euthanasia. For legal reasons, physicians may have to differentiate the difference between passive and active euthanasia, but, “they should not give the distinction any added authority and weight by writing it into official statement of medical ethics,” (Rachels, 1975, p.678). Active euthanasia is defined as killing the person directly.…
In his essay, “ Active and Passive Euthanasia,” by James Rachel he makes the argument that there is nothing morally wrong with Passive Euthanasia that’s given to be acceptable. Passive Euthanasia letting someone die becoming permissible is an acceptance Rachel proves from the behalf standards of medical reasons. Medical reasons doctors can take out tubes, respirator, etc.. “Letting go” is a decision making doctors do for the patient to die having no pain of suffrage anymore. It’s not a consequence for causing a death on purpose, “ the matter of life and death is being decided on irrelevant grounds.” (Rachel, p.290).…
Both Sandeep Jauhar, and Diane Coleman read an article about Brittany Maynard, who was suffering a rare brain tumor, moved to Oregon so she can legally take her own life with a prescription drug. They both showed some differences and stand on different opposition on the issue of assisted suicide. Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist wrote “When assisted suicide is not the answer”, published in 2014 online on CNN website. In his article he argues how patients are given no other option, and show that death is the only means of escape of the pain they’re going through, when there’s hospice that can be offered to them. Coleman, President and CEO of Not Dead…
From the case like this, how can we insist on the laws of humanity? Besides, the choice of euthanasia is strictly a personal affair. Voluntary euthanasia is a patient - driven action. The patients request a physician’s assistance to relieve their pain.…
People have the right to make "important decisions about their lives for themselves according to their own values or conceptions of a good life, and in being left free to act on these decisions" (Brock 227). This allows people to take responsibility over their own lives as long as the person can make decisions. “For many patients near death, maintaining the quality of one’s life, avoiding great suffering, maintaining one’s dignity, and insuring that others remember us as we wish them to become of paramount importance and outweigh merely extending one’s life” (Brock 227. Life is about quality rather than quantity. Euthanasia is highly subjective; therefore, if it was legalized, then the law should not be very specific about the type of situation that euthanasia is permitted for a patient.…
“Think of all those ages through which men have had the strength to die, and then remember that we have actually fallen to talking about having the courage to live.” ( G.K. Chesterton, George Bernard Shaw, https://www.texasrighttolife.com) It’s complicated to live through life wanting to die, not because of depression, or being upset, but because you're physically in pain. People should have a say whether they are in too much pain to go on, it’s their individual right as a human being.…
Stand Up for the Ones Who Can’t Cassandra Clare, a renowned American author, once declared, “Everyone has choices to make; no one has the right to take those choices away from us. Not even out of love.” In North America, individual choices often win over collective choices. Generally, people suppose that they have the right to make their very own decisions by following their personal core values. Since values are deeply held beliefs, individuals strongly wish to honour their principles, even over death.…