Alternatives to euthanasia can prevent putting too much power in other hands, and eliminate consequences in the future; therefore, euthanasia should not be legalized. Through the legalization of Euthanasia we will eventually enter a “slippery slope”. One of the biggest concerns with euthanasia is when to cross the line at who can receive euthanasia. As euthanasia progresses more laws and rules are being set to allow more people to receive euthanasia.…
The man on the television screen is Jack Kevorkian. Kevorkian was an advocate for physician-assisted suicide. He was known as “Dr. Death,” because he was a physician who assisted “one-hundred and thirty patients to their end.” Some viewed Kevorkian as a “hero” because he helped enforce the movement of physician-assisted suicide to become more relevant. His famous saying was “dying is not a crime,” and it is true because that’s all assisted suicide is; the patient dies, they are not being killed by anyone but themselves because they chose to, there is nothing more to it.…
The Ambivalent Tragedy of a Good Death: Reflections on How to Die in Oregon By Nathan Rubene dos Santos I came to do this assignment with a veiled reluctance, not of dread but a sort of absent-mindedness. Considering the topic, this is understandable; matters of death and the process of dying tend to deter people from thinking about it too much. Often we hope to be taken from this world swiftly and, if not long in the tooth, at the very least without senseless torment. An ideal scenario would couple our passing with lasting dignity and respect too, but these are optional ornaments to a dirge played more times austere, brief, and without sentiment than otherwise. The treatment of the body at death and after is discussed about with seriousness only…
I deduce from Gay-Williams that the standard arguments against euthanasia are worthless, While I cannot say that his arguments do not have some power, he does not convince me that euthanasia is altogether and inherently wrong in any and every…
Although some experts argue euthanasia is legalized murder, I suggest this is not true because doctors ask permission to take the life of the individual that has been suffering for a long period of time. But the medical field keeps changing and many new cures are coming to sight. I will examine the…
The main argument about physician aid in dying and Euthanasia is whether or not it is ethical and whether or not it should be legal everywhere. However, the decision is the patient’s to make. The controversial topic of Physician Assisted Suicide is well known in the United States, and many people have found conflict in this practice because it breaks some religious values. The legalization of this practice, however is slowly progressing all over the world.…
For the sake of time, I will consider PAS and euthanasia as essentially the same practice. Thus these terms will be used interchangeably, except in citations, which will always use the term stated by the source. I will also avoid the moral or religious arguments against these practices, not because they are invalid, but because the inclusion of such arguments would lengthen this speech beyond the imposed limits. Instead I will argue that legalizing euthanasia, even if initially for a good purpose, leads to severe ethical consequences. These consequences can be summarized as the danger to doctors, the danger to patients, and the danger to…
Throughout the ages physicians have been known to aide their patients in dying through poison; however, with the influx of Christianity the Hippocratic School and their train of thought gained headway in their beliefs of never giving deadly drugs to patients (Friend, 2011). Many physicians and philosophers have protested over the centuries that suicide is a personal choice that should be accepted. In the 17th century a man by the name of Francis Bacon believed that it was a physician’s responsibility to end a patient’s suffering even if it meant the end of their life.…
People who are suffering and essentially at death’s doorstep should have the power to choose and should not have to fight for their right against a group of people’s individual beliefs. Many also argue the euthanasia should be illegal because it will eventually lead to a slope of people who will take advantage of it. Euthanasia has been granted to patients with diseases such as Alzheimer 's and depression which are purely mental, non painful disorders which should not qualify. The power to inflict death will only lead to a negative effect on society. Even though some disorders are not physically painful does not mean they do not cause mental suffering.…
The right to assisted suicide is a substantial topic that concerns people all over the world. The main reason this concern is so controversial is where the line is placed between separating relief from suffering and killing. The debates go back and forth about whether a dying patient has the right to die with the assistance of a physician. Some are against the process for moral and religious reasons, whereas others support the cause due to their respect and empathy for the dying patients. Assisted suicide is done in order to put an end to a patient’s agony and distress.…
If doctors are enabled the decision to terminate a life on behalf of a unconscious patient, they would be then granted a power over society that not only breaches the Hippocratic Oath, but also empowers them to “play God”. This responsibility could then reflect upon society, altering their views and their trust within doctors and medical professionals as they could then be seen as “providers of death” (Cosic, 2003. 25) In addition to this, a doctor’s decision to terminate a life may not rely on the condition and best interests of the patient, but instead of amount of hospital beds and facilities that are…
Those who argue for euthanasia believe that it is an acceptable practice because everyone has the right to die. In addition, euthanasia relieves the elderly, cancer patients, and victims of diseases of their pain. Instead of forcing the victims of these diseases to live the rest of their lives in pain and suffering,…
In the United States of America, the legality of physician-assisted suicide or “Active Euthanasia” has been the topic of a highly debated political controversy. Whether there is a morally relevant difference between “Active Euthanasia” and “Passive Euthanasia”, or more simply between doing and allowing harm is at the center of this dispute. Two American philosophers, James Rachels and Bonnie Steinbock share their outlooks on the topic in their essays Active and Passive Euthanasia (1975) and The Intentional Termination of Life (1979). Steinbock argues that Rachels has misinterpreted the standard view on the subject, or the view in which the American Medical Association has published, and refutes Rachel 's conclusion. However, Rachel 's provides…
To defeat this belief and undermine such closed minded views, I will raise an argument against active euthanasia in hopes to encourage doctors and other individuals to reconsider their current thoughts. Although, one might disagree with Rachels stance, I agree with his argument because there is no significant moral difference between passive and active euthanasia as the person will presume to be deceased after all. Thus, making his argument consistent and the doctrine, active euthanasia, just as justifiable and permissible as passive euthanasia. In some cases, it is permissible to withhold treatment and allow a patient to die, but it is never permissible to take any direct action intended to kill the patient. Not only is this view adopted by most doctors, but it is accepted in the American Medical Association statement: “…
If death is destined due to sickness, then the patient should be able to decide whether they want a peaceful death or a painful death. Patients who are suffering from an incurable disease, or any kind of disability do not deserve to suffer and legalizing euthanasia can help cure their suffering since not many want to live after a period of time when the patient and the doctor knows that it is too late and nothing further can be done to improve the patient’s condition, or relieve their pain. She could not end her life on her own terms, so instead she suffered: a crippling stroke; massive blood loss after an angiogram; dialysis; constant hospitalization; and mistreatment by staff. Month after month, she sank further into despair (Hayes). This excerpt is from an article where its author Mathew Hayes describes the condition and suffering that his grandmother had to go through before she reached the end of it.…