Argumentative Essay On Euthanasia

Euthanasia, as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is considered to be, “the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering” (2015).Within this can be found different methods of euthanasia including passive or indirect euthanasia which requires withholding of basic life-saving measures such as oxygen, nutrition, hydration, or resuscitation. Another form is direct euthanasia which can be caused by administered drugs, injections, or suffocation. In its entirety, euthanasia has been debated as an ethical issue through its many forms and reasoning (Methods of euthanasia, 2011).

Physician-Assisted Suicide has always been a topic of great debate among individuals. Not only a contemporary issue, assisted-suicide, or euthanasia, has been practiced since the time of ancient Greeks and Romans; physicians often participated in the suicide of their patients for merciful reasons (Kopelman and De Ville 1). Euthanasia, which means “good death”, had a broader meaning than what we use it for today. According to Manning, it was “essential that death be met in a psychologically balanced state of mind, under composed circumstances, in a condition of self-control” (6). In other words, it was the manner in which one died rather than the method death was delivered that was important to the Greeks and Romans. Euthanasia did not have the negative stigma that suicide had attached to it, rather, it was advocated for by the ancients, granted that it was done for the right reasons.

In present society Euthanasia is a very controversial topic and must be addressed carefully and thoughtfully out of the respect of others. It is a topic that for those who are undecided on what side to pick really do not know which way to swing until it impacts their life. Euthanasia roughly translates into “a good death”, so for those who chose to end their life by their own decision, and without them having to deal with pain or the inevitable long incurable diseases, then they should be allowed to do so with ease.

In 1997, Oregon passed The Oregon Death With Dignity Act, which became the first law to permit physician-assisted suicide. Since then, six other states in the U.S. have joined Oregon. The topic debates that assisted death goes against religion and that it devalues human life. Many churches will tell people that if anyone commits suicide, that person will be condemned to hell. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) stated, “The movement to legalize euthanasia does not enhance freedom or self-determination because many of those fighting to kill themselves are depressed and need treatment or may be unduly influenced by familial, societal, or institutional pressures to end their lives. Furthermore, one cannot enhance human freedom and dignity by devaluing human life, the bishops explain” (“Euthanasia Devalues Human”). However, that’s far from the truth, people that choose assisted death have one hundred percent control of the whole process. Because most of the country doesn’t fully agree with physician-assisted death, it continues to be very controversial.

When a person commits an act of euthanasia he believes the present existence is so bad that the person would be better off dead or believes that until he intervenes and ends her life, it will progress to be so bad that she would feel better off dead. Euthanasia is the act of assisted

Euthanasia or doctor assisted suicide is legal in only seven states in the United States. There are two types of euthanasia passive and active; active is the more controversial one. Active euthanasia is when a doctor prescribes a medication that will end the patient’s life whereas passive is the doctor withholding any further treatment to the patient (Nordqvist). Euthanasia is only an option to a patient who has a prognosis of six months or less to live. Active euthanasia should only be legal when multiple board certified doctors agree to the patient’s decision and it is absolutely necessary to be a choice in cases where there is no treatment. The reason euthanasia is illegal in majority of the United States is that many people believe that it should be illegal due to personal beliefs and values. However, everyone does not share the same beliefs and it should be based on the patient’s decision and their doctor’s approval. A sound-minded person with a prognosis of an inevitable death should not be forced to live out the rest of their life in pain and should have the right to die in peace.

A more natural way to administer, or in some ways control, death would be through passive suicide. eu“Passive euthanasia occurs when a person is allowed to die due to the deliberate withdrawal of treatment that might keep them alive” (Pg.124)and prolong their life. It is a legal way of hastening death in a calm manner. Its methods are not the same as active suicide. The main difference is that it simply consists of removing treatments that would prolong life, instead of prescribing lethal doses of medicine to kill someone. Passive euthanasia is not as controversial for the main reason that even e“ many physicians consider it good medical practice not to prolong artificially the life of a suffering person whose disease is inevitably

Euthanasia is the termination of a very sick person’s life in order to relieve them of their pain and suffering. Euthanasia is from a Greek word meaning easy death. The person who undergoes euthanasia usually has an incurable condition and in some cases wants their life to be ended. Euthanasia can be done at the request of a person which is voluntary but at the same time if a per is too sick and is unable to make the decision the family/next of kin inline, do chose or the court makes the decision. The issues of should euthanasia be legalized, had been at the center of very heated debates for many reasons and is incurred by key points like religious aspects, society’s perceptions and ethical/medical perceptions about terminal illness

This research paper will refer to euthanasia. It will mention different points of view in practical and religious aspects. It will also indicate the several types of euthanasia that exists and its definitions. The polemic of family, doctors and patients will be reflected as well including the law and medical aspect of it. At the end will be some arguments of the family, doctors, and patient’s right to see euthanasia as an alternative.

Most of us have been in the position where our pets fall very ill and old. What did we do? Some of us put them down, letting them rest peacefully. Others? We let them live on to carry out their lives naturally. Now think deeper. Is this something we do to humans also? Euthanasia. A singular word with a huge controversial stance. Euthanasia is the practice of physician-assisted suicide to the terminally ill. With such a broad history, the topic has taken the world by storm.

“Primum non nocere”, a phrase that all doctors must recite, modernly translates to “first, do no harm”. When students graduate from medical school they must recite the Hippocratic Oath. Taking this oath is a historical tradition that requires the physician to swear to preserve certain ethical standards. Although the text states that a doctor must never take a life, it also states that a doctor must help a person to the fullest extent. A difficult ethical question arises when the only way to help a person is by ending their suffering. Is euthanasia then the ethical solution? The ability for doctors to perform assisted suicides for the terminally ill is very controversial. Many people oppose the idea on the belief that all life is sacred. In reality, however, the real question is whether a patient can make that determination for themselves and decide whether a life of constant and permanent suffering is worth living. Euthanasia allows a patient to die with dignity; it frees up funds and equipment that can be put towards other patients in dire need of attention; and it ends the suffering of patients and their families. If the goal is to reduce pain and suffering then we need to seriously consider legalising euthanasia.

    America’s founding fathers declared that every person had certain inalienable rights they are born with and cannot be separated from. They listed citizens’ rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today's government must decide if a right to life equates to a right to death.

Euthanasia is a Greek word which means gentle and easy death. However, it is the other way around. It is not a gentle or easy death because there is not a type of death which called gentle in the world. According to writer Prof. Ian Dowbiggin, in Ancient Greece people used euthanasia without the patient 's permission. It means that in Ancient Greece they did not care about the voluntariness. Also, there are just few doctors who obey the rules of the Hippocratic Oath. (250) After Christianity, the church found out how evil suicide was and they told people killing another person or themselves was a brutal behavior. For a short time, nobody questioned euthanasia deeply. However, during reforms, euthanasia became known again. According to research that made in NY about euthanasia and assisted suicide, Renaissance and Reformation authors challenged church against Euthanasia and they succeeded. (80) In other words, the church made euthanasia illegal. The reason for this accomplishment was euthanasia did more harm than good and it was open to abuse also it was misused by doctors. Doctors use euthanasia to earn more money and for other benefits. They can kill people by saying there is no preference They can make money by killing people who want to die, but not suffering a disease. Unfortunately, there are some countries which legalized euthanasia. However, euthanasia should not be legalized because, it weakens medical research, it up against with the medical ethics and doctors '

Most adults diagnosed with cancer undergo years of treatment in attempts to cure that cancer. However, sometimes these treatments may not work, or the cancer is found too late in a patient to be stopped, and a patient’s cancer can be determined terminal, which means that the cancer can not be cured and will lead to death. If cancer is determined terminal, end-of-life care can be administered patients to control lasting pains, including shortness of breath, nausea, and constipation. However, this treatment does not cure the cancer, and will not prevent death in a terminally ill cancer patient. In some cases, patients decide that receiving end-of-life treatment is not worth it if the treatment does not prevent death. Terminally ill cancer patients may also continue to experience unbearable suffering, despite end-of-life treatments, as it is not always effective. These factors may push some terminally ill cancer patients to request to be actively euthanized. Active euthanasia is the merciful ending of a patient’s life through a single act, such as an injection. Terminally ill cancer patients should have the right to determine if they are actively euthanized. However, only patients who consider their suffering unbearable should have the right to be euthanized.

Voluntary euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide, has been a controversial issue for many years. It usually involves ending a patient’s life early to relieve their illness. Most of the controversy stemmed from personal values like ethics or religion. The euthanasia debate puts a huge emphasis on what doctors should do for their patients and how much a person’s life is worth. Supporters of euthanasia primarily focus on cost and pain alleviation. Opponents of euthanasia tend to focus on morality. Whether euthanasia is legal or not could significantly affect future generations’ attitudes about death. Euthanasia should be legalized nationally because it helps patients that could be in unimaginable pain, offers more options for more people, and it is relatively inexpensive compared to the alternatives.