Argumentative Essay On Euthanasia

It is a shared understanding that human life must be valued under any circumstance, and it should not be terminated for whatever reasons unless it is a natural occurrence. The value and respect for human life were behind the debate against “the death row” in many states and countries around the world. In addition, religion places high value in human life, basing on the claim that it is a sin to end one’s life. However, there have been instances where ending the life of another person is the best alternative, especially in medical cases. The idea brought the emergence of euthanasia, where Math and Chaturvedi (2012) explain it as a Greek word that means “good death.” The purpose of good death is to assist a patient who will

Note: For the purpose of this writing I will focus only on active euthanasia with regard to the terminally ill.

Physician assisted suicide is “the voluntary termination of one’s own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician” (“Medical Definition of Physician-Assisted…”). Throughout the years, assisted suicide has been a slippery slope for Americans to accept, therefore, making individuals believe this practice is murder while nations across the world have been carrying this out well before the United States planted their hands on the idea. On that account, euthanasia is only legal in six different states, while it is strictly illegal in the other 44 because of the racking up reasons individuals have implanted in their brains (“State-by-State…”). Every person has a specific outlook on mercy killing, although, physician assisted suicide is a patient's given right if they are terminally ill.

These various nuances within the concept of euthanasia lead to the argument. In fact, everyone will ultimately come to an end as though a wayfarer ends up with the end of a journey without the beginning of another; euthanasia, as a crucial decision made by some people regarding end-of-life issues from requesting assistance in committing suicide other than managing to prolong life can not be ignored. Whether one is in favor of or against euthanasia, there is indeed some truth on both sides, but what matters more than taking a position is the real consequences coming after legalized euthanasia. The reality is that legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide can endanger many people; therefore, it should not be

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.

Pro-life groups contend that if we allow any type of euthanasia, sooner or later, we would begin killing off not only the terminally ill, but also the handicapped, the poor, the elderly and anyone else who becomes troublesome. The view that we should not make a decision because it could lead to other less prudent decisions later is not a reasonable foundation for setting policies, unless later decisions are definite, and are absolutely wrong. I would hope that the virtue of society would lead us to know where to draw the line between going far enough and going too far. At the present time, it is not clear if where the line is drawn now is where it should be drawn. 5. Euthanasia is killing. Most people believe that there are circumstances when killing is allowed, such as self-defense. The only question is whether or not the killing is justified under the circumstances. In the case of self-defense, killing is justified. The same is true of euthanasia. 6. People who request euthanasia may be requesting it because they are depressed and they may change their minds. I believe that psychological evaluation will detect the mental condition of a patient, and depression, if it exists, can be treated. Patients can be given

Introduction: For my research project, I decided to explore the controversy of whether people should have the right to die under their own terms. Euthanasia has become a heated topic, and as of today, it is illegal to end a life through medical means except in Washington DC, California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Euthanasia entails a physician administering medication to end one's life. It is illegal in most of the United States and other countries around the world, but recently supporters and activists have been taking a stand. They have been preaching that it is only moral to respect the wishes of a patient who is terminally ill or suffering to have the right to end their life. When researching my topic, I will be including all sides to the argument. Though my prior experiences and research puts me on one side of the argument. I believe that a terminally ill individual has the right to end their life if they are mentally capable of making the decision.

Currently the U.S. Supreme Court has decided that physician-assisted suicide really is based on where you live and the states’ right. Only four U.S. states have a law legally allowing physician assisted suicide. Many have questioned whether Physician - Assisted suicide is an okay course of action. According to the 1980 declaration from the Vatican, Jura et Bona, "euthanasia", or "mercy killing" is defined as "an action or an omission which of itself or by intention causes death, in order that all suffering may in this way be eliminated." Physician assisted suicide is a disputed, complicated matter that often splits the public. Physician - Assisted and Euthanasia has been a legalized course of action for quite some time, but it has flawed logic, as well as it is immoral.

Derived from the Greek word ‘eu’, meaning ‘good’, and ‘thanatos’, meaning ‘death’, Euthanasia is known as the intentional killing or allowance of death of a hopelessly sick or injured individual in a merciless, painless fashion. The American Heritage Dictionary defines euthanasia as “the act or practice of ending the life of a person or animal having a terminal illness or a medical condition that causes suffering perceived as incompatible with an acceptable quality of life, as by lethal injection or the suspension of certain medical treatments.” To put it blatantly, it is a form of suicide. Often referred to in other terms such as “mercy killing” or “Physician-assisted suicide” or simply “assisted suicide”, euthanasia has two procedural classifications: passive and active. Passive euthanasia is when the life sustaining treatments being provided to the patient are withheld. In these cases, patients die because medical professionals either don’t perform any necessary actions to keep the patient alive or they stop doing performing any current actions that were keeping the patient alive. This would include scenarios such as removing the patient off of life support, disconnecting a feeding tube or discontinuing previously provided life-sustaining drugs. Active euthanasia occurs when a medical professional or someone of other authority intentionally performs an action that results in the patient’s death. Euthanasia is the conscious act of a physician or any other individual

The legal status of the practice of euthanasia is very difficult and a highly debatable topic. Unfortunately in life, sometimes there comes a time when you or your loved one's body starts failing, mind starts suffering, and breathe starts halting. Without a choice medical treatment is placed and next thing you know weeks, months, and even years pass by and the person you once knew full of life is instead in the hospital with no purpose other than their tortured presence that is costing thousands of dollars. Many patients with no hopes of recovery turn to euthanasia to end the suffering and when the patients are too weak to make a choice on their own and their survival seems hopeless, family or friends make a very difficult decision to allow the process of euthanasia to take place to end their loved one’s life. At the same time, tons of people and organizations fight against the practice of euthanasia and believe every life is worth saving no matter the conditions. In the following passages below, using academic and scholarly sources, we touch up on a few of the topics that are frequently brought up in many arguments that revolve around euthanasia and explore a variety of views and perspectives.

Euthanasia describes the concept of voluntary suicide usually as an end to pain/suffering. It has been a common subject of debate in regards to moral, religious, philosophical, legal and human rights. The concept is viewed differently in different religions and is a controversial subject as it is so challenging to acknowledge both competing values: an individual’s desire to choose to end their suffering in dignity, and the need to uphold the lawful right of life for all people. Euthanasia is legal in seven countries around the world, and five individual states of the U.S. Different religions also have their opinions on Euthanasia, however, most are against the concept. The Christian beliefs are that birth and death are part of the life processes which God has created, so they should be respected. They believe that it is wrong to shorten a human life as they regard human life as sacred. Although, Jainism has slightly different views on voluntary death at the end of a person’s life.

Assisted suicide is a medically induced suicide for critically ill patients. Also known as euthanasia, it’s something that’s been around since the 500 B.C. back then it was legal and ethical to disregard of human life. In this current day and age the debate about whether or euthanasia is ethical or legal is heated. Most people will say that assisted suicide is basically enabling doctors to be murderers and in some courts they are tried as that. However assisted suicide isn’t an illegal murder, it’s a safe way to help someone who is suffering. While most view assisted suicide as a way of profiting off of diseased patients lives, more and more patients and their families are using euthanasia as a way to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

    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.

Some believe that euthanasia should be ethically viewed similarly to suicide because of the idea of choosing to end one’s own life, which is considered unethical. However, some oppose this belief, and believe

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.