Arguments Against Euthanasia Essay

Sometimes in life, things don’t turn out how one may have planned. Accidents happen, people grow old, and people get sick. These different events are not always comfortable, and sometimes even cause one to want to end his or her life. In extreme cases, when a person’s quality of life is beyond toleration or they feel as though there is no point to living, the issue of euthanasia often arises. Euthanasia is technically defined as “the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering”. In america people have the right to end their life.

Voluntary Euthanasia has been considered a controversial topic for many decades. The idea of committing an act that involves the taking of human life is not one that many people would care to discuss openly. The main argument is that a person who has been diagnosed with an incurable illness and is in extreme pain and their ability to move has been limited, while that person still has control over their destiney should they be allowed take their own life (Bowie, R.2001). The worldwide debate weather one should be allowed to end a life is still one of the biggest ethical issues. The attempt to providing the rights of the individual is in conflict with the moral values of society. Voluntary Euthanasia has been highly rejected by many religious and pro-life institutions.

The ethical debate on non-voluntary euthanasia is a complex issue due to its multifaceted nature. This topic examines the morality of ending a human’s life in circumstances where the person is incapable of issuing explicit consent. These cases would include utilizing euthanasia on very young children or someone in a vegetative state. There lacks consent with young children since they cannot speak to provide consent. Explicit consent is lacking with someone in a vegetative state since they are incapable of deciding at that moment to continue living or end their life.

One of the greatest miracles in life, is life itself, but where is life there’s death. So as unexpected as life is shall death be the same, or can we choose on how we leave this earth. Over the years, the laws and ethical consternation regarding the debatable subject of euthanasia and assisted suicide, have been questioned frequently by society. Though the question may never be answered between euthanasia and assisted suicide being right or wrong, the fact of the matter is that people are still choosing their fate.

According to the Australian Government Organ and Tissue Authority, more than 1,600 people are on their organ transplant waiting list (Australian Government Organ and Tissue Authority, 2014). The University of Oxford’s studies revealed that organ transplant such as heart, lungs, and liver is only possible when the donor dies in the care of the hospital, however, less than 1% of people die in hospitals (the University of Oxford, 2015). It also stated that wrong methods of suicide or horrifying illnesses leads to damage on vital organs, so it can not be donated. By allowing euthanasia, more people who are willing to die for reasons will be able to die under medical supervisions, which will lead other people who desperately need euthanasia to get healthy organ

Euthanasia has been a moral issue since around the 5th century B.C. in Ancient Greece. However, it has only recently become a much more controversial and widespread issue. Euthanasia is defined as the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. Today, many people disagree with euthanasia; however, even some who disagree with it still support an alternate form, called physician-assisted suicide or dying. Physician-assisted death is the voluntary administration of lethal drugs varying from pills, to injections, to breathing in toxic gas, all of which is painless. So, what’s the problem? Do we, or do we not have the right to die?

Those that are faced with the inevitable should be the ones to decide whether or not they want to sustain their own life because who else would know their mind better than themselves? The choice to die is filling with dignity, but being forced to stay alive again one’s own will strips patients of their humanity. The cost effectiveness of euthanasia and assisted suicide will be a huge stress relief for terminally ill patients while also benefiting those patients that are not terminally ill. Those against euthanasia and assisted suicide often claim that its legalization will lead to murder, but with protective policies in place that will not happen. Assisted suicide is legal in less than five countries and euthanasia is legal in fewer, but soon more and more counties are going to start considering legalization. It is important for the citizens of these countries to understand what will happen if euthanasia continues to be illegal and what will happen if it is legalized. It will affect them, their loved ones, and their fellow citizens. Taking a life is a serious matter and so is the autonomy of each person. A patient facing the end of their life should not be forced to face it in pain, rather they should be the ones to decide when they are ready to

Today, voluntary euthanasia is getting closer to being legalized in more than just one state in the United States. “‘Voluntary’ euthanasia means that the act of putting the person to death is the end result of the person’s own free will” (Bender 19). “ Voluntary euthanasia is an area worthy of our serious consideration, since it would allow patients who have exhausted all other reasonable options to choose death rather than continue suffering” (Bender 19). The question of whether or not voluntary euthanasia should be legalized is a major debate that has been around for years. Because the issue of whether people should have the right to choose how they want to live or die is so complex. With the advances in technology today we have made

Many patients would rather die in a healthy, strong, and stable environment so they are remembered that way. Patients see it as being able to die with dignity, however, family and friends may not be able to understand it because they are not in that victim’s position which makes it harder for them to accept the patient’s decision. It is never easy to lose a loved one, but would you rather be able to watch your loved one pass in a calm and relaxing state or suffer from illness and pain. With that being said, patients with long term illnesses should have the option to undergo euthanasia to allow them to enjoy their last moments on earth with the ones they love; their last moments should be memorable for both the patient and their family. Many people are against the euthanasia process because it is against some religions, and seen as devaluing one's life. However, in the article “Euthanasia: Your Body, Your Death, Your Choice” says, “The practice would not devalue life or result in pressure being put on an individual  to end their life but would allow those with no hope to die with dignity and without unnecessary suffering” (Irish Council for Bioethics). Although people view euthanasia as devaluing life, it is actually very helpful for the victim to have enough time to prepare for the imminent death, and it gives them

Euthanasia can be seen in many different ways. Some may see it as ethical while others do not. Ethical standpoints argue that it is the means that matter. A major argument for euthanasia is autonomy. Autonomy make their own decisions for their life, which can somewhat been seen as the theory of egoism. Since many people do believe in autonomy, they also believe that they should have a choice on how their life ends. It is even said that people have a “right to good death” (BBC, n.d.). It can be argued that the individual isn’t choosing the way they die, but the physician does. In Michael Manning MD’s article Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide: Killing or Caring? it is stated, “the choice rests fully with the patient”(1998).

I am studying nursing here at ORU. With nursing I could be faced with carrying out voluntary human euthanasia. Voluntary human euthanasia is when a person is terminally ill, who feels that their life is not worth living because of intractable pain, and/or loss of dignity and/or loss of capability, who repeatedly and actively asks for help in dying, who makes their decision freely, voluntarily and after due consideration (and is not suffering from treatable depression) (Swanton) and choose to be killed in a hospital setting by receiving a lethal dose of medication ending their life with dignity on their own terms so they are no longer suffering. This concept is also known as assisted suicide because I would be helping a person

When it comes to the topic of euthanasia, most of us will readily agree that it's a debatable topic. Where this agreement usually ends, however is on the question of if one has the right to take away the life of any individual. Whereas some are convinced that it's a mercy killing, others maintain it’s an incentive for insurance companies to save money. My own view is that any individual suffering from an incurable disease or condition should be given the ability to end their pain.

Euthanasia is one of the most complicated issues in the medical field due to the debate of whether or not it is morally right. Today, the lives of many patients can be saved with the latest discoveries in medicine and technology. But we are still unable to find cures to all illnesses, and patients have to go through extremely painful treatments only to live a little bit longer. These patients struggle with physical and psychological pain. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. discusses the topic of just and unjust laws in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” which brings into question whether it is just to kill a patient who is suffering or unjust to take that person’s life even if that person is suffering. In my opinion people should have the

The ethical issue is Euthanasia, there are many groups that support or oppose this issue. Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. The different viewpoints are based around whether it is humane to assist someone in dying and whether it should be illegal for someone to assist the death of someone who has a terminal illness and are suffering incurable pain. Groups that oppose the issue generally believe that it is inhumane to end someone 's life early, these groups generally believe these people should be given care and as much comfort as possible until their last days. Groups that support the issue generally believe that if someone has lost their mental state or are suffering unbearable pain that cannot be cured, that they should be allowed the option of euthanasia because it is inhumane to make someone suffer unbearable pain if they do not need to. An ethical issue brings systems of morality and principles into conflict, ethical issues are more subjective and opinionated and generally cannot be solved with facts, laws and truth. Euthanasia is an ethical issue because there are two equally unacceptable options. It is considered wrong

The complex ethical dilemma of euthanasia that “means different things to different people” (98) and it was the genetic engineer of the problems. It can be tacked carefully and consideration in chapter five by Webb, and Lennox) and in chapter six by Christian Accornero and Rouse). These sections were put more attention and another piece was moved by Lyon. These personal narratives and facts draw attention to various ways selfish and greedy towards humanity. As a result, the use of “euthanasia is simply an economically solution that inappropriately empowers humans to end life” (100 – 101) of all God’s creations. So, on this section of the book the authors highlights of environmental and nature of creation can be used an interchangeably.