The Arguments Of Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia is a deliberate intentional act of an individual to end the life of another individual in order to relieve them from intractable suffering (QUT,2017). This term is often perceived in different ways. Most common three includes - a)Voluntary euthanasia: performed to end one's life with their consent, here the person is competent.For example; physician injects the suffering patient with lethal substance after being requested (QUT,2017) b) Non-Voluntary Euthanasia: performed when the person is not competent. For example; physician injecting the patient with lethal substance under the unresponsive state in post-coma (QUT,2017) c)Involuntary Euthanasia: performed when a patient is competent but has not requested their death wish. For example; performed when patiently is at

Euthanasia is the practice of purposefully ending someone’s life in order to relieve their pain and/or suffering. Euthanasia is legal in many countries including Belgium, France, India, Japan, and few states

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).

When a patient is terminally ill or is experiencing extreme pain, often Euthanasia or Assisted Suicide can both be plausible options to end any suffering. Euthanasia is currently legalized in seven countries and parts of the United States (New Health Guide). This number is not likely to increase soon because of the high controversy, which is due to the very serious topic of this matter: a person 's life. The general process of these medical methods is usually understood as a doctor somehow deliberately causing the death of a patient or helping with their suicide. Many believe that it is unethical and violates laws, oaths, and more. Though people believe this, it is truly unethical to not give a person a choice in the manner in which they will perish.

Many people are against Assisted Suicide, though the topic started getting more recently argued about around 1990. People among the states argued for and against assisted suicide.

Within the scope of euthanasia are passive and active euthanasia. Passive euthanasia occurs when a patient refuses access to medical care or treatments, as is allowed by their freedom to legally choose whatever treatment they wish to receive or withhold (Stoyles et al 683). However, their decision to withhold from receiving treatments may result in a hastening of their death. Passive euthanasia is legal in the United States (Stoyles et al 683). However active euthanasia is illegal and is often misconstrued as being identical to physician-assisted suicide. Despite similarities, they are different in technical terms. Both euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide have the same intent and end result. However in euthanasia, the doctor is responsible for administering the lethal injection or other agent of death. In physician assisted suicide, the physician prescribes the patient a lethal injection which the patient will themselves administer (Boudreau et al 2). In both cases, the patient consents to the treatment, but only physician-assisted suicide is legal in certain states within the United States.

In order to understand assisted suicide, it is necessary to first know about Euthanasia. Euthanasia refers to the act by which an individual is put to a painless and easy death. This term has been originated from the Greek expression for "fine demise". However, scientific advancements and progressions in the medicinal field have now increased the possibility of prolonged life in patients who are hopeless about recovery. Thus, life can be preserved by using extraordinary means like intravenous nourishment, respirators, and artificial life-saving machines. Thus, the term negative euthanasia has been derived referring to this life-saving process. On the other hand, the term positive euthanasia has arisen due to the actions that are taken to cause death actively. The third term i.e. passive euthanasia is used in conditions where antibiotics, drugs, or surgery (common treatment methods) are suspended. It is also used in situations when there is a supplication of a large quantity of lethal pain medication which is considered necessary. Passive euthanasia has been regarded as a common practice among U.S. hospitals and physicians since the beginning of the 20th century ("Euthanasia," 2009).

The term assisted-suicide is a bit hazy for most people as it has multiple names. “Physician-assisted suicide refers to the practice of a physician prescribing or regulating,

The term “assisted suicide” is quite self-explanatory in its definition: the suicide of a patient suffering from an incurable disease, effected by the taking of lethal drugs provided by a doctor. Assisted suicide, in the areas that have legalized it, usually has to involve a request to the physician for a medication-induced death. In some places, people are able to choose to die before illness takes control. This method has existed for many years and has not always required a physician’s approval.

Assisted suicide and euthanasia are very similar. The only difference between the two is that in assisted suicide, the patient is in control of the death process because he or she performs the act of suicide. The other person only helps. Euthanasia is the intentional causing the death of a person to end suffering to the patient. This supports my topic because it shows the difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia. Even though they are similar, they aren’t the exact same. Most people believed and still do believe that a person should not kill themselves because each person was put on this earth for a reason. But if a person is not happy, they should not continue their life if they are not living life to the fullest. This statement supports my topic because it proves that everyone deserves to make the

Assisted suicide is the act of deliberately assisting or encouraging another person to kill themselves ("Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide ," 2014). When talking about assisted suicide there are two types: Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS) and Euthanasia. Although they both have very similar goals but, they differ in which role the physician has in the action that finally ends life. Euthanasia can be defined as “the act of bringing about the death of a hopelessly ill and suffering person in a relatively quick and painless way for reasons of mercy” ("Physician-Assisted Suicide - Introduction," n.d.). Thus meaning that during euthanasia the physician performs the intervention by either injecting the patient with a large dose of medication, or completely withholding or withdrawing treatment that is necessary to maintain life("Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide ," 2014). Physician-assisted suicide can be defined as “the practice of providing a competent patient with a prescription for medication for the patient to use with the primary intention of ending his or her own life” ("Physician-assisted Suicide," 2012). This means that the physician provides the necessary means or information to complete the intervention but the patient performs the act themselves ("Physician-Assisted Suicide - Introduction," n.d.). Throughout this paper I will be examining both facts and issues surrounding assisted suicide.

The article that I will use to develop my case is by J. Gay-, “the wrongness of Euthanasia.” that argues against the practice.

Euthanasia is often called “mercy killing”. It is intentionally making someone die, rather than allowing that person to die naturally. It is sometimes the act of ending someone’s life, who is terminally ill, or is suffering in severe pain. Euthanasia is mostly illegal in the world today. Euthanasia can be considered a form of suicide, if the person afflicted with the problem actively does it. The person volunteering to commit the act to that person can also consider it a form of murder.

First of all, what is euthanasia? It is something that not many people think about until they or a friend or family member is put in a position where they might actually have to consider it. Euthanasia, in the dictionary, simply is: the action of ending someone’s life in a painless way. It seems pretty simple but in reality it is a lot more complicated, not only for the people involved but for the society in general as well.

The top argument against euthanasia is that no person can take the life of another, because in some cases active and involuntary euthanasia are considered to be murder. People feel as if a physician’s job is to help their patient and prevent their death, when others believe that physicians are not capable of preventing death completely and should respect the wishes of their patients. Another argument against would be suffering is “good” for the soul. Some people believe that suffering is payments for sins in the current world to guarantee them a better afterlife. Then there is