The Pros And Cons Of Euthanasia

Euthanasia and DNR (do not resuscitate), give the patients the right to decide if they would rather live or die. However, many people do not agree with euthanasia because they feel that they are committing suicide and is violating human norms, but they agree with the DNR - why is that? In many ways, these two go together because if the patient can or could been saved but they decided not to be saved is that the same as committing suicide or is it just their naturally born rights? Euthanasia in Oregon, where physician-assisted suicide became legal in 1994 and in the mid-1970s, hospitals began to implement policies on DNR orders, according to Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders: Why They Have Failed and How to Fix Them written by Jacqueline K. Yuen, MD,1 M. Carrington Reid, MD, PhD, 1 and Michael D. Fetters, MD, MPH, MA2

Physician-assisted suicide or PAS for short is one of the most controversial subjects we as a society discuss. Not only is it a controversial subject, but an ethical dilemma faced by patient and physicians alike. There are two types of terms associated with this type of death, physician-assisted suicide, and euthanasia. PAS is a term to describe a death where a physician prescribes a medication that is administered to the patient to assist in ending one’s life. As for

Another argument for euthanasia is justice. Justice says that we must respect one's decisions and rights. Not letting someone who is terminally ill and suffering is not doing them justice. If there were someone I knew who was terminally ill, I would not want to see them suffer. Supporting their decision of dying with dignity would be my duty. My father would not allow me to visit my ill grandfather in the hospital. He wanted me to remember him how he was, not the sick man in the bed. We have a duty to do them justice in what they want.

Euthanasia should be considered in all aspects of the medical field because people need to be in charge of their lives, statements from critics, and the serious evaluation process when chosen. Euthanasia can reserve all rights towards an individual’s choice towards death or not, because it is the person who has to endure and agonize through the incurable illness. An individual’s perspective on a situation is through their eyes and no one else, that is why euthanasia produces the choice of being alive or

According to Linda Jackson in Euthanasia, a total of 42 people in Oregon had passed away due to physician-assisted suicide. This fact proves the efficiency of euthanasia to be successful in helping to relieve the terminally ill of their excruciating pain. Additionally, suicide is in fact legal in the states within Australia, so there are a vast amount of states that do allow suicide, however, they do not allow assisted suicide, which are very similar. Many states have opposed to euthanasia due to religious issues and the argument that euthanasia goes against the doctor’s oath to swear to do their best for the patient and commit no harm (Jackson 5). In contrast, euthanasia is not the only operation that would go against what is known as the Hippocratic Oath because in the original Oath, it also had prohibited abortions, surgery, and charging teaching fees, in which, in certain situations, are all allowed today. Being so, the argument stating that doctors are going against the Oath all because of euthanasia is invalid (Jackson 31). Christian attitudes and other major religions of the world pose a problem as well due to the issue of suicide being considered as a sin.

Euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is described as the practice of purposefully ending the life of a sick person per their request. It is illegal in most countries and most, but not all, US states. The process and regulations to being granted the legal right to euthanasia varies in each area. There are many stipulations within the law to avoid abuse. Among other things, patients must be of sound mind and having been suffering for some time. PAS is extremely controversial for several reasons. Medical professionals argue whether or not it is ethical and if it abides by the Hippocratic oath. And religious persons

Over the years voluntary euthanasia, also known as physician assisted suicide (PAS), has been a huge controversy in the United States as well as in other countries. Physician assisted suicide is defined as a doctor knowingly and intentionally with knowledge, means, or both required to commit suicide. It includes counselling about lethal

During World War II many horrible events took place such as the Holocaust but there are many more specific projects or events that happened such as the Euthanasia Project or otherwise known as Project Aktion T4. The Euthanasia Project was a program of mass murder that took place even the before the actual events of the Holocaust. Hitler had the objective to eliminate those who don’t contribute to the perfect society that he wanted. That included any adults with any minor or major disabilities along with children under any kind of illness. The Euthanasia Project had positives in the sense that at the time in the eyes of Germany or Hitler these were considered positives. But at the same time this project had its flaws that led to the ultimate

On May 6th 1997, Dr. Nancy Morrison was charged with the first-degree murder of Paul Mills by the means of non-voluntary active euthanasia. Paul Mills was a terminally ill patient who suffered from esophageal cancer. In October of 1996, Mr. Mills had undergone nine surgeries as the result of a post-surgical infection (Fisher, p. 262). As the infection progressed, a Do Not Resuscitate order was put in effect and his family made the decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatment, which should consequently cause a natural death to occur, known as passive euthanasia (Fisher, p. 191). However, Mr. Mills did not then die as expected. His attending nurse Elizabeth Bland-MacInnes described him as suffering and struggling to breathe. After being begged by Ms. Bland MacInnes to end the patient's suffering, Dr. Nancy Morrison injected Mr. Mills with nitroglycerin which should have decreased his blood pressure and as a result, decreased his suffering (Fisher, p. 262). However, this attempt failed and Dr. Morrison proceeded to inject the patient with potassium chloride, consequently ending Mr. Mills life. In acting upon the biomedical ethics principle of beneficence, Dr. Nancy Morrison’s decision to inject Paul Mills with potassium chloride is ethically justifiable.

Euthanasia, or voluntary assisted suicide, has been the subject of much moral, legal and human rights debate in Australia. Broadly speaking, this term is used to describe the termination of a person’s life to end their suffering, usually through the administration of drugs. The core of this debate is centred on how to mitigate and pacify competing values; an individual's desire to self autonomy and freedom and choice to die with dignity when suffering, alongside with the devaluation of human life as a consequence that is formed through the legalisation of euthanasia. Due to the nature of the topic of euthanasia that is shrouded with ethical controversy and ambiguity, there is difficulty in legal justification and establishment of voluntary

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).

Today, the resolution for the debate is “Let it be resolved that euthanasia should be morally permissible for the disabled and children”. To begin with, one must comprehend the essence of “euthanasia” and “morally permissible” to follow the arguments in this debate. According to the Oxford Dictionary, euthanasia is “the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma”. Whereas, morally permissible according to Deni Elliot, in her book “Ethics the First Person” means the “behaviour that is tolerated by the moral system”. With regards to Euthanasia, it is classified as active and passive. In layman’s terms, “Active Euthanasia” is when the immediate result of death is not from the patient’s disease but a medical action was done to result their death such as providing a lethal drug. In the other hand, “Passive Euthanasia” is when the death is caused by the patient’s disease which enables to advance naturally without any influence of treatment which might prolong the patients’ life. As I have stated my clarifications, I am hereby to present three arguments within the PRO side of the debate.

Euthanasia comes from Greek as good death or easy death, something that humans and animal wish for. Euthanize is a shoot vets give animals to put them asleep forever. People have been asking is it right or wrong to euthanize. Some say we should not, for how do we know that the animals want to be killed. Others say that we can use it as a way to control the population and to prevent overcrowding in animal shelters. A brief bio of euthanize in history and three pros and three cons of it.

A few arguments that are against euthanasia include patients being judgment-impaired due to the effects of their illness, it seems like a cop-out for doctors because it is easier to euthanize a patient than to care for them, a patient’s decision to be euthanized can have a serious impact on others in their life, patients may feel pressured to chose euthanasia because it is cheaper than medical care, and euthanasia is mainly promoted by people who have had a loved one die because they were in agonizing pain.

Euthanasia, good or bad? In this following article I will be exploring euthanasia in more detail, the different Christian points of view, the strengths and weaknesses of the euthanasia argument and finally my point of view on euthanasia and why I believe this.