Is Euthanasia Morally Permissible
Is euthanasia morally permissible?
Euthanasia has been hotly debated among the general public in society for many years and it has not reached the mutual agreement in many countries yet. However, the true value of life could not be replaced by anything. If people have any wrong decision on euthanasia, it would be an irretrievable regret. I am going to analyze euthanasia with Utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, Liberalism, Confucianism and religious values. Then, I will draw a conclusion to see if euthanasia is morally permissible or not.
Have you heard about the story of Pun Chai (Tang Siu-pun)? In 2001, he had sent a letter to the Hong Kong Chief Executive and the legislators to plea to be allowed to die, thus this issue sparked a debate on euthanasia. And Now, Pun Chai changed his mind and said he wants to live, but he still believes that the choice to live or die is a human right.
Some of the patients plea to euthanasia, it is because they hope to get out of the pain from illness and treatment only. Just like what Pun Chai said in his letter, he wanted to die because he felt that he was lonesome, isolated, helpless and painful, he hoped to run away from these feelings. Death is not his desire but an escape from the reality. When there is another choice that can help him get rid of his loneliness; when his voice is heard and his feeling is cared, he is pleased with his life although he is still suffering from the same situation of illness. Therefore, the appeal to death is not actually the patients’ request by heart; this is just an expression of their emotions at that sorrow moment. Since these patients are undergoing a long therapy of treatment, there are fluctuations in their emotions. Under the influence of medicine, they may make a frustrated decision of euthanasia, which it is not appropriate to be considered seriously.
The theory of Utilitarianism, as described by one of the most influential contributors Jeremy Bentham, was "the
Euthanasia has been hotly debated among the general public in society for many years and it has not reached the mutual agreement in many countries yet. However, the true value of life could not be replaced by anything. If people have any wrong decision on euthanasia, it would be an irretrievable regret. I am going to analyze euthanasia with Utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, Liberalism, Confucianism and religious values. Then, I will draw a conclusion to see if euthanasia is morally permissible or not.
Have you heard about the story of Pun Chai (Tang Siu-pun)? In 2001, he had sent a letter to the Hong Kong Chief Executive and the legislators to plea to be allowed to die, thus this issue sparked a debate on euthanasia. And Now, Pun Chai changed his mind and said he wants to live, but he still believes that the choice to live or die is a human right.
Some of the patients plea to euthanasia, it is because they hope to get out of the pain from illness and treatment only. Just like what Pun Chai said in his letter, he wanted to die because he felt that he was lonesome, isolated, helpless and painful, he hoped to run away from these feelings. Death is not his desire but an escape from the reality. When there is another choice that can help him get rid of his loneliness; when his voice is heard and his feeling is cared, he is pleased with his life although he is still suffering from the same situation of illness. Therefore, the appeal to death is not actually the patients’ request by heart; this is just an expression of their emotions at that sorrow moment. Since these patients are undergoing a long therapy of treatment, there are fluctuations in their emotions. Under the influence of medicine, they may make a frustrated decision of euthanasia, which it is not appropriate to be considered seriously.
The theory of Utilitarianism, as described by one of the most influential contributors Jeremy Bentham, was "the