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Act Utilitarian Arguments Against Euthanasia

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Act Utilitarian Arguments Against Euthanasia
“We do indeed have the right to self-determination but that this right does not include the right to opt for active voluntary euthanasia. The reason is active voluntary euthanasia is killing, and killing is always wrong.” (Vaughn, 2013, 299) There are several reasons that Act Utilitarian’s oppose euthanasia. An Act Utilitarian looks to balance good vs. evil, with the greatest good for everyone involved becoming the most favorable act. To begin this argument, euthanasia is an unjustified type of killing. While not all killings are unacceptable such as in cases of self-defense, euthanasia is considered a merciless killing leading to a weakened respect for human life. Furthermore, physicians would hold the power to control death, thus leading
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