Preview

Euthanasia Reaction Paper

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
349 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Euthanasia Reaction Paper
Franc Cedrick Madriaga
Reaction Paper #10
TZ 11:00 A.M.
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering. It is a deliberate act intended to cause the death of a patient, at that patient's request, for what he or she sees as being in his or her best interest. Because a request for euthanasia is necessarily at the request of a patient, a request for euthanasia is a right that all individuals should enjoy. In Australia, as in many other parts of the world, such issues are hotly debated. Regrettably, many people suffer as a result of government policies that are driven primarily, unfortunately, by religious ideology. Euthanasia can fall into several categories. Voluntary Euthanasia is carried out with the permission of the person whose life is taken. Involuntary euthanasia is carried out without permission, such as in the case of a criminal execution. The moral and social questions surrounding these practices are the most active fields of research in Bioethics today. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the issue of euthanasia and whether or not it should be legal. From a legal standpoint, the Encyclopedia of American Law categorizes mercy killing as a class of criminal homicide. Judicially, not all homicide is illegal. Killing is seen as excusable when used as a criminal punishment, but inexcusable when carried out for any other reason. In most nations, euthanasia is considered criminal homicide. In my opinion, euthanasia is understandable even though it’s tragic. If someone who are extremely ill and want to give up on living and also if he had made up their mind, who has the right to say, “You can’t do that”? People have the right to choose what is best for them. If It were me I would like to be allowed to die with dignity and at time and place of my choosing with my family (if they wished) to be present.
Reference:
http://www.debate.org/euthanasia/

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The word Euthanasia derives from the Greek words Eu and Thanatos which means easy or good death. Euthanasia is is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma[1]. Euthanasia exists in various forms, each one specific in its criteria. Firstly there is active and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia involves the use of direct action in order to end the patient’s life whilst passive euthanasia is the withholding of medical aid in order to allow the patient to die naturally such as not performing life-extending surgery or turning off a life support system. The next distinction is between Voluntary and Involuntary euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia involves the patient’s termination at their own request whilst involuntary euthanasia occurs when the patient is unable to ably make a decision and therefore a suitable person makes the decision for them. Indirect euthanasia involves treating the patients pain but with the side effect of death, the primary intention is often used to justify the outcome. This is often referred to as the doctrine of double effect and in reality is not considered euthanasia given that the real purpose of the treatment is pain relief and death is merely seen as the side-affect. Finally there is assisted suicide which involves a patient incapable of committing suicide themselves asks for assistance in doing so. Euthanasia is a controversial topic that contradicts the age old moral injunction “thou shalt not kill”[2]. But similarly denying patient’s of this choice is defying medical practice cornerstones such as the patient’s autonomy and promoting their best interests. Different countries hold varying stances on Euthanasia but it is currently illegal in the UK. Most recently the case of Tony Nicklinson, a man totally paralysed by locked-in syndrome requesting euthanasia, has come to the forefront of the debate. Given the right to take his case to…

    • 5500 Words
    • 22 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Euthanasia means gentle or easy death for those who are incurably ill and in pain. So should a person have the right to take another person 's life or his own when he or she is incurably ill and in pain? That is Australia is trying to decide. The N.T already has passed a law that legalizes euthanasia in that state. Now other government leaders and members are in support of this are pushing for an Australian euthanasia law. Christian Groups and Anti-Euthanasia have seen euthanasia as a sin and a choice that no-body should make. Some doctors have taken ill patients life 's as a request from the patient should this now be openly done. Would you want to be kept alive, with little hope ahead, when you were in pain? Some might answer no, and those people should deserve the choice to end it when that pain becomes unbearable.…

    • 1147 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Euthanasia, formally known as mercy killing, is the act of intentionally causing the painless death of a sick person, rather than allowing that person to die naturally. In terms of a physician's actions, it can be passive in that a physician plays no direct role in the death of the person or it can be active in that the physician does something directly to cause the death (Yount, 2002). Euthanasia may also be formed into three types of act, which are voluntary, involuntary, and nonvoluntary. Voluntary involves killing the patient at his or her request. Involuntary occurs when the patient does not give consent, or refuses. Nonvoluntary is where the patient is not able to make the decision about their medical treatment so it is up to a third party to make the decision for them (Yount, 2002). Legalizing euthanasia would cause many complications because we are dealing with a very controversial issue that brings into focus some extremely powerful, conflicting, and competing values. Under the Canadian Criminal Code, active voluntary euthanasia is illegal and individuals can be convicted for 14 years for murder (Ogden & Young, 2000). Passive euthanasia has been legal because the courts have recognized the right of a patient to refuse and to terminate unwanted medical treatments. The question that remains today is whether legalizing active euthanasia in Canada could either benefit or harm not only the individuals involved, but also society as a whole.…

    • 1490 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this presentation I’ll explain why voluntary euthanasia should be legalised in Australia when a person is suffering from a terminal illness or are already in the late stages of an illness that cannot be cured.…

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Euthanasia In Australia

    • 2271 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Euthanasia is defined by the Oxford Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 2013) as “the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma.” The word euthanasia originates from the Greek words, “eu” meaning good, and “thantos” meaning death, however the topic of this type of “good death” has become highly debatable in Australia. Sometimes referred to as “assisted suicide” and “mercy killing,” euthanasia gives people their own right to die through painless suicide, however done so at their own free will, making it voluntary. Once legalised in the Northern Territory for nine months under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995, euthanasia is…

    • 2271 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In the United States, active euthanasia is currently banned, with the exception of the state of Oregon. “Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act (DWDA), which was enacted in late 1997, allows terminally-ill adult Oregonians to obtain and use prescriptions from their physicians for self-administered, lethal doses of medications” (Death With Dignity Act). It would appear to be an easy assumption that most people in the United States believe that ending the life of a human being who is alert and able to communicate is morally wrong, though most likely is suffering and experiencing a lesser quality of life because of that; for example, a patient who is suffering from a terminally ill disease like Lou Gehrig’s disease, cancer and multiple sclerosis. With a closer examination of the facts, however, might lead to an extreme change in the opinions of even the strongest supporters of anti-euthanasia.…

    • 1807 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Euthanasia In Australia

    • 1254 Words
    • 6 Pages

    For every person that dismisses Euthanasia, there will no doubt be those who advocates for it, with their own arguments too. Most commonly, allowing for an individual to be in great pain until their ultimate demise is often argued as crueler and more inhuman than letting them pass away quietly and peacefully. Enforcing the illegality of euthanasia is also very difficult for numerous reasons. Firstly, as mentioned before, there are certain areas in the world that allows for euthanasia, and the laws of Australia have no jurisdictions in areas such as the Netherlands. The current laws are also too ambiguous to enforce, and thus, goes against what makes a ‘good’ law. For example, if family members were to suggest and encourage a terminally ill person to end their own lives without directly contributing, could it be counted as euthanasia in the current laws? In a democratic society such as Australia, banning euthanasia goes against its system, as in a 2015 survey of 34,000 NSW voters, 72% of the people were for the prospect of Euthanasia…

    • 1254 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ethics of Euthanasia

    • 1579 Words
    • 7 Pages

    One of the most hotly debated topics going on through the government is the one concerning the ethics of euthanasia also known as assisted suicide. Euthanasia comes from the Greek language meaning ‘Good death’. Euthanasia is suicide, but with the help of a doctor. The government and people argue about whether it should be legalized or not, this is because it can be seen as unethical and it taking the ills life. I think assisted suicide should be legal because we have the right and moral obligation to euthanize our beloved pets when they are suffering and in pain... why are we not morally obligated to provide the same options for ourselves and our loved ones who have no quality of life? Euthanasia fascinates me because not much people of my age are aware of what it is exactly and how much that it could actually help out in the society if it was to be legalized. Euthanasia should be legalized we have ‘the peoples rights’, it cost more to keep someone on life support and it is a way out of unnecessary suffering for the ill.…

    • 1579 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Voluntary euthanasia should be legalized in Australia. For years, there has been much global debate on this topic. Euthanasia is the hastening of death for a suffering, terminally ill person. Indeed, the term euthanasia quite literally means ‘good death’ in Greek. As Australians and as human beings, we should have the freedom of choice to decide a quiet death when we have no chance of life. Euthanasia is a dignified way to end the suffering of terminally ill patients.…

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The topic of Euthanasia has been the subject of moral, religious, philosophical, legal and human rights debate in Australia for many years. According to the Australian Medical Association, Euthanasia is defined as ‘The act of deliberately ending the life of a patient for the purpose of ending intolerable pain and/or suffering. The great debates stems from two contradicting notions held within society: the right for individuals to choose to die with dignity when suffering and the need to uphold the moral right to life for every person. Currently, in Australia Euthanasia is illegal, however, there have been many countries that have recognised the need to allow an individual to…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide or doctor-assisted suicide, or simply known as mercy killing is the action of deliberately ending the life of a hopelessly sick and injured individual (such as an animal or human being) to relieve pain and suffering. Euthanasia is a very controversial topic with many views related to religion, moral, ethical and compassionate arguments surrounding the issue (MedicalNewsToday, 2017; nhs.uk, 2017; Merriam-webster.com, 2017).…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Euthanasia is defined in Webster's Dictionary as "the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reason of mercy (Webster's Dictionary 401). The Hemlock Society defines it as "justifiable suicide, that is rational and planned self-deliverance". The word euthanasia comes from the Greek- eu, which means good and thanatos death. No matter what your definition, euthanasia is ethical, and physicians should be allowed to assist in it legally (Derek Humphry, 18).…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Everybody has heard of famous court cases regarding euthanasia or news stories talking about people who have used it, but what is it really? Euthanasia is the practice of ending a human’s life with that person’s consent, either by withholding life supporting medical care and drugs or by a specific act of killing (Newton, 2009). The patient must be in critical care and have very little chance of recovery in order to use euthanasia. Many court cases have fought for the rights to use it on patients and repeatedly their requests are shut down. So should the killing of humans be illegal, or should people be allowed to decide when and how we are going to die?…

    • 3356 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Death of any type is always a controversial issue whenever debated. This natural process attracts our human-being’s curiousness and raises millions of unanswered questions, such as what do we actually feel before we die or is there any possibility to avoid it? In general, we can roughly come up with an conclusion that no one prefer “dying” to “living”, or like Eleanor Roosevelt stated: “One must never, for whatever reason, turn one’s back on life”. However, that leads to a new recent modern matter : Euthanasia – the mercy killing. It may be considered as a fair action because the victim still has the right to decide whether to accept it or not. But let’s ponder for a second. Euthanasia it’s not that narrow and specific, it’s not on only human. What if it is applied for animals? Unlike us, those animals- normally are pets or members of the zoos don’t have the right to keep their lives or die in an unexpected way. Many animal right activists opposed this - what they called an inhuman action, but the others have plenty of contrary ideas. They argue that is necessary for terminally ill patients, or a good way to control the population.…

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Research Paper on Euthanasia

    • 2719 Words
    • 11 Pages

    One of the most hotly debated ethical issue of our time is one of Euthanasia. Euthanasia comes from the Greek words “Eu”, meaning well or easy, and “Thanatos”, meaning death. In modern terms it is the intentional premature termination of another’s life by direct intervention or by withholding care.[1] Within that it can be either voluntary (expressed or implied consent), or involuntary. The two sides of this debate are the rights of an individual to decide when he or she is to die, or the sanctity of life and the states responsibility to protect people.…

    • 2719 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays