¶ … against Voluntary Euthanasia
If a person requests assistance to end their life, it is called voluntary euthanasia. Types of euthanasia include involuntary euthanasia (no patient request) or passive euthanasia (withholding care). This essay will focus on the issue that voluntary euthanasia and highlight the major arguments against this act that have been rigorously studied in the scholarly literature. A prime focus on this discourse is that voluntary euthanasia devalues life. Several points are offered which uphold this stance.
A method of judging the ethical concerns of voluntary euthanasia utilizes the Principle of Double Effect. The "PDE" is a valid foundation to decide when voluntary euthanasia is acceptable. Four factors comprise the PDE; the action must be a good one, only the good effect must be intended, the good effect must not be achieved by way of the bad effect, and the good result must outweigh the bad (Sulmasey and Pelligrino 550).
The PDE upholds this, as the resultant death (via doctor assisted termination) achieves the good result through employment of the bad action. Additionally, I believe:
Voluntary euthanasia devalues life, like the disabled, the mentally incompetent, the terminally ill. (Verhagen, Sauer and Callahan 6).
It is against the various religious beliefs, including the Islamic faith, Buddhism, and certain Christian creeds.
The attending doctor should have the final say over the treatment of the patient in keeping with the Hippocratic Oath .
Doctor- monitored palliative care can allow the affected patient to die in peace, in a natural course of death.
Counseling and support can ease fear of death and pain.
Voluntary euthanasia devalues life. A method for judging the morality of this act is the Principle of Double Effect. Arguments against this act include: the devaluation of life concern, going against various religious belief systems; palliative care options should be provided first; and counseling and support should be first choice options.
Works Cited
Sulmasey, D.P. And E.D. Pelligrino. "The Rule of Double Effect." Archives of Internal Medicine (1999): 545-550.
Verhagen, a.A. Eduard, et al. "Are Their Babies Different from Ours?": Dutch Culture and the Groningen Protocol." Hastings Center Report 38.4 (2008): 4-7.
euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide on ReligiousTolerance.org, most people in North America die "a bad death," one characterized by pain, being unable to participate in their medical treatment program, or after spending over ten days in intensive care. A prevailing belief that any sign of life is preferable to death fuels arguments against the practice of voluntary euthanasia, distinguished from involuntary euthanasia in that the suicide is requested directly by
against Voluntary Euthanasia on Life Support In his essay, Voluntary Euthanasia: A Utilitarian Perspective, Peter Singer reviews ethical arguments regarding voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide from a utilitarian perspective. Thesis: Singer establishes a solid grounding for the ethicality of legalizing voluntary euthanasia by arguing that the human right to pursue their notion of the good should be respected. Also, he satisfactorily disposes of common objections to legalization by showing them
As palliative care specialist Dr. Gilbert puts it, "Despite this close involvement with the very patients for whom euthanasia is advocated we do not encounter any persistent rational demand" [Southern Cross Bioethics Institute]. The very point of 'Advanced Directives' is in itself confounding issue as frequently it is the patient's imaginary fears about loss of body functions and pain that drives them to such conclusions. So it is cleanly obvious
This literature review supports the premise that opinions regarding euthanasia differ among various groups of professional. This literature review demonstrates that the nurse plays an important role in the perceived quality of the death experience. The study indicates that there is a need for training in a number of clinical settings regarding care of the dying and futile treatments. Literature indicated that differences exist between nurses that are new to
Euthanasia is basically described as the intentional killing of an individual for his/her benefit, and is usually carried out because the person who dies requests for it. While it can also be referred to as physician-assisted suicide, it's known as euthanasia because there are situations where the individual can't ask for it. As one of the major issues in the medical field, there are various laws regarding euthanasia in almost
Again, my rebuttal to this argument is that proponents of euthanasia are not trigger-happy killers. Any legal request for euthanasia would have to be processed for validity by qualified doctors. Any signs of depression would be properly treated and a reasonable "cooling-off period" be provided to the patients to change their minds. Only a bare-minimum number of patients who are suffering without any chance of relief and only those
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