Should Euthanasia Be Justified - 2343 Words

Can Euthanasia be Justified? Euthanasia comes from two Greek words, ‘eu’, meaning good or well and ‘thanatos’ meaning death, so euthanasia means ‘good death’. A good death could be described as a peaceful, easy death in today’s terms. Most often, euthanasia is carried out actively or passively. Active euthanasia is when a person directly and deliberately causes the patient’s death and passive euthanasia is when a person does not directly take the life of the patient but instead allows the patient to die. Euthanasia has been debated and discussed vehemently for years and although it is an illegal practise in the United Kingdom, people continually challenge the law but fail. I will discuss various different viewpoints on Euthanasia, different types of Euthanasia and some very personal stories to see whether euthanasia can ever be justified. There are three types of euthanasia: involuntary, voluntary and non-voluntary. Involuntary euthanasia is when a person wants to live but is killed anyway. Voluntary euthanasia is when a patient asks to have their life ended. And non-voluntary euthanasia is when an individual is unable to make a decision about their condition and some appropriate person makes that decision for them. Within the three types of euthanasia there are four methods of euthanasia: active or direct euthanasia, passive euthanasia, indirect euthanasia and assisted suicide. Active or direct euthanasia is when a person directly and deliberately causes theShow MoreRelatedActive Euthanasia Is Never Morally Justified1545 Words   |  7 Pages Analysis on The Argument That Active Euthanasia is Never Morally Justified Death has always been a controversial topic throughout the world. There are many theories as to where we go and what the meaning of life truly is. How one dies is important in today’s society, especially when it comes to the idea of suicide. Active euthanasia, also referred to as assisted suicide, is the intentional act of causing the death of a patient experiencing great suffering. It is illegal in some places, like FranceRead MoreEuthanasi It s Worst1034 Words   |  5 Pages Euthanasia At It’s Worst Euthanasia should not be an option for patients to end their lives because euthanasia is not morally justified, and corrupts, while contradicting the point of medicine. Euthanasia also should not be used because euthanasia itself puts to much focus on suicidal drugs and not enough on finding better treatment plans for patients. In January 1991, a Gallup Poll was taken of the broad acceptance of assisted suicide in which 58% of people agreed that a person has the â€Å"moralRead MoreDying with Dignity960 Words   |  4 Pagesthe person. People who have this illness resort to an alternative called euthanasia. Euthanasia is when someone a physician or a family members assist the terminal ill to die by injecting such person with a drug or plugging out the chord that keeps the person alive. While supporters of this technique claim that euthanasia is humane and helpful, other people argue that euthanasia is morally wrong, and inhumane. Euthanasia should be legalize in the United States because it gives an alternative for peopleRead MoreEuthanasi Active And Passive Euthanasia1562 Words   |  7 PagesEuthanasia, also known as voluntary or assisted suicide, is used for terminally ill patients to end their lives instead of undergoing painful treatments and torment of waiting for death. There are, however, two different ways in which A can bring about B’s death. In this essay I will present the distinction between active and passive euthanasia as explained by James Rachels in his article called â€Å"Active and Passive Euthanasia†. I will also debate whether euthanasia is justified or not by presentingRead MoreEuthanasia Is Morally Permissible?850 Words   |  4 PagesEuthanasia, as defined by many philosophers, should only be morally permissible in certain circumstances where it benefits the one who dies. It is a widely held belief that an act of euthanasia aims at benefiting the one who dies. Using Kantian ethics as a model, one can determine that: It is morally permissible to engage in voluntary acts of euthanasia; it is morally permissible to engage in acts of nonvoluntary euthanasia, and; it is never morally permissible to engage in acts of involuntary euthanasiaRead MoreEuthanasia: Perspective from Theory of Personality Virtue768 Words   |  3 Pagesrashness and cowardice. Aristotle stated that every person should work to develop his or her own character by developing a habit out of virtue. This will automatically lead to good actions, as a good person will always make good decisions. He believed that future generations could then be taught goodness from their seniors as virtue should be taught by example, not through a set of rules. Considering the moral issue of euthanasia, euthanasia is the act of painlessly putting to death persons sufferingRead MoreEuthanasi Active And Passive Euthanasia1634 Words   |  7 PagesPassive Euthanasia where he argues against the distinction between killing in letting die. He says that the distinction is made on morally irrelevant grounds. He says that the distinction between passive and active euthanasia should not be based on whether or not wanted more morally permissible then the other. To prove his point Rachel uses three dif-ferent examples, which included different circumstance where euthanasia is involved. He looks at each example and argues why active euthanasia wouldRead MoreThe Controversy Of Euthanasia And Euthanasia1385 Words   |  6 Pageshave when it comes to patient care. Euthanasia is a very controversial topic that has been debated on throughout the years. Whether it may be active euthanasia, passive euthanasia, voluntary euthanasia, involuntary euthanasia, i ndirect or physician assisted the morals and reasoning behind each are controversial.Though some people may believe euthanasia may be justified in a critical situation and critical punishment, euthanasia should be prohibited because euthanasia weakens societies respects for theRead MoreThe Case Of Evan Motts Assisting His Wife s Euthanasia Essay1644 Words   |  7 PagesI am going to discuss in this essay the case of Evan Motts assisting his wife s euthanasia. I will cover the ethical issues regarding this topic including whether or not Evan should be punished. I will look at the theories of Kantian Ethics and Utilitarianism to justify whether or not Evan s actions were morally right. An Auckland man is facing a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 14 years after assisting his terminally ill wife to commit suicide. Evan Mott researched suicide methods andRead MorePurpose of a Living Will and the Morality of Euthanasia829 Words   |  4 Pagesmedical treatments. Euthanasia, also called assisted suicide, or physician-assisted suicide, offers one of many options for terminal-ill patients or those with intractable pain. Many infer euthanasia as the action that brings about the end of a patient’s life because it has been decided they would be better off dead. Since euthanasia involves killing another person, voluntarily or not, a virtuous person considers euthanasia acceptable. There are two main categories of euthanasia, voluntary (conducted