Euthanasia We Have the Right to Die Essay - 872 Words

What is euthanasia? The dictionary defines euthanasia as the act of putting to death or allowing to die painlessly, a person or animal from a painful incurable disease. Euthanasia is also known as mercy killing. The word euthanasia comes from the Greek word eu- meaning good and the Greek word thanatos which means death. There are two types of euthanasia: active euthanasia and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia is the practice of ending the life of a person painlessly. While passive euthanasia is the practice of a patient refusing treatment or allowing a patient to die. Many believe that it passive euthanasia is morally acceptable, but active euthanasia is not. They believe it is acceptable to stop treatment and allow the person to act,†¦show more content†¦In the second situation, Jones will also get a large inheritance if his six year old cousin dies. One day, Jones plans to drown the child to get the inheritance. But, when Jones enters the bathroom, he sees the child fa ll and hit his head. The child starts to slip face down into the water. Jones does nothing and lets the child drown (pgs.78-80). In both situation, the child dies; the only difference was that Smith murdered the child, while Jones did not try to rescue the child. In the end, the result was acquiring the inheritance and the child’s death. In euthanasia, there is no difference between action and omission. Pro-Euthanasia Argument Euthanasia can be a positive or negative action depending on your point of view. Pro-euthanasia arguments argue that euthanasia can be the end of suffering for terminally ill patients, it gives the choice of dying with dignity, and it can decrease healthcare debt. According to Snyder (2006), â€Å"Whenever possible, people should be free to determine their fates by their own autonomous choices, especially in connection with private matters, such as health, that primarily involve one’s own welfare† (pg. 54). A terminally ill patient with pancreatic cancer should have control over their own body, and be able to have the choice to decide how and when he wants to die. According to the South Australian Voluntary Euthanasia Society (SAVES), â€Å"When a person’s pain cannot be controlled with even the best palliative care, or when a person hasShow MoreRelatedEuthanasia: We Have the Right to Die1096 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"A person has the constitutional right to request the withdrawal or withholding of a medical treatment, even if doing so will result in the person’s death† (Assisted Suicide). So why is there not, and should there not be a right in some states and countries for those who are near death and know they will die to want to end their life. Even during the Ancient Roman times, the idea of Assisted Suicide was accepted â€Å"If caused from pain or sickness, or by weariness of life† (Assisted Suicide). WithRead MoreEssay on Euthanasia: We All Have the Right to Die1306 Words   |  6 Pages Physician-Assisted Suicide, or Euthanasia, is a serious issue, and it affects people throughout all walks of life. From teenagers with angst, to older adults feeling hopeless in their life, to the elderly suffering from terminal illnesses, suicide pervades throughout their thought processes as an alternative to their emotionally and physically pervasive situations. Euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide, has a history dating back to the seventeenth century. Only recently has it become as controversialRead MoreDo You Think That the Right to Life Entails a Right to Die Under Certain Circumstances? Should the Law Be Changed to Grant a Universal Right to Voluntary Euthanasia?1000 Words   |  4 Pagesthat the right to life entai ls a right to die under certain circumstances?† and â€Å"Should the laws be changed to grant a universal right to voluntary euthanasia?†. In this essay, I am going to give reasons using ethical theories to justify these questions. Euthanasia Euthanasia is the act of a physician or other third party ending a patients life in response to severe pain and suffering. Euthanasia can be classified into three types. They are voluntary euthanasia, non-voluntary euthanasia and involuntaryRead MoreDo You Think That the Right to Life Entails a Right to Die Under Certain Circumstances? Should the Law Be Changed to Grant a Universal Right to Voluntary Euthanasia?1008 Words   |  5 Pagesthat the right to life entails a right to die under certain circumstances?† and â€Å"Should the laws be changed to grant a universal right to voluntary euthanasia?†. In this essay, I am going to give reasons using ethical theories to justify these questions. Euthanasia Euthanasia is the act of a physician or other third party ending a patients life in response to severe pain and suffering. Euthanasia can be classified into three types. They are voluntary euthanasia, non-voluntary euthanasia and involuntaryRead MoreEuthanasia Should Be Legalized For Terminally Ill People1064 Words   |  5 PagesThe word euthanasia has a Greek meaning â€Å"the good death. On the other hand, in the society today, there are deeper and more meanings to euthanasia than before. Voluntary euthanasia concerns itself with the consent of the person to die through the assistance of others. Voluntary euthanasia can be divided into two areas: passive voluntary witch is holding back medical treatment with the patient’s request, active voluntary killing the patient at that patient s request informing the assistant on howRead MoreEuthanasia Is Not An Acceptable Form Of Euthanasia1556 Words   |  7 Pagesof patients by physicians, whether called â€Å"active euthanas ia† or simply â€Å"euthanasia,† is a topic of long-standing controversy† (Mappes, Zembaty, and DeGrazia 59). â€Å"Although active euthanasia is presently illegal in all fifty states and the District of Columbia, proposals for its legalization have been recurrently advanced. Most commonly, these proposals call for the legalization of active euthanasia. There are some who consider active euthanasia in any form intrinsically immoral and, for this reasonRead MoreEuthanasi An Incurable Form Of Cancer Essay1488 Words   |  6 Pagesthe history of the United States, we have seen certain rights once withheld from specific groups of people given to them through law. Women’s rights, civil rights, mentally-ill rights, and gay rights have been spotlighted in the political agenda. When legislation was passed providing rights to these groups of people, each topic was extremely controversial. However, looking back today on all of these decisions makes it clear that th e United States had come to the right conclusion benefiting our societyRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legal?1635 Words   |  7 Pagesand of right ought to be, entitled to make for themselves those decisions that most affect them. While it is true that we have no control over our births, at least we ought to have control over our deaths. We claim to be free people but someone else’s morals and standards could possibly govern the way we die. Medicine today makes it possible for patients who are living with unbearable pain to choose to die peacefully and with dignity. Physician-assisted suicide or active, voluntary euthanasia for anRead MoreThe Death Of Euthanasia And Euthanasia1502 Words   |  7 PagesEvery year as we grow older, the thought of our death constantly looms over us. We think of how we might die or when we will die. As we see the people we love around us begin to diminish, there is one situation that we all come across, the situation in which a beloved is stuck in a hospital bed, doomed to die, and we are faced with the decision of whether or not to allow the doctor to end their life immediately or to let them die naturally. Whether we die by our own hands or the hands of anotherRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legal?1656 Words   |  7 PagesIf we knew exactly when we were going to die – and knew for a fact it would be painless – it is a fair bet that that fear would simply melt away. According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, euthanasia is the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering (merriam-webster.com); also known as â€Å"mercy killing.† There are three classifications of euthanasia: voluntary euthanasia is performed with the patient s consent; non-voluntary euthanasia is