Why Is Euthanasia Ethically Wrong

Words: 420

Pages: 2

Open Document

The debate over the legality and ethicality of euthanasia and/or physician-assisted suicide in America was stimulated in the late 1900s by the coverage of Kevorkian’s story in national media. The increasing knowledge of euthanasia led many Americans who might've never heard of the term or the stigma surrounding it to voice their opinion either for or against the procedure. Many pro-euthanasia groups gained popularity around this time including Death with Dignity and The Hemlock Society, these organizations defend the legalization of Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. One chief argument by these organizations involves the willingness of the patient to participate in the procedure. In an article by GaleGroup.com titled Assisted Suicide this argument is discussed, it says, “Death with Dignity, an aid-in-dying advocacy group, argues that using the term suicide when discussing aid-in-dying is inaccurate. A patient must be …show more content…
To illustrate, anti-assisted suicide arguments are built on the fear that doctors will euthanize someone without their consent due to lack of understanding of the procedure or inability to voice their opinion, a quote by GaleGroup.com in an article titled Assisted Suicide, this idea is clarified, it says “Many of those who oppose physician-assisted suicide refer to the potential for abuse or misapplication of the practice, particularly regarding vulnerable and aging patients.” Naturally, people are going to assume doctors will abuse their power if given the option to perform euthanasia, making this a strong argument against physician-assisted suicide. For instance, Dr. Jack Kevorkian was accused of abusing his ability to perform euthanasia in an instance when only after he had assisted his patient did the media come to find out the patient wasn’t terminally ill but instead was suffering from

Why Is Euthanasia Ethically Wrong

The word Euthanasia comes from the greek word eu thanatos, which means dignified death. Many can argue that the act of this assisted suicide is drastically different from a dignified death, but more along the lines of a murder. The following subject is a very frequent topic in today’s society, and is something that many people have different views towards. Euthanasia is the act of allowing a physician to take a patient's life due to immense suffering. This is illegal in many states, but is on the…

Words 1908 - Pages 8

Essay on Voluntary EuthanasiaThe Case ForElizabeth S DavisNational

Voluntary Euthanasia The Case For Elizabeth S. Davis National American University Abstract The purpose of this paper is to define euthanasia as well as give a brief history of the debate throughout the years. Then the author will show the reader that there is no reason as to why euthanasia has not been legalized. This paper will walk you through many aspects and issues of the debate and try to disprove those who wish to see the debate buried. Euthanasia is the act…

Words 2707 - Pages 11

Essay about Euthanasia and Suicide

Assisted suicide has been an uprising issue politically and ethically. Many politicians try to avoid the subject while campaigning merely because it is a topic that’s so complex. The community has a strong feeling when euthanasia is brought into a subject of matter. Euthanasia is Greek for “good death” meaning of ending life in a painless manner. If a person feels as if they want to go due to the fact of some form of suffering, they can ask a licensed doctor to euthanize them, which can painlessly…

Words 917 - Pages 4

A Right to Die Essay

life. Does she have the right to die? Or is that morally wrong? Despite the emotional pull of stories like this, I believe evidence leads to the conclusion that we should not legalize euthanasia or physician assisted suicide. Instead, our society should embrace a life-giving health care system that includes compassionate care for the dying, and educating patients about the right to refuse troublesome medical care. Before delving into euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide, it is first necessary…

Words 2740 - Pages 11

Annotated Bibliography Essay

Annotated bibliography "Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide, and Patient Rights." Louisiana Right to Life Federation. Louisiana Right to Life Foundation, 2008. Web. 06 Feb. 2015. Louisiana Right to Life Federation (LARTL), established in 1970, is an opposer to abortion, euthanasia, and "other life destroying actions." this organization advocates for the right to life and promotes pro-life legislation throughout Louisiana. In this article, it describes what euthnasia is, arguments for and against the issue…

Words 1152 - Pages 5

Active Euthanasia with parental consent Essays

Active Euthanasia with Parental Consent Euthanasia, the ‘mercy killing’, has definitely been one of the most difficult ethical dilemmas. Euthanasia is defined “an action or an omission, aimed at and causally implicated in, the death of another for her/his own sake” (Foot, 1997, as cited in Robert, 2004, p. 145). Euthanasia differs from murder, because the action causing the death is for the sake of the person to be killed. Someone might say that the person wanted to die anyway, so why ending…

Words 2032 - Pages 9

death by choice Essay

Euthanasia Euthanasia, assisted suicide, mercy killing, whatever you want to call it is a topic that is argued by many people and debated by groups all around the world. It has been the means of thousands of protests; every time a family member or the patient themself wants to “pull the plug” there is always people wondering why. Society seems to have an input as well. Although, it should not be up to society to decide what is best for the man or woman on their deathbed. Society has no right…

Words 2309 - Pages 10

Euthanasia: Ethics and Life Essay

TASK 1 1. What is Euthanasia? Euthanasia is the act of intentionally killing someone to end suffering. To support this definition quoting from the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: euthanasia is ("an action or omission which of itself and by intention causes death, in order that all suffering may be eliminated.")- John Paul II's encyclical letter Number 65. Euthanasia comes from the greek word euthanatos : 'well' 'death' Euthanasia can be considered: voluntary - with the active…

Words 7350 - Pages 30

Animal Abuse Research Paper

breed the dog every time she is in heat, and for instance, a five year old dog could have given birth to ten litters of puppies. Every year, retail pet stores across sell five-hundred thousand dogs, while five to seven million dogs enter a shelter? Why bred more and let them grow in an unhealthy environment when humans can home the animals that are in need of…

Words 701 - Pages 3

Assisted Suicide Research Paper

saying is pretty much accurate, as long as you are a law abiding citizen. The world is not so black and white. I believe that we live in the world of different shades of greys. Nothing in life is a simple as a yes/no or right/wrong. People should be able to decided their fate and their choice along should supersede anyone elses. One should be able to choose to live the type of life they want. If they are dealt with a bad hand in health…

Words 2343 - Pages 10