...Professor McDonald PHL 154: Moral Foundations December 10, 2012 Voluntary Active Euthanasia: Morally Impermissible Voluntary active euthanasia can be defined as “the intentional and direct termination of a person's life when that person is terminally ill or when his or her death is imminent, and where that person is a competent adult who voluntarily, consistently and repeatedly requests the termination of his or her life. A terminally ill person is defined as one who has an incurable or irreversible condition which is highly likely to cause his or her death within a relatively short time (six months or less) with or without treatment.” In the recent election, Massachusetts voters had an opportunity to allow such a procedure as a ballot referendum. Regardless of whether it is legally permissible or not, voluntary active euthanasia (hereafter “VAE”) is morally impermissible. A Natural Law Argument According to the ethics of natural law, “our primary life goal should be to realize as fully as we can our potential as human beings” (Harris 91). To do this, people should use the standard of human nature to act in a way that is in accordance with human nature (92). Our human nature is determined by the common natural inclinations of humans (93). Human nature can be determined the goals humans collectively strive for (93). These ‘natural inclinations’, as referred to by Aquinas, “reflect the structure of our human nature, which natural law directs us to follow” (93). ...
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...‘DON’T keep me going like a vegetable!’ I’ve said it myself to loved ones after dealing with a serious situation with a friend of the family after a stroke. After being resuscitated three times in one week, another elderly friend with a pacemaker wanted her life to end in peace. And so it goes with many terminally ill patients; they plead to die. For the doctors and judges this is a debatable question and for relatives a painful choice. But who really has the right to make the decision? Sometimes, there is a senseless prolonging of life within hospitals by the many machines that the patient is hooked up to and it seems like technology has taken over and these machines are the only thing keeping the person alive. When death is unavoidable and the prolonging of life is due extraordinary medical procedures and efforts, many questions arise regarding the right to die with dignity. I would like to think that I have some right in this regard to my final situation and have the option for my death to be agonizing or peaceful? Demonstration Moral Reasoning The utilitarian theory when applied to this very sensitive ethical question and topic offers a unique perspective. The overall general principles states that it’s a difficult task but morality should be guide and instruct each one of us so that our efforts are rational and not solely emotional. If this is the case with utilitarian theory I question, how is this possible with...
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...Jim W. lived in Louisiana and suffered from ALS. ALS is a disease that attacks the nervous system and slowly paralyzes the body. Over time, Jim's body will slowly lose function, but his mind will still continue to be conscious. Since Jim's diagnosis, he has thought about dying a physician-assisted death. Furthermore, Jim wanted to die from active voluntary euthanasia. Active euthanasia is when you take a definite action to end a person's life, including one's self (pg. 585). Voluntary euthanasia, on the other hand, is a case "in which a person ends his or her own life, either directly or by refusing treatment" (pg. 585). However, at the end, Jim was not able to go through was his original plan and ended up dying a slow passive voluntary death...
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...life, even though that person may be in immense amount of pain and rather die. This is where the debate over legalizing euthanasia comes in. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are very similar, however, dissimilar at the same time. In all technicality, physician-assisted suicide is the active form of euthanasia, and it gained popularity after the largely controversial case of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Comprehending the basic knowledge of euthanasia and its history will help one to understand why euthanasia is not such an unacceptable practice, but also why legalizing euthanasia can benefit many people. Euthanasia is derived from “the Greek word for ‘good death’” (Terri). This “may imply that the Greeks and Romans who coined the term agreed on the basic issues [of euthanasia although,] history shows on us that this is not the case” (McDougall 3). Until Christianity came about, if the person is suffering from immense pain and/or the quality of life is futile, a physician’s duty to kill was equated to the duty to heal. Unfortunately, euthanasia received a much more dramatic, negative reputation in Germany in the 1920s when people “who were handicapped, mentally ill, or in asylums … were killed in a program secretly approved by the government” (McDougall 5). This then lead to Adolf Hitler’s propaganda, which further the horrid image of euthanasia, though, euthanasia is indubitably not use to intentionally kill the impoverished...
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...Project Draft September 19, 2010 Euthanasia: The United States, since its short, but impactful existence, has been a beacon of hope to so many. From our uplifting constitution, to our extension of peace and aid to the less fortunate, we are for the most part a nation of compassion and empathy. Of course there are those who disagree (be it right or wrong) with these statements, but would never live anywhere else. I suppose the greatest part of this democracy is having the right to exercise and express an opinion, no matter how hot button the topic is. Some would say that our rights are being taken away lately, some would say they are protecting ourselves from, ourselves. Regardless of what you may believe in, what side you stay on, or whose football team you support, people as a whole possess the same wants, needs, and desires. How we choose to get to that destination is what may make us different. Regardless of where we come from, we all like to help others be it selfless or selfish, and rarely do we desire people to suffer….. Euthanasia is legal in many countries, but not in the land of the free. We will put animals to peace, not humans, yet there is a demand for equality. Euthanasia is defined as the act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment. Active Euthanasia, Passive Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide or Mercy...
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...The words “euthanasia” and “assisted suicide” are often used interchangeably. However, they are different and, in the law, they are treated differently. Euthanasia is defined as intentionally, knowingly and directly acting to cause the death of another person (A New Zealand Resource for Life Related Issue). There are two types of euthanasia: passive and active. Passive euthanasia is an act of hastening the death of a person by altering some form of support and letting nature take its course, for instance, removing life support equipment, stopping medical procedures, or stopping food and water and allowing the patient to dehydrate or starve to death. Active euthanasia involves causing the death of patient through a direct action, in response to a request from the patient. A well-known example of active euthanasia is the mercy killing injection to Thomas Youk, a patient suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, by Jack Kevorkian. Assisted suicide is defined as intentionally, knowingly and directly providing the means of death to another person so that the person can use that means to commit suicide (A New Zealand Resource for Life Related Issue), for example, providing a prescription for a lethal dose of...
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...(ACP-ASIM) does not support the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. The routine practice of physician-assisted suicide raises serious ethical and other concerns. Legalization would undermine the patient-physician relationship and the trust necessary to sustain it; alter the medical profession's role in society; and endanger the value our society places on life, especially on the lives of disabled, incompetent, and vulnerable individuals. The word ‘euthanasia’ is derived from the Greek work for ‘good death’ and originally referred to intentional mercy killing. Applied to our society, euthanasia is the merciful ending of life to release a person from unendurable pain and suffering, a terminal disease, or an undignified death. The act of euthanasia can be active or passive as well as voluntary or involuntary. An example of active euthanasia is when a doctor gives a patient a lethal dose of medicine. Passive euthanasia is when measures to prevent death are not taken, like declining life support. Voluntary euthanasia is when a person asks directly to...
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...Should euthanasia be an option for people in need? Known as the practice of assisted suicide by intentionally ending a life, euthanasia is a controversial and disputed subject, meaning easy or good death. Euthanasia’s medical definition is defined as the act or practice of killing terribly sick or injured people in a painless way or allowing them to take less than the medically approved procedures necessary to lengthen their life, for reasons of mercy. (Death Talk, pg. 101-102) Considered by many to be a form of murder being morally and ethically wrong by devaluing one’s life, euthanasia can serve a purpose. When there are no other alternatives to relieve suffering patients, they should then be allowed to have opportunity to choose euthanasia as an option. There are different variations of euthanasia known as passive, active, physician assisted and non-voluntary. Passive euthanasia is withdrawing life-sustaining treatments or withholding them with the slow intention of causing the patient’s death. In other words, a doctor can disconnect feeding tubes; turn off life support machines, not performing life-prolonging procedures, or not giving drugs to the patient. (Euthanasia: A Reference Handbook, pg. 2) Active euthanasia is the act of taking particular measures to cause the patient’s death, achieved by the request of the patient. Often times when it comes to active euthanasia, it is done by request. (Euthanasia: A reference Handbook, pg. 2) The difference between passive and...
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...dying, terminally ill and chronically in pain patient. Sometimes no matter what is available the patient is still in absolute misery. I feel that the patient should have a choice to end his own life and end his suffering. And I feel that Doctor’s should have the legal freedom to help these people to accomplish it. I feel very strongly that voluntary active euthanasia should be legal in our country as well as all other countries. “Voluntary active euthanasia is a well-established practice in The Netherlands. One of the interesting aspects of the Dutch system is its requirement that active euthanasia be available only if the patient is experiencing unbearable suffering (with no prospect of improvement), but there is no requirement that the patient be terminally ill. Another interesting feature of the Dutch system is its explicit acceptance of an advance-directive principle. That is, active euthanasia may be provided for patients who have become incompetent but who had clearly expressed their request for active euthanasia in a written declaration while competent” (David Degrazia, 2011). I feel that The Netherlands is handling euthanasia the same way I would argue for the United States to treat it also. There are many different...
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...Euthanasia: A Moral Dilemma The word euthanasia is derived from two Greek words, “eu” which means “good” and “thanatos” which means “death,” thus, you have the translation “good death.” For many, when faced with a terminal disease or injury, it is all they truly want. That is, the ability to choose the right to die, in lieu of, a slow and painful death. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Euthanasia as, “The act or practice of killing hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy,” and also, “The act of or practice of allowing a hopelessly sick or injured patient to die by taking less than complete medical measures to prolong life – mercy killing.” In those two separate definitions, you have the words that define the difference between active and passive euthanasia. “The act or practice of killing…” is what is termed as active euthanasia, in that it involves a person physically “doing” something to bring about the death of an individual. Whereas, “the act or practice of allowing…” is considered passive euthanasia, in that it allows a person to die. Normally, this entails the withholding or withdrawal of necessary medical equipment or medicine. Historically, both methods have evoked great emotional turmoil throughout society. Why? Because, it puts into dispute moral, cultural, social, and religious values that individual’s hold regarding their right to live, aswell as their right to die. Furthermore, individuals want to be able...
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...Euthanasia is a unique practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal disease/illness or an incurable condition by means of the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment or lethal injection. The history of this penomena dates back for centuries, but it wasn’t until 1906 when the first bill to legalize euthanasia in America was introduced in the Ohio legislature. For several years, legislatures have been turning down bills aimed at the legalization of euthanasia in the United States. In 1937, the Nebraska legislature voted down a bill legalizing voluntary active euthanasia in the U.S. Only two years later, the New York legislature rejected a bill that was also aimed at the legalization of euthanasia in the United States. “In 1991 the Washington State Initiative Bill legalizing voluntary euthanasia was narrowly defeated.” (6) In 1994, Oregon passed a law to allow doctors to prescribe lethal drugs, but an injunction prevented it from taking effect. As of today, euthanasia is illegal in almost every country. In fact, it is only legal in the state of Oregon and the Netherlands. These are the only two places in the world where laws specifically permit euthanasia or assisted suicide. Oregon permits assisted suicide while the Netherlands permits both euthanasia and assisted suicide. In 1995, Australia’s northern territory approved a euthanasia bill which went into effect in 1996, but it was overturned by the Australian Parliament in 1997. “Also, in 1997...
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...Moral Ethics Name Course Date Essay 1 Impact moral reasoning about the rights of animals Animal rights cover all aspects on wellbeing and how human beings are supposed to relate with animals. There are several theories that are introduced to present ethical relationship that exist between animals and human being. Moral equality theories develop equal considerations and other status of moral aspects that are accorded to animals. This is through refuting some of the moral relevancies of fore mentioning the special characters or properties of human perception as a being. Therefore, through the support of different theories, moral equality is also supposed to be extended to animal rights (Tännsjö, 2008.). This is on the ground of similarity of characteristics and qualities such as physiological and mental level in capacities. Therefore, through the moral impacts, reasoning about the animal rights is approached from different dimensions and concrete conclusion shows the need of having morals and ethical framework considering the rights of animals. Examples compact impacts ethical decisions about animals There are different examples that are used to illustrate the relationship that exist among animals and human being (Tännsjö, 2008.). The ethical morals are supposed to cover positive relationship that enhances better life of the animals. Therefore, the major ethical factor is ensuring safety of the animals. It helps to identify their health and ethical relationship through...
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...Euthanasia: The Right to Die Tiffany Jackson EG101_U7_IP Professor Weber Due date: 10/22/13 Euthanasia, also known as mercy killing, is the act or practice of ending someone’s life that is in consent pain or is suffering from an illness. There are at least two different kind of euthanasia that are common active and inactive. Whenever euthanasia is performed in an involuntary manner it is usually because the patient is unconscious, or in a vegetable state. People often wonder what would be the pros and cons to euthanasia from religion belief to people’s personal views. With all the debates going on in different countries euthanasia can be proven to be one of the most complicated and debatable topics. People may argue that the process of dying is a part of life. From what people research it showed that if they can make a law behind euthanasia, Article 29-B then having the right to die should not be that bad. Some may say that keeping patients alive may cost a lot of money and can put people in debt with doctor bills, hospital bills that to them seem unnecessary. The same energy that is put into keeping someone alive that does not want to live can be spent saving someone that has a chance in life. Some people may call this voluntary euthanasia. Most patients trust in their doctor to help them deal with their illness and help them stay healthy and fit. As their suffering increases, their self-respect decreases (Kamisar, Yale). Some people are afraid to die so they ask their...
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...Physician-assisted suicide also known as PAS, is a controversial topic everywhere; some believe if a patient is terminally ill then it should be permissible while others believe it is against their beliefs and religion to commit any type of suicide. Physician-assisted suicide is when a patient requests the help of digesting a lethal drug to quicken their death (United States Physician Assisted Suicide Law Summary and Law Digest par. 1). The most common patients to request assisted suicide are patients with cancer and AIDs. Active euthanasia is sometimes also considered physician-assisted suicide because it results in death from someone purposely doing something to the patient causing them to die; such as being injected with poison. Passive euthanasia is the withholding of a medical treatment for a patient, which is legal, but many come to be disagreed upon. Withholding food and water, turning off machines, and failing to resuscitate are prime examples of passive euthanasia (United States Physician Assisted Suicide Law Summary and Law Digest par. 1). There are currently three states that permit physician-assisted suicide, Washington and Oregon. On October 27, 1997, the Death with Dignity Act was passed in Oregon. The Death with Dignity Act states that an Oregonian that is terminally-ill has the right to voluntarily, self-administrate lethal medications with a prescription from their physician. On March 5, 2009, Washington passed the Death with Dignity Act and on December 31, 2009 Montana...
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...Physician-assisted suicide (PAS), also known as active euthanasia; involves the hastening of death through administration of a lethal dose of pharmaceutical drugs, at the request of the terminally-ill patient (Law Digest, 2013). This practice fueled debates about legal and ethical practices in the medical field. Suffering has always been a part of human existence, along with request’s to end these conditions. Death through PAS or euthanasia has been continuously controverted since the beginning of medicine. Advocates of physician assisted suicide feel they have the right to avoid excruciating pain, prolonged suffering, and embrace a timely and dignified death. Adversaries of PAS contend that physicians have a moral responsibility to keep their patients alive as determined in the Hippocratic Oath (one of the oldest binding documents written in history, still bring used by physicians). In 1990, Physician- Assisted Suicide became better known to the public when retired pathologist, Dr. Jack Kevorkian assisted his first patient, Janet Adkins, into death. News of Adkins’ death made him a national celebrity and criminal, but ultimately encouraged Kevorkian to rebel and proceed with what he considered, his duty. Murad Kevorkian, better known as Dr. Jack Kevorkian was born on May 26, 1928, in Pontiac, Michigan. He was the middle of 3 children (two girls and himself), born to Levon and Satenig Kevorkian; Armenian immigrants and refugees. Jack had appreciation for his strict...
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