...take the life of an innocent person? Euthanasia, or the practice of ending the life of a terminally ill person, stirs controversy. There are several different categories of euthanasia. There are also many laws and requirements for euthanasia to be performed. Euthanasia and its laws have adapted according to changes in the U.S. culture over the years that euthanasia has been performed. What is euthanasia? When a person decides that they no longer want to live and want to end their lives medically it is known as assisted suicide which is known as euthanasia. (Pereira) Euthanasia is when a medically trained professional lethally injects a medicine that will cause the patient to face a non...
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...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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...2013 Active and Passive Euthanasia Most moral codes state that killing another human being is morally wrong. I would agree that to kill another human being in the heat of anger, for material gain or in the event of committing a crime would be morally wrong. But I feel that our moral codes are lacking in certain areas and do not take into account some situations where killing another human being would be morally acceptable. This type of killing would be to end the person’s suffering only. These cases the killing would be called active and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia “taking a direct action to kill someone, to carry out a “mercy killing”. (Vaughn, 2010) “Passive Euthanasia is allowing someone to die by not doing something-by withholding or withdrawing measures necessary for sustaining life.” (Vaughn, 2010) In today’s medical profession, defining death has become more difficult, as technology has provided physicians and medical staff the ability to prolong a patient’s life by artificial means. In years gone by, once a patient’s heart stopped beating and respiration stopped, a person was declared dead. Today, machines can keep a patient’s blood flowing, heart beating and lungs breathing, thus technically keeping the patient alive, possibly for years with no hope of a full recovery, only to live in a vegetative state. In cases such as these, passive euthanasia is allowable by law, withholding food and water, allowing the patient to die, but active euthanasia...
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...Active Voluntary Euthanasia Active voluntary euthanasia can be considered a number of things, whether it is suicide or physician assisted suicide. Throughout this class, we have discussed various articles that dig into this issue and that I will be using in this paper to demonstrate what is accepted, and what is not by some of society’s leading scholars. Also, I will insert my own input to these views and offer more insight on what I believe is reasonable when it comes to active voluntary euthanasia. To begin, I will start off with Immanuel Kant’s article, “The Morality of Suicide.” Kant first discusses his views on people’s obligations to their own bodies. He talks about the right of freedom that we are all given, and that this freedom is to be used so as to protect life in a way. He argues that using freedom in ways that “abolish life” is “producing lifelessness,” and is therefore “self-contradictory” (385). To sum this part up, Kant believes that human beings should not “have the power to dispose of” their lives (385). After establishing his thoughts in this region, he moved on to that of suicide, which is his almost entirely against. He first comes across the argument saying that suicide is acceptable because “man is a free agent” (385). He counters this argument by explaining that yes man is a free agent, but that we are free to the point of “self-preservation” (385). To me, this means that we do things in life by our own choice, but usually these choices are made...
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...Euthanasia The term comes from the Greek word “euthanatos” which means easy death. Accordingly, to Ahmed A., Demydenko G. Euthanasia is an assisted death. More precisely, it is a termination of a sick person's life in order to help them from their suffering and the issue of allowing assisted death has been at concern of many debates for years. James Rachels, the professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the author of “The End of life: Euthanasia a Morality (1986)” and also the editor of “the Right thing to do (1989)”, considered in the essay of Active and Passive Euthanasia in The new England Journal of Medicine, the differences between active and passive Euthanasia. He offered radical critique of a distinction common among ethics of medicals. According to...
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...Is there a fine line between killing someone intentionally, or not doing anything and letting victims die? What’s the real moral code? The legalization of euthanasia is a very controversial topic. It’s a topic that opinionated between many different religions and moral beliefs’ throughout the world on it. Personally, I do believe in the method of passive euthanasia, but I am against active euthanasia. The different between active and passive euthanasia is a very thin line. Active euthanasia is a method that medical personnel use to do kill someone on purpose that basis the patient to die (BBC, 2014). Passive euthanasia happens when patients die due to the fact that medical personnel don't do anything required to keep their patient alive or when they stop doing something that is keeping the patient alive any longer(BBC, 2014)....
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...saying that euthanasia is not morally justifiable, and some people feel that it goes against one's human rights, people feel that it is not ethical. There are many aspects that are included in the interest that people have in this specific topic (Brock, 2012). Some feel that Active Euthanasia is wrong because one is physically committing murder, ending a individual's life, and feel that it is wrong because it is considered a crime in Canada (Jecker, Jenson,2007). Many individuals are against euthanasia in Canada, however some argue that Passive is not wrong and Active euthanasia is, however in this paper I will be arguing that the two types of euthanasia are morally justifiable (Jecker, Jenson, 2007). I argue that Active,...
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...Active vs. Passive Euthanasia 1. Question What is the difference between active and passive euthanasia and is one form better or worse than the other when it comes to ending someone’s life? 2. Introduction There are a few differences between active and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia involves assisting someone that is dying so they die quicker and painlessly. Whereas, passive euthanasia involves letting someone that is sick die by not prolonging their life with medication. It does not involve “killing” them, but instead letting their ailment take them more slowly. Is one of these methods more humane than the other when someone is dying? Is it more acceptable to let someone suffer for a longer period of time? Or would it be better to assist someone that is dying to end his or her life with dignity? 3. Position Statement Someone that is ready to die should be allowed to chance to die with dignity and with active euthanasia, as long as they are in the right frame of mind to make that decision. 4. Supporting Reason Allowing someone that is terminally ill or dying to die with dignity gives respect to the person in his or her last days. If someone is dying and they want to end their life, and not suffer, they should be allowed to have help from doctors to make that decision. The alternative would be to have them suffer for the remainder of their days, waiting for their time to die. This can cause depression and feelings of hopelessness. Not a good way...
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...James Rachel in his article “Active and Passive Euthanasia” argues that there is no difference between active and passive euthanasia. Active Euthanasia is characterized by a doctor giving a patient a lethal injection that would end the patient’s life. Passive euthanasia is when the doctor will either withhold or withdraw treatment with the goal of ending the patient’s life. The first premise describing that it is sometimes morally wrong for doctors to withhold treatment is explained by the fact that the only difference in the Euthanasia’s is by how fast the patient actually dies. In active Euthanasia the result is almost instantaneous while in regard to passive euthanasia the patient might suffer as they die naturally without any help...
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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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...The Disparity of Active and Passive Euthanasia The year 1976, as a law professor at Rutgers Law School and an author of multiple medical books named Norman L. Cantor recounted, faced a time of controversy in the medical field. A twenty-one-year-old woman named Karen Ann Quinlan became the topic of discussion after she suffered irreversible brain damage caused by drug and alcohol abuse. She fell into a permanent coma and was connected to a respirator in order to keep her heart beating; she received her nutrition and hydration from tubes. Her parents, after much deliberation, elected to remove their unresponsive daughter from life-support apparatuses. Due to a ruling of the New Jerseyan state court, her mother and father’s wishes were fulfilled....
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...The Morality of Euthanasia Euthanasia is a topic that is debated quite often, but do people actually understand what euthanasia is. Euthanasia is a Greek term that means a painless and easy death. There are many different kinds of euthanasia, but the one that we are going to focus on today is active voluntary euthanasia. Active voluntary euthanasia is when medication is given intentionally with the consent of the patient to end their life. I will argue that active voluntary euthanasia is moral because it allows the patient to medically choose to end their suffering and to choose their own consequences for their life. Euthanasia is something that needs to be discussed with all those involved with the patient’s medical condition. This would...
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...First I would explain the difference between active euthanasia and then I would explain patient assisted suicide their similarities as well as the distinctions between the two. Active euthanasia, also known as mercy killing, is defined as ending one’s life in a deliberate and peaceful manner. It occurs when a doctor is the one that gives his/her patient lethal medication to purposely end their life and to relieve the unstoppable pain and suffering that their patient is enduring. There is also another form of euthanasia, and that is passive euthanasia. Passive euthanasia occurs when medical professionals either don’t do something necessary to keep the patient alive or stop doing something that is necessary to keep the patient alive. Morally...
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...basis of reducing suffering then they can do better with active euthanasia. He points out the inconsistency in discontinuing medical support but not going further with active euthanasia, because he sees no moral distinction between active and passive euthanasia, they are both intentional acts to terminate a life. Simply letting someone die is morally the same as killing someone so why is one more acceptable than the other? When a doctor lets a patient die, the doctor is not doing anything. In other words, contrary to how it may seem, doctors are acting by not acting. One is acting in the choice to not do anything. Rachel uses the example of a situation in which a doctor does not treat a patient of a life-threatening illness that is known to be treatable. By withholding treatment, the doctor is actually committing murder, However in a scenario where the illness is terminal withholding treatment is an acceptable practice based on the patient’s wishes. In these scenarios, active euthanasia would seem to be more humane but is not legal or acceptable. It seems to me that Rachel puts doctors in a situation where they must strictly either be torturers or murderers. In choosing to prolong the patient’s life, the doctor is criticized for prolonging suffering. If it is decided that medical support should no longer be given, the doctor is immediately a murderer. This is supported by Rachel’s’ argument that passive and active euthanasia have...
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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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