Similarities Between Euthanasia And Utilitarianism

Threatening to diminish the value of life is very dangerous. Euthanasia, also called mercy killing, is the practice of doctors intentionally ending a terminally ill patient’s life in what is purportedly a gentle and dignified manner. The term originated in ancient Greek and means “easy death.” Doctors perform euthanasia by administering lethal drugs or by withholding treatment that would prolong the patient’s life. Physician-assisted suicide is also a form of euthanasia, but the difference between the two methods is that in euthanasia, doctors end the patient’s life with lethal injections, whereas, in physician-assisted suicide, patients kill themselves with a lethal amount of drugs prescribed by the doctors.

Rule utilitarians might also argue that allowing euthanasia is a way to improve the quality of life for individuals who are facing terminal illness or unbearable suffering. If an individual's quality of life is inferior, they might feel that their life is not worth living and that ending their own life is the only option. Allowing euthanasia in these cases might be seen as a way to promote overall happiness by allowing individuals to make decisions that reflect their values and

The argument that I am analyzing is found in Philippa Foot’s article Euthanasia. This specific section starts at the beginning on page 88. This argument starts once she talks about the true meaning of Euthanasia and the difficulty in how people see or perceive it. In Foot 's article, she wants to prove that an act of euthanasia is morally permissible, as long as you’re performing it for the right cause or reasons. Foot defines euthanasia as "a matter of opting for death for the good of the one who is to die."

Moreover, euthanasia may also serve as an option for families to prevent further expenses for patients that only exist due to life support. Aside from that, international codes and laws for human protection against medical

Dr. Clarke states that, “so long as the person is a mentally competent adult and his family or doctor are willing to help...then no one else is harmed” (Clarke 4). When an adult chooses euthanasia they are doing so because their life no longer holds any more value to them, they can not keep seeking their individuality, and ultimately it does not cause harm to the community. By “appreciating the deeper meanings of individuality” (Clarke 4) we understand that euthanasia does not cause harm to a person or even their community and further guarantees

This is relevant to euthanasia since it means ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. Ending someone’s life might seem cruel at first, but looking at the bigger picture, euthanasia can benefit the patient from relieving pain, and it allows family members to mentally prepare themselves, so they can also catch the patients last words. Everything is planned, so funerals, last words, and many other things can be planned by the patient.

Assisted suicide Euthanasia is mercy way of helping a patient who is suffering from severe pain from a certain injury or disease to get rid of this pain by mercy killing or assisted suicide. Euthanasia is killing the patient without any rights of taking his own soul which is a gift from god just because he is feeling the pain which could be cured or healed in the future, also refusing medicines and drugs is kind of legal euthanasia even if it is a cause of financial problems. This essay will outline the arguments against euthanasia as no human being should have the right to kill another person even with his permission to avoid suffering from certain pain. Different religions had prohibited euthanasia, there are different ethical arguments as there must be respect for the sanctity of life and all lives must be equal in value, no life is more worth than other just because of suffering pain or injury, some practical problem which make it more prohibitive as there is no way of regulating euthanasia and also gives doctor too much power. So I totally believe that Euthanasia should be banned globally for religious, ethical and practical reasons.

In this circumstances, there is no difference of involuntary euthanasia between killing, so euthanasia could not be legalized as a

In addition, Williams states that this “policy is a slippery slope” for non-voluntary euthanasia and others may decide for the patient what they think is best, even when the patient does not have a say. William strongly believes that “the dangers of euthanasia are too great to all run the risk of approving it in any form” (William

Many pro-euthanasia believers will use the autonomy argument and debate the opinion that patients should have the right to choose when and how to they want to die. In an article in the Houston Chronicle, Judge Reinhardt ruled on this topic by stating “a competent, terminally-ill adult, having lived nearly the full measure of his life, has a strong liberty interest in choosing a dignified and humane death… (De La Torre).” However, dignity cannot be measured by the level of pain or the speed in which the individual dies, because it is already a characteristic of a person’s worth as a human being (Middleton). Allowing a patient to live their life to the fullest until the very end is surely a more humane and dignified death then cutting that life short in fear of what it is coming through the practice of euthanasia. While death for these patients can be a sad ending, it does not have to condemn a person to a remaining life of sadness and negativity.

Euthanasia is usually used to refer to active euthanasia, and in this sense, euthanasia is usually considered to be criminal homicide, but voluntary, passive euthanasia is widely non-criminal. Voluntary Euthanasia is conducted with the consent of the patient while Involuntary Euthanasia is conducted against the will of the patient. Beginning with the philosophical aspects of euthanasia we must first understand the importance of the sanctity of life. Human life is sacred because God made humankind in His own image, and that each individual human

INTRODUCTION Euthanasia alludes to the act of deliberately close a life keeping in mind the end goal to assuage torment and enduring. There are different euthanasia laws in each country. The British House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics defines euthanasia as "a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering".[1] In the Netherlands, euthanasia is understood as "termination of life by a doctor at the request of a patient"". Euthanasia is sorted in diverse ways, which incorporate voluntary, non-voluntary, or automatic.

467). For instance, prolonging the life of a patient who has an incurable illness will only serve to extend the duration of their illness resulting in dissatisfaction with their quality of life. Watching and/or caring for a terminally ill loved one can also take a toll on the family’s well-being, leading to feelings of burnout and unhappiness (Quaghebeur et al., 2009, p. 469). However, when a patient with a terminal illness, is able to receive voluntary active euthanasia, they will experience happiness as they are able to alleviate their agony. As well, once the terminally ill patient is at peace, their family members will feel relief and happiness knowing that their loved one is no longer suffering (Quaghebeur et al., 2009, p. 469).

THE EUTHANASIA CONTROVERSY Summary Euthanasia has constantly been a heated debate amongst commentators, such as the likes of legal academics, medical practitioners and legislators for many years. Hence, the task of this essay is to discuss the different faces minted on both sides of the coin – should physicians and/or loved ones have the right to participate in active euthanasia? In order to do so, the essay will need to explore the arguments for and against legalizing euthanasia, specifically active euthanasia and subsequently provide a stand on whether or not it should be an accepted practice.

Another form of euthanasia, we should clarify is passive euthanasia, this is when life sustaining measures are terminated at the patients’ request. Such as the