Question

3 pages essay against Euthanasia including a thesis statement

Answer 1

Euthanasia

Euthanasia, also called mercy killing, act or practice of painlessly putting to death persons suffering from painful and incurable disease or incapacitating physical disorder or allowing them to die by withholding treatment or withdrawing artificial life-support measures.

Euthanasia is performed by the attending physician administering a fatal dose of a suitable drug to the patient on his or her express request. ... Palliative sedation is not a form of euthanasia: the patient is simply rendered unconscious with pain reducing drugs and eventually dies from natural causes.

There are several types of euthanasia, i.e.,

Assisted suicide vs. euthanasia

• Assisted suicide is sometimes called physician-assisted suicide (PAS). PAS means a doctor knowingly helps someone end their life. This person is likely experiencing persistent and unending suffering. They may have also received a terminally ill diagnosis. Their doctor will determine the most effective, painless method.

In manyTrusted Source cases, doctors will provide people with a drug they can take to end their life. A lethal dose of opioids, for example, may be prescribed for this. In the end, it’s up to the person to decide whether they take the drug.

• With euthanasia, a doctor is allowed to end the person’s life by painless means. For example, an injection of a lethal drug may be used.

Active vs. passive

• When most people think of euthanasia, they think of a doctor directly ending someone’s life. This is known as active euthanasia. Purposely giving someone a lethal dose of a sedative is considered active euthanasia.
• Passive euthanasia is sometimes described as withholding or limiting life-sustaining treatments so that a person passes more quickly. A doctor may also prescribe increasingly high doses of pain-killing medication. Overtime, the doses may become toxic.

Voluntary vs. nonvoluntary

• If someone makes a conscious decision to seek help with ending their life, it’s considered voluntary euthanasia. The person must give their full consent and demonstrate that they fully understand what will happen.
• Nonvoluntary euthanasia involves someone else making the decision to end someone’s life. A close family member usually makes the decision. This is generally done when someone is completely unconscious or permanently incapacitated. It usually involves passive euthanasia, such as withdrawing life support from someone who’s showing no signs of brain activity.

Not only euthanasia gives 'Right to die' for the terminally ill, but also 'Right to life' for the organ needy patients. Constitution of India reads 'right to life' is in positive direction of protecting life.

Euthanasia devalue human life?

Devalues some lives. Some people fear that allowing euthanasia sends the message, "it's better to be dead than sick or disabled". The subtext is that some lives are not worth living. Not only does this put the sick or disabled at risk, it also downgrades their status as human beings while they are alive.

Not every killing is an act of euthanasia, but all euthanasia is killing. Furthermore, even though the Greek roots appear to imply moral “goodness,” the term “euthanasia” itself has no intrinsic moral value: an act of euthanasia may be moral or immoral depending on the context and on society's values.

Controversy around euthanasia

There are many arguments both for and against euthanasia and PAS (Physician assisted suicide). Most of these arguments fall into four main categories:

• Morality and religion

  Some people believe euthanasia is murder and find it unacceptable for moral reasons. Many also argue that the ability to decide your own death weakens the sanctity of life. In addition, many churches, religious groups, and faith organizations argue against euthanasia for similar reasons.

• Physician judgement

  PAS is only legal if someone is mentally capable of making the choice. However, determining someone’s mental capabilities isn’t very straightforward. One studyTrusted Source found that doctors aren’t always capable of recognizing when someone is fit to make the decision.

• Ethics

  Some doctors and opponents of PAS are concerned about the ethical complications doctors could face. For more than 2,500 years, doctors have taken the Hippocratic oath. This oath encourages doctors to care for and never harm those under their care.

  Some argue that the Hippocratic oath supports PAS since it ends suffering and brings no more harm. On the other hand, some debate it results in harm to the person and their loved ones, who must watch their loved one suffer.

• Personal choice

  “Death with dignity” is a movement that encourages legislatures to allow people to decide how they want to die. Some people simply don’t want to go through a long dying process, often out of concern of the burden it puts on their loved ones.

Euthanesia as medical practice to end someones life who is suffering endless pain or brain death is a concept of "right to die".