Consider the major arguments for and against voluntary, involuntary and non-voluntary Euthanasia.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Shaun Kennedy

Essay on Euthanasia

Voluntary Euthanasia is a choice made by a person who may be suffering from an illness or disease and has come to the conclusion that they want their life to come to an end. A utilitarian approach to this conclusion made by a person can work both ways by either agreeing or disagreeing with the person. Being a utilitarian is all about doing what is better for the greater good, so on one hand you may have him saying that it will minimise suffering and may eventually lead to a change in the law where euthanasia will be made legal in more countries. But on the other hand you may have him saying that a greater number pf people want the person to live and it could also be the start of a slippery slope where more and more people will request euthanasia for less of a reason. So for a utilitarian it could swing either way of what they think about it. The same applies for a deontologist he could also think it is right or wrong to request voluntary euthanasia because he may say that everyone has the right to determine his or her own destiny but being a deontologist means living my a set of rules and if the deontologist was catholic he would say it was wrong because no one should take anyone’s life and that it is up to God to do so. Emotivists would also have something to say on the matter and would say that a persons view on euthanasia is just an expression of emotion as where a Utilitarian saying voluntary euthanasia is right is merely just expressing compassion.

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Involuntary euthanasia, this is where the person doesn’t want euthanasia and has gone against there will in making them have it, this could also be looked at as murder. The only real way of justifying this is by a person who believes that they can decide that someone else’s life is valueless even though the person would disagree an example of this could be that someone has said whilst they were well that they would never want euthanasia but then they have got really ill and someone else decides there life isn’t worth living and is valueless. From a utilitarian view point he would say that it may be for the greater good that this person was to die and may bring greater happiness to more than it doesn’t but he may also say that we are going down the wrong path in doing this and trying to play the part of God in deciding who should live and who shouldn’t. A deontologist would say involuntary euthanasia is going against someone’s wishes and that everyone should have their right to determine what happens to them and with them. He would also say that the bible says ‘Thou shall not kill’ so either way a deontologist would say that involuntary euthanasia is wrong. Again an Emotivist would say that we are just expressing our emotions on what we believe to be right or wrong.

Non-voluntary euthanasia is where the person with the illness or disease is not in a position to choose because of their illness so a family member makes the choice. A utilitarian talking about this would say that it may be right because it may be what the person would want and would be for the greater good but on the other hand it may put fear into other people making them think that once they aren’t able to make decisions for themselves that the decision for them to die is put in someone else’s hands, a utilitarian would not want a society like this. A deontologist would argue that it is a persons duty to alleviate suffering and not to let someone continue with their life if deemed unnecessary, but he would also again have to bring up the set of rules that says about not killing.