What is Euthanasia?
Question One: What is Euthanasia? Euthanasia is defined in the Chamber's English Dictionary as "the act or practice of putting someone painlessly or as gently as possible, to death". There are various forms of Euthanasia, which I must explain before referring to the teachings of the different Christian denominations. The most common of them is Voluntary Euthanasia, where the patient decides for themselves, that they would prefer to be dead. They might decide at the time, or perhaps they might have written a 'living will' instructing doctors to kill them if they are ever in a situation where they will never be conscious again. There is also In-voluntary Euthanasia, were someone else decides against the patient's wishes that would be better off dead, and enforces it in the act of killing them. Therefore it is often out-classed as Euthanasia, because it is not 'gentle'. Non-voluntary Euthanasia takes place in a situation where the patient cannot be asked, or more correctly, cannot answer. This may be because the victim is a baby and can't speak yet, or perhaps the victim is in a coma and is unable to respond to people around him, but in this case a relative or doctor will decide for the person. It is also important to distinguish the difference between killing someone (Active), and letting them die (Passive). Killing a person is expressed in an action. An example of this
What is Euthanasia?
What Is Euthanasia? One of the biggest problems in discussing the rights and wrongs of euthanasia is that people use the word to mean different things. For some of us, euthanasia conjures up pictures of granny snuggling under the duvet as her doctor mixes the fatal potion at her bedside. Others might associate it with the decision to turn off the life support machine attached to an unconscious road accident victim. Yet for others euthanasia will bring to mind something more personal - we may be reminded of a friend or relative who died in what seemed like unnecessary pain. Could 'euthanasia' have been an option there? A lot depends on what we mean by the word 'euthanasia'. Because unless we know what we're talking about, we won't be able to decide whether it is right or wrong. And the best place to start is to find out what euthanasia is not! What Euthanasia Is Not In the examples that follow we can see that the doctor has no intention of killing his patient - that is why they do not count as 'euthanasia'. Stopping treatment If a person is near death, a doctor may decide to stop life prolonging treatment. This may be because the drugs and treatment are no longer giving effect or because their side effects are causing the patient a lot of distress for very little gain. This is not euthanasia. Doctors should be able to recognise when a person is dying and should do all they
What is euthanasia?
What is euthanasia? Religious Education Course Work By Arran O'Reilly Euthanasia means an easy death. There are two types of euthanasia one is voluntary this is when a patient is sick with no way of recovering, and they want to end there life earlier than they would naturally. What is different between suicide and euthanasia is the person is unable to kill them self so a friend or member of family will do it for them or it has been legalized in some countries. A patient could ask for a doctor's opinion to have an injection that will cause a patient to fall a sleep then fall in to a coma and die. Although in England it is illegal and in many people have helped a loved one die and been taken to court and tried for murder for instance the following text has been article taken from the daily mirror in 2005 and was about a man who help his wife die. 'A devoted husband who killed his dying wife of 50 years to spare her more suffering has been shown mercy. Retired nurse Donald Mawditt, seventy two, suffocated his wife Maureen, seventy, after she had begged him to release her from pain and misery of hearted and liver complaints.' The above are cases of voluntary euthanasia there is another type known as compulsory a prime example of this was during world war two where Hitler's Nazi regime would decide that certain groups of people for example Jews did not deserve to live
What is meant by euthanasia?
Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease. Euthanasia may be carried out in the form of assisted suicide, voluntary active euthanasia or involuntary euthanasia. Euthanasia is usually carried out when it is better for a patient to die than to stay alive. Euthanasia is a matter that has caused great controversy in a number of South African court cases in the past and has usually been justified by doing what is in the best interests of the patient as we see in the case Clarke v Hurst1 In Discussion paper 71 the first critical question identified was whether, and if so, under what circumstances, the medical practitioner would be entitled to disconnect the life sustaining system of a person who was being kept 'alive' by a heart lung-machine or ventilator. In order to answer this question it was necessary to determine precisely when death sets in, and this is relatively the same medical question faced in Clarke v Hurst for the court to make a judgement. People especially moralists and persons with strong religious beliefs, often speculate in metaphysical ways about the concepts of life and death. Quite often qualities are attributed to the concept of life that gives it an esoteric meaning, for example that life should be equated with a decent existence or one associated with consciousness and on
What is meant by euthanasia?
Euthanasia Euthanasia has recently been legalised in Holland (where it has been practiced for many years anyway) which brings back to life the debate about it's acceptance throughout Europe. To commit suicide (or to take one's life) is not actually a crime in the UK as there is not much that the law can do to punish someone for taking their own life. However if you were to help someone take their own life you could be charged with murder or manslaughter and face up to a life sentence in prison! There are two types of Euthanasia there is: Voluntary Euthanasia: This is where a person has a painful or terminal disease and cannot do anything for themselves, so they ask someone to kill them painlessly and mercifully so as to put them out of their misery. This is mainly to avoid suffering which they know will come with a slow and painful death (which is inevitable in their case). The most common form would be a doctor injecting them with a lethal dose of painkillers, which would cause him or her absolutely no pain at all, pain which they would suffer if left to die naturally. Non-Voluntary Euthanasia (also known as mercy killing): This is where a person is not kept alive as they are seen as having a life worse than death. This decision is made because the person concerned cannot make a decision for his or herself e.g. babies born with terrible abnormalities and in great pain;
What is meant by euthanasia?
The word "euthanasia" has a Greek origin and in it's original form meant a good and honourable death, which would be pleasant and painless. In medical terms it was taken to mean the kindness offered to a person who was terminally ill by medical staff in order to lessen their pain and suffering. However, in recent times the term "euthanasia" has come to be used to describe a gentle and easy death, for those who are incurably ill. It is sometimes referred to as "mercy killing." "Passive or negative euthanasia" involves not doing something to prevent death-(i.e.), allowing someone to die. While "active or positive euthanasia" involves making a decision and taking deliberate action to cause a death in order to lessen suffering. In the case of someone who is very ill the relatives may make this decision on behalf of the person in question. Both of these acts are illegal under the present law. "Voluntary Euthanasia" is the act if terminating the life of somebody painlessly on his or her request, or on the request of his or her legal representative. Under the present law, voluntary euthanasia is considered illegal. However, a significant number of organisations are campaigning at present for this law to be reconsidered. Organisations supporting the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia were established in Britain in 1935 and in the United States in 1938. These organisations
What is meant by euthanasia?
Lilian Kim Miss Finch English 9 Honors 28 May 2002 "Euthanasia" Euthanasia derives from the Greek for "good death," but in today's world, different people whose viewpoints are influenced by religion, other people, and morals, perceive euthanasia differently. The history of euthanasia dates back to the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. In those times, putting people to death was considered allowable in some situations. (Beauchamp, 1) For example in the ancient Greek city of Sparta, strength was the highest priority because Sparta was a military city-state. Therefore if weak, severely defected babies were born, they were put to death. In several ancient societies, voluntary euthanasia was acceptable for the elderly. As time went on, polytheism declined and began to fade away. In it's place, Christianity took over. Christians found euthanasia to be ethically and morally wrong, and also a violation of God's gift of life. Due to these new viewpoints, euthanasia became less and less common and was not practiced as much. (Beauchamp, 2) There are many viewpoints on this subject of matter. These opposing viewpoints will be discussed throughout the paper. There are many different types of euthanasia. First off, the general definition of euthanasia is the intentional killing of another person by act of negligence of a dependent human being for his or her own
What is meant by euthanasia?
Euthanasia Euthanasia is popularly taken to mean the practise of helping severely-ill people die, either at their request or by the doctor deciding to withdraw life suport. Euthanasia is currently illegal in the United Kingdom and therefore medical workers refuse to help any patients in need. Euthanasia comes in different forms: voluntary and involuntary, involuntary being where a doctor, friends and family decide when the person involved cannot do so themselves and voluntary being where it is the person's own choice. There is also passive and active euthanasia. Passive is when the medication is discontinued and the patient eventually dies; active euthanasia is when the patient is given something to help them die, for example an injection. The word euthanasia comes from the Greek meaning "a good death." In the United Kingdom it is illegal to perform euthanasia but in other places like Holland it is allowed. When we speak about euthanasia we usually talk about it being voluntary. Many people in the United Kingdom would like to see euthanasia legalised but in my opinion since there are many reasons against it i believe that it will remain illegal for longer. I intend to investigate the legalisation of euthanasia. I plan to look at the reasons for and against the leagalisation of it and finaly give my opinion on the matter. People would like to see euthanasia legalised as it
What is meant by euthanasia?
Euthanasia Euthanasia is a highly emotive issue, which is habitually avoided contemplation because it deals with unsettling issues people often choose to disregard. It is exceptionally difficult for people to converse about grave illness and its implications, which is undoubtedly why so many people are left unaware of why this issue is so significant. The increasing number of grave diseases emphasises the magnitude of this issue. 1 out of 5 people have or will develop cancer in this modern age. According to this statistic, 6 people in this class alone will form some type of cancer in the future and all of us are likely to be indirectly affected by the disease. It is an alarming statistic and one that cannot be ignored as heart-rending as it is to confront. This issue must be considered so that those people facing an excruciating death can be relieved unnecessary torment via Euthanasia. Euthanasia comes from 2 Greek words, which together mean "good death". This is an obvious link to the fact that euthanasia is a positive thing. It can be said that life should be prolonged as greatly as possible, however due to recent technology, the length of time that a life can be prolonged is abnormal. Using machines such as a respirator, a person who has no chance of recovering to lead a normal, independent life can be kept alive. Someone in a coma, with no possibility of ever awakening,
What is meant by euthanasia?
Euthanasia Title 6 - Paper 2 a) i) What is meant by euthanasia? ii) Explain what Christian teachings might be used in a discussion about euthanasia? b) Explain how Christians may respond to the question of euthanasia? c) Is euthanasia every justified? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. What is euthanasia? People have different ideas, concepts and understandings of the word euthanasia. These must be carefully clarified. The Oxford Dictionary defines euthanasia as the following : ' The act of causing somebody to die gently and without pain, especially when they are suffering from a painful, incurable disease.' ( from Greek eu = well/good and thanatos = death ) So euthanasia means literally a good death. Some people call euthanasia 'mercy killing'. I agree with the definition given in the dictionary, I think it clearly stresses the fact that the aim of euthanasia is to give as less stress and suffering as possible to the patient. However, it does not mention the fact that can be quite an unpleasant and horrible act when the person being killed did not agree to it. There are basically two different types of euthanasia : * Active : Voluntary, Involuntary, Compulsory * Passive Active euthanasia is when you play a part in helping a person to die. ' It is referred to the