Euthanasia is the deliberate killing of a person for the benefit of that person.
What is Euthanasia: Euthanasia is the deliberate killing of a person for the benefit of that person. In most cases euthanasia is carried out because the person who dies asks for it, but there are cases called euthanasia where a person can't make such a request. A person who undergoes euthanasia is usually terminally ill, but there are other situations in which some people want euthanasia. What is euthanasia? Euthanasia is the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. Voluntary euthanasia is when the person who is killed has requested to be killed. Non-voluntary euthanasia is when the person who is killed made no request and gave no consent. Involuntary euthanasia is when the person who is killed made an expressed wish to the contrary. Assisted suicide is when someone provides an individual with the information, guidance, and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose. When it is a doctor who helps another person to kill himself it is called "Physician-assisted suicide". Euthanasia by action is intentionally causing a person's death by performing an action such as by giving a lethal injection. Euthanasia by omission is intentionally causing death by not providing necessary and ordinary (usual and customary) care or food and water. Why people want euthanasia:
Evaluate the ethical argument for and against keeping a person alive against his or her will.
Evaluate the ethical argument for and against keeping a person alive against his or her will. In the majority of countries today there is an existing law that states if a patient suffering from an incurable illness or from unbearable pain, asks their doctor to help end their lives, then they are putting them in a position to be charged with murder. Those that are in favour of voluntary euthanasia1 believe that this law should be abolished because they feel the patient should not have to suffer. In the Netherlands this law in not in forced and doctors are able quite openly to relieve a suffering patient and have been able to do so since the 1980's. In Holland it is believed that approximately one thousand assisted deaths occur in one year. The issue of euthanasia has been recognised for a very long time. The moral philosopher Hippocrates said 'I will not prescribe a deadly drug to please someone, nor give advice that may cause his death'. Euthanasia is frowned upon by many people, as it is a criminal offence in nearly all countries and strongly opposed to by governments and religious organisations. Arguments for voluntary euthanasia state that it is not murder if the patient does not want to live. It cannot be wrong to relieve someone from excruciating pain if it is his or her desire to die. It is believed by some that the act of euthanasia shows mercy to those suffering
Voluntary Euthanasia
Euthanasia In this assignment the author is going to investigate Voluntary Euthanasia. www.Dictionary.co.uk defines Euthanasia as "the act of killing someone who is very ill or very old so that they do not suffer any more". The author has decided to investigate euthanasia because it's a topic which the author wants to learn more about and also because not too long ago it was in the media quite a lot. It caught author's attention during high profile case of Diane Pretty, which increased author's interest in the topic. Diane Pretty was a 43 years old woman who was suffering from Motor neurone disease which destroyed her muscles, leaving her paralysed and consequently left her in a wheelchair and fed through a tube. She had every possible medical treatment that was available to her. But her condition worsened with time. Because she was paralysed she couldn't' help her self dying (commit suicide), she needed assistance from her husband but because of the English law she wasn't allowed to do this. If her husband assisted her to die, he would have been breaking the law and could have been charged for murdering her. Diane Pretty fought against this law in several different courts including European court but failed. Euthanasia can be defined as helping someone to die who is enduring extreme suffering, for example from an incurable disease. Euthanasia can also be defined in
Is Euthanasia morally acceptable?
Euthanasia over the years has been described as a "gentle way to ease the pain of a suffering individual" (Torr 12). There are many who justify this feat as a way to eliminate unnecessary terminal pain, and who value the quality of life, rather than the quantity of it. However, it is in particular that we focus on how religious groups see and view the act of euthanasia. Although religion has the ability to divide the world, the issue of euthanasia is one where world religions unite and refute to accept a suffering human being, having the ultimate choice in terminating their life. The term "euthanasia" is derived from Ancient Greek and it means "good death" (Torr 12). "Euthanasia, and the public's awareness to this matter, can be traced back to a court case in 1975, when Karen Ann Quinlan consumed an immense amount of alcohol and tranquilizers at a party one night. This resulted in an irreversible coma that left her unable to breathe without a respirator or eat without a feeding tube. Her parents requested that she be removed from this situation, but the doctors objected to this idea. The court stepped in and allowed Quinlan's parents to have her respirator removed. Although Quinlan lived for another nine years (her parents did not remove her feeding tube), the case set a model for a patient's right to refuse unwanted medical treatment. This case recognized that some
An Analysis of the Moral and Religious Issues Raised by Euthanasia
An Analysis of the Moral and Religious Issues Raised by Euthanasia The term Euthanasia comes from two Greek words - eu meaning 'well' and thanatos meaning 'death' and means 'painless, happy death'. Some definitions broaden this to mean the practice of mercifully ending a person's life in order to release the person from an incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death. Euthanasia has been accepted in some forms by various groups or societies throughout history. In ancient Greece and Rome helping others die or putting them to death was considered permissible in some situations. For example, in the Greek city of Sparta newborns with severe birth defects were put to death. Voluntary euthanasia for the elderly was an approved custom in several ancient societies. However, as Christianity developed and grew powerful in the West, euthanasia became morally and ethically abhorrent and was viewed as a violation of God's gift of life. When medical advances made prolonging the lives of dying or comatose patients possible, the term euthanasia was also applied to a lack of action to prevent death. In other words, euthanasia involves the purposeful termination of life by direct action, such as lethal injection, or by an omission, such as starvation or dehydration. Euthanasia can be divided into four categories: * Suicide - This is self-administrated euthanasia.
Explain what Christian teachings might be used in a discussion about euthanasia.
Bryony Wilkes L5H RS Moral issues Euthanasia Coursework 2003 A. . What is euthanasia? The word euthanasia comes from the Greek: 'eu'- meaning well and 'thanatos' meaning death, therefore euthanasia literally means 'to die well'. It is now often understood as causing death to happen, usually because of the pain and suffering of the individual. There are three types of euthanasia: Voluntary euthanasia, when a person asks to die before or during illness. Nonvoluntary euthanasia, which occurs when a patient is in a coma or not in a proper state to make the decision for themselves, this usually means the decision of relatives and doctors to stop drip feeding a patient or giving them drugs that they need to live. Involuntary, enforced or compulsory euthanasia is when a person is killed for medical reasons but they have no choice in it. For example, Hitler ordered the deaths of many mentally and physically ill people as he believed that they were useless and costing the state a lot of money. Voluntary euthanasia can be split into two types. Active voluntary euthanasia occurs when a person dies due to a direct action such as a lethal injection this is also called mercy killing. Passive voluntary euthanasia is when doctors stop using 'extra ordinary' means to keep a patient alive, such as having curative treatment. 2. Explain what Christian teachings might be used in a
Facts and Ethics Behind Euthanasia.
Facts and Ethics Behind Euthanasia. Euthanasia is defined by The American Heritage Dictionary as "the action of killing an individual for reasons considered to be merciful" (469). Here, killing is described as the physical action where one individual actively kills another. Euthanasia is tolerated in the medical field under certain circumstances when a patient is suffering profoundly and death is inevitable. The word "euthanasia" comes from the Greek eu, "good", and thanatos, "death," literally, "good death"; however, the word "euthanasia" is much more difficult to define. Each person may define euthanasia differently. Who is to decide whether a death is good or not? Is any form of death good? All of these questions can be answered differently by each person. It is generally taken today to mean that act which a health care professional carries out to help his/her patient achieve a good death. Suicide, self-deliverance, auto-euthanasia, aid-in-dying, assisted suicide -- call it what you like -- can be justified by the average supporter of the so-called "right to die movement" for the following reasons: The first reason is that an advanced terminal illness is causing unbearable suffering to the individual. This suffering is the most common reason to seek an early end. Second, a grave physical handicap exists that is so restricting that the
Human Life is Sacred : Different views about Abortion and Euthanasia.
Human Life is Sacred : Different views about Abortion and Euthanasia ` Abortion and euthanasia are the most controversial topics faced by the world today, people hold different views about them some are in favour whilst some are against it. In this coursework I will try to explain the different views about the abortion and euthanasia and will end all this by stating my own opinion on what I feel about abortion and euthanasia. First let us look at abortion: "Abortion" Abortion can be defined as: "Premature expulsion of the foetus from the womb either done by operation or by medication" The meaning of abortion is quiet clear from its definition. As far as different views are concerned mostly all sects of Christianity are against the concept of abortion, there are humanitarian groups which are in favour of it, they have their own views which are totally different then the religious views, if we look at what different groups think we will find out that there is equal acceptance and opposition on the concept of abortion. The different views are given below: Opposition: Catholic Truth Society greatly oppose abortion, they give their reason as: 'We have been created by the almighty God in his own image and likeness. No pregnancy is unplanned because no baby can be conceived unless almighty God intends that conception and has willed that particular unique and completely
Explain how Christians may respond to the question of euthanasia.
Explain how Christians may respond to the question of euthanasia. Euthanasia is currently a highly debated topic for many Christians and in this section of my coursework I will be looking at how Christians may respond to the question of it. However before I explore or begin to explain how a Christian may respond, I need to explore how Christians make their moral decisions. Christians use a number of sources to make decisions or discuss moral issues such as euthanasia. The first of these is the Bible. Although the Bible does not actually mention euthanasia it does teach Christians about the sanctity of life and the values of humanity so a Christian may draw on these teachings as suggested in section A, when discussing euthanasia. A Christian would therefore use these teachings to try and work out how God would want them to live life. Some Christians may also use Church teachings when responding to the question of euthanasia. This is especially true for Roman Catholics who may also look to the Pope and Bishops. Many Christians may also look to Jesus and the example he set to Christians through his life and teachings in the gospels, because the teaching of Jesus lies at the heart of Christian ethics. Also Christians may use their conscience to make decisions, this is the Christian idea of free will and is the belief by some Christians that because God created humans apart from
What is Euthanasia?
A i) What is Euthanasia? The word 'euthanasia' comes from two Greek words whose accurate meaning is "well death". It causes a death to take place because someone suffers from an excruciating and untreatable disease or injury. They would rather die and have the pain stop than continue living with a pain that is incurable. It is also understood as causing or bringing about a person's death painlessly, usually because the person is suffering greatly, fatally or permanently ill or brutally psychologically or physically immobilized. It means doing something with the intention of causing death, the intention being the most vital aspect. There are two kinds of euthanasia; voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is when someone asks to die before or during illness. There are 2 types of voluntary euthanasia; active and passive. Voluntary active euthanasia causes the most debate out of all areas of euthanasia. It is when "mercy killing" is involved. This is when someone asks for immediate death. Being put to death through an injection is an example of this. Voluntary passive euthanasia is the type that many Christians allow. It means not taking prolonged or vigorous action to preserve life. Involuntary euthanasia is when the decision of death is made by someone other than the patient because the patient cannot or would not make the decision themselves. For