by Nicholas Miller

Created on: October 16, 2008   Last Updated: February 22, 2012

Euthanasia, also known as mercy killing or assisted suicide, is a very controversial subject. Is it morally right to end our own lives, or ask someone to help us end our own lives? Is it morally right to legalize euthanasia?

Multiple polls have shown that most adult Americans are in favor of legalizing euthanasia and giving patients the right to die. Some of the arguments for allowing people to have the right to die are very persuasive. In America, it is legal for a patient to refuse medical care and be allowed to die. Why then is it any different for a patient to ask to be killed in a humane painless manner? "If people have the right to choose how to live,why should they not also have the freedom to choose how to die?" (Beauchamp. 72 79) What makes the act of active euthanasia wrong but letting them die is both morally and legally permissible? Most would argue that letting someone die is the act of letting nature take its course. This is a flawed argument because if someone from the mafia comes into a hospital and unplugs a key witness or a prosecuting police officer from a ventilator and they die, then the person from the mafia killed the police officer, even though, he let nature "take it's course." (Beauchamp. 72 79)

So, there must be a different distinction between letting die and active euthanasia. This would be the fact that the doctor who performs euthanasia would have written consent from the person who wishes to be left to die with no resuscitation; where as, the person in the mafia would not have that authorization. (Beauchamp. 72 79) Why is this any different than asking to be killed if you believe that living any longer is much worse than dying with your dignity today? It's not. Having the option to euthanasia does not mean that a physician must honor your request. If a physician were to feel uncomfortable with performing euthanasia, then they would not be forced to do so. From a moral standpoint, killing someone is wrong when it was done in order to hurt that person. Euthanasia, however, is done in order to help a person, or bring about some benefit that they feel is necessary. If we believe that letting someone die because they refuse treatment is moral and doesn't violate
someone's rights, then how can we say that active euthanasia violates that same persons rights. Both of these decisions are made with the same goal in mind. They are active decisions to not continue on in life and just because the means are different, the result is the same.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>