Final Formal Oral Evaluation

Euthanasy

Euthanasy refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. There are different euthanasy laws in each country. The House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics of England defines euthanasy as "a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering". Euthanasy is categorized in different ways, which include voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary. Voluntary euthanasy is legal in some countries and U.S. states. Non-voluntary euthanasy is illegal in all countries. Involuntary euthanasy is usually considered murder. Euthanasy is the most active area of research in contemporary bioethics.

Classification of euthanasy

Euthanasy may be classified according to whether a person gives informed consent into three types: voluntary, non-voluntary and involuntary.

Voluntary: Euthanasy conducted with the consent of the patient is termed voluntary euthanasy. Active voluntary euthanasy is legal in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Passive voluntary euthanasy is legal throughout the U.S. per Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health. When the patient brings about his or her own death with the assistance of a physician, the term assisted suicide is often used instead. Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland and the U.S. states of Oregon, Washington and Montana.

Non-voluntary: Euthanasy conducted without the consent of the patient is unavailable is termed non-voluntary euthanasy. Examples include child euthanasy, which is illegal worldwide but decriminalised under certain specific circumstances in the Netherlands under the Groningen Protocol.

Involuntary: Euthanasy conducted against the will of the patient is termed involuntary euthanasia. Procedural decision Passive euthanasy entails the withholding of common treatments, such as antibiotics, necessary for the continuance of life. Active euthanasy entails the use of lethal substances or forces to kill and is the most controversial means.

Pros and Cons

Pros

I have a right to dispose of my own life

A life in certain circumstances is unworthy, the image you project to the close ones or even in others, can be seen as humiliating and unworthy.

Just as you have a right to live with dignity, why not have a right to die with dignity?

It is fair to die in a manner so painful?


Cons

Life as an inalienable right

Euthanasy limits: Under what circumstances should be? How to legislate?.

There is a difficult stance in the case of the mentally ill.

These performers could be taken as executioners, which may mean in a society like ours, a loss of confidence in the persontreating my disease

Could increase the number of murders with mask of euthanasy,with the sole purpose of collecting juicy inheritance

Euthanasy could be applied only to supply the lucrative businessof trafficking of organs, which shows that could have economic and political interests after approval.

Could reduce the resources devoted to the cure of a disease, andcould go cheaper to let people die and thereby decreases even more, the research effort in medicine.

Civic duty to stay alive

The decision may lead to the act, is completely irreversible.