The Right to Die Essay - 2385 Words

The Right to Die The word Euthanasia originated from the Greek language: eu means quot;goodquot; and thanatos means quot;deathquot;. Euthanasia (Greek, quot;good deathquot;) is the practice of killing a person or animal, in a painless or minimally painful way, for merciful reasons, usually to end their suffering. However, some people define euthanasia to include both voluntary and involuntary termination of life (Humphy 12). Like so many moral/ethical/religious terms, quot;euthanasiaquot; has many meanings. Euthanasia, in the strict sense, involves actively causing death. This is, in some cases, legal like in the Netherlands, but in few other countries. Euthanasia, in a wider sense, includes assisting someone to commit suicide, in†¦show more content†¦It is often done when resuscitation is not expected, or after severe brain damage that renders a person incapable of making life decisions. Therefore any euthanasia is not voluntary, but also not involuntary. Famously notable as quot;turning of f life-supportquot;, this is most often done to patients who are in a Persistent Vegetative State and will probably never recover consciousness (Wickett, Humphy 41). Involuntary euthanasia is where an individual may distinguish between life and death - and may fully realize the difference between them. Any medical killing is involuntary. If, for example, a man knows he is going to experience severe agony, and does not consent to death, euthanasia imposed upon him is ethically and morally, if not legally, classed as murder. In Nazi Germany the term quot;euthanasiaquot; (Euthanasie) referred to the systematic killing of disabled children and adults. This has tainted the word in German-speaking countries; the alternate term is quot;Sterbehilfequot;, which means quot;help to die.quot; Any time that medical personnel determine on behalf of a sentient and responsible individual that his or her life is not worth living, the medical killing of such a person as it is considered to be done fo r the prevention of suffering is involuntary euthanasia. This is not to be confused with medical killing in cases of capital punishment or as part of genocide (Robinson).Show MoreRelatedRight to Die1894 Words   |  8 PagesThe Right To Die Imagine that you have come down with a disease and you have just been told that there is no cure. There in your hospital bed all you can think about is the pain and the agony you are going to have to endure for the rest of your remaining life. I for one know that I do not want to spend my last times on this earth in pain and discomfort, knowing that I will never walk again, or feed myself, or maybe ever even come back to consciousness. For years, doctors have been prohibited fromRead MoreThe Right to Die571 Words   |  2 Pages Analysis The right to die has been brought to the media and public spotlight through the cases of Karen Ann Quinlan, Cruzan v. Missouri, and Vacco v. Quill. This issue has been the topic of heated debate for years in the religious, scientific, and political community. This is because this topic ties into many communities and effects a large amount of people. These cases brought the right to die debate to the religious community. The reason for this is from the use of life support which manyRead MoreThe Right to Die3619 Words   |  15 Pageshastening or ending an individual’s life, to relieve intractable pain or suffering† (2007, p). Euthanasia is associated with the act of mercifully ending the life of a suffering patient. Those who are terminally ill should have the choice and the right to die with dignity. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has identified that grief is handled in stages. The stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Not everyone goes through each stage and the order may be different for each personRead MoreHaving the Right to Die1535 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Problem Underlying the Policy Having the right to die is a very controversial and popular topic. It is so popular that it is even currently under debate. Having the right to die means that a terminally ill or chronically in pain patient would have the choice to medically end their life by way of medication or injection. Having the right to die can also mean choosing to be taken off machines that are keeping a person alive or it can mean being given a lethal concoction of medication in orderRead MoreEssay on The Right To Die1135 Words   |  5 Pages The Right to Die Modern medical technology has made it possible to extend the lives of many far beyond when they would have died in the past. Death, in modern times, often ensures a long and painful fall where one loses control both physically and emotionally. Some individuals embrace the time that modern technology buys them; while others find the loss of control overwhelming and frightening. They want their loved ones to remember them as they were not as they hav e become. Some even elect deathRead MoreThe Right And Die With Dignity1489 Words   |  6 PagesThe Right to Die With Dignity In the United States, we argue over what rights we have as living people. We even argue over what defines â€Å"life,† and when the rights we do have are established. Contrary to that, there are only 3 states in this nation that support the exact opposite of that—Aid in Dying (AID). Also known as Physician-Assisted Suicide, it is one of the most controversial and most debated subjects in the country. It is a topic that needs more discussion, and it also needs more supportRead MoreThe Right To Die Essay1016 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"Right to Die† (Euthanasia) should be further looked into as an option for terminally ill patients and not considered unethical. There has been an issue concerning the topic of â€Å"Human Euthanasia† as an acceptable action in society. The research compiled in conjunction with an educated opinion will be the basis for the argument for voluntary Euthanasia in this paper. Patients suffering from an incurable illness, exhau sting all medical treatments, should be given the freedom of choice to continueRead MoreThe Right to Die Essay1828 Words   |  8 Pagesadvantage to take someone’s life without giving the patient a chance to be cured from their illness. These pros and cons are main reasons why assisted suicide is such a controversy. When it comes to free will, people with an incurable illness have the right to choose to end their life to avoid a lifelong pain and suffering. In 1992, Sue Rodriguez was a great example of someone who decides to end her life because of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrigs disease. Lou Gehrigs disease causes theRead MoreIs There A Legal Right? Die? Essay1513 Words   |  7 PagesQuestion Presented 1) Is there a legal right to die? 2) Can one ask a physician to assist in suicide? Short Answer . 1) Yes based on the state one lives in but it is not a constitutional right. There are laws such as Death with Dignity and End of Life Option that give one that is terminally ill the right to die. These laws allow a terminally ill person to obtain a legal dose of drugs from their doctors. (Death with Dignity). This law has just been passed in Colorado in the past election and willRead MoreEssay on The right to live, the right to die. 2047 Words   |  9 PagesBible states that â€Å"No one takes my life away from me. I give it up of my own free will [John 10:18]† (BIBLE, DATE, p.#) whilst also suggesting to end ones life is against the will of God. This therefore implies that human beings inherit the implicit right to do as they please, whilst simultaneously stating to do as one pleases in the context of euthanasia is profoundly wrong; thus presenting an innately paradoxical case. However, in terms of empiricism, it could be argued that religious connotations