Title: Euthanasia Pros and Cons: Should People Have the Right to Die? - Soapboxie
Headings: Euthanasia Pros and Cons: Should People Have the Right to Die?
Euthanasia Pros and Cons: Should People Have the Right to Die?
Pros of Euthanasia
Cons of Euthanasia
Questions & Answers
© 2011 Paul Goodman
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Content: Public domain photo via Pixabay
The right to die debate is an emotive and contentious one. The arguments are usually focused around the ethics and legalities of allowing people who are terminally ill to request and receive assisted dying. Often the biggest problems exist around who should decide if the euthanasia should be carried out, especially if the person in question is not in a fit state to make their own decision for reasons of illness or injury. Euthanasia, or ‘Mercy killing’ as it is sometimes also known as, is legal or partially legal in some countries, such as Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. In practice, however, even in the countries where it is illegal, the law is often not enforced. Euthanasia didn’t become a major issue until the 20th Century when advances in medicine meant that doctors were able to keep hospital patients alive for very long periods of time, even when they had lost many of their basic bodily functions through sickness or injury. Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia have been profound ethical issues confronting doctors since the birth of Western medicine, more than 2,000 years ago. — Ezekiel Emanuel
There are essentially two forms that euthanasia can take: ‘ Active’ and ‘Passive’. Active euthanasia is where somebody is effectively killed—they may, for instance, be given an overdose of morphine.