Euthanasia

What is Euthanasia?
Euthanasia comes from the Greek word thanatus
which means easy or happy death. Implicit in this
etylmological meaning is the outright rejection and
avoidance of the opposite: a difficult or sorrowful death,
so that the condition of a dying person which is
characterized by intense pain and suffering can be a
reason to opt for a wilful maneuvering into that which
paves the way to an easy death. Obviously, easy
death, in this context, means earlier death that is
intentionally caused in order to get rid of a difficult
death.
Hence, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith states:
By Euthanasia is understood an action or omission
which, of itself or by intention causes death, in order that
all suffering may in this way be eliminated.
Types of Euthanasia:
Euthanasia by Commmission is also called active
euthanasia. It refers to the positive act of causing death
that is geared towards termination of pain and suffering.
By positive act is meant a measure necessary to end the
life of a suffering person is directly used.
Euthanasia by Omission is also called passive
euthanasia. It refers to the negative act of causing death

that is geared towards termination of pain and suffering.

By negative act is meant a measure necessary to sustain
the life of a suffering person is omitted, withheld or
withdrawn.
Categories of euthanasia:
1. Voluntary Euthanasia indicates the measure of
causing the death of the patient at his wilful consent
or request.
Assisted Suicide the patient administers the fatal
means made available by the health care provider.
2. Non-Voluntary Euthanasia indicates the measure
of causing the death of the patient who is unable to
express his will and make his intentions known as in
unconscious or comatose state.
3. Involuntary Euthanasia indicates the measure of
causing the death of the patient in defiance of his
expressed will and/or against his consent.
Conditions of the Option for Euthanasia:
1. When the patient is terminally ill or incurably sick.
2. When the patient experiences unbearable suffering.
3. When the patient makes a voluntary decision.
4. When the patients life is deemed to be not anymore
worth-living.
Pro-Euthanasia Arguments :

An act of Mercy
The mercy in this case, apparently manifests itself in
a motive to put an end to the terminal pain and misery
of the person. That is why it is commonly called mercykilling.
Prolonging the Suffering of a Dying Patient is an
Act of Cruelty
To do nothing that will causes the earlier death of a
dying patient is to prolong his unbearable agony.
A Dignified Death
Since Euthanasia is employed to cause a speedy
death, the patient no longer has to come to the point
where he loses his sense of humanity and freedom
because of the devastating progression of suffering and
agony while staying worthlessly alive.
Euthanasia Serves the Best Interest of the Patient,
the Relatives, and the Health Care Personnel
a. The patient is given due recognition of his human
dignity by having the last chance to freely make a
decision- a dignifying opportunity in the final moment
of his life.
b. The procedure of euthanasia gives the relatives a
liberating sense of relief from the tremendous and
seemingly unbearable burden they may have been
shouldering in attending to their patient.

c. Opting for Euthanasia also unchains the health care

personnel from their apparently enslaving and
worthless exercise of responsibilities for a case
estimated to be, in and of itself, bereft of any hope
for recovery.
Euthanasia is in Accordance with the Golden Rule
Just as one would want others to help him rid of his
dreadful anguish, so also others would obviously want
him to do the same if they were in his position.
Anti-Euthanasia Arguments:
Life is Sacred
This argument says that euthanasia is bad because of the
sanctity of human life.
There are four main reasons why people think we
shouldn't kill human beings:

All human beings are to be valued, irrespective of

age, sex, race, religion, social status or their potential
for achievement

Human life is a basic good as opposed to an

instrumental good, a good in itself rather than as a
means to an end

Human life is sacred because it's a gift from God

Therefore the deliberate taking of human life should

be prohibited except in self-defence or the legitimate
defence of others
Against the Will of God

Religious people don't argue that we can't kill ourselves,

or get others to do it. They know that we can do it
because God has given us free will. Their argument is
that it would be wrong for us to do so.
They believe that every human being is the creation of
God, and that this imposes certain limits on us. Our lives
are not only our lives for us to do with as we see fit.
To kill oneself, or to get someone else to do it for us, is to
deny God, and to deny God's rights over our lives and his
right to choose the length of our lives and the way our
lives end.

Pressure and Abuse

This is another of those arguments that says that
euthanasia should not be allowed because it will be
abused.
The fear is that if euthanasia is allowed, vulnerable
people will be put under pressure to end their lives. It
would be difficult, and possibly impossible, to stop people
using persuasion or coercion to get people to request
euthanasia when they don't really want it.
Doctors and Powers
This argument often appears as 'doctors should not be
allowed to play God'. Since God arguments are of no
interest to people without faith, it's presented here with
the God bit removed.

Doctors should not be allowed to decide when people die:

Doctors do this all the time

Any medical action that extends life changes the

time when a person dies and we don't worry about that

This is a different sort of decision, because it involves

shortening life

Doctors take this sort of decision all the time when

they make choices about treatment

As long as doctors recognise the seriousness of

euthanasia and take decisions about it within a properly
regulated structure and with proper safeguards, such
decisions should be acceptable

In most of these cases the decision will not be taken

by the doctor, but by the patient. The doctor will provide
information to the patient to help them make their
decision
Since doctors give patients the information on which they
will base their decisions about euthanasia, any
legalisation of euthanasia, no matter how strictly
regulated, puts doctors in an unacceptable position of
power.
Is Euthanasia Moral?
The question as to the moral inadmissibility of
euthanasia is still relevantly in place. Aside from the
above-cited criticisms, euthanasia is evil on the ff. bases:
Violation of the Natural law and the Decalogue
Euthanasia, by consent or request from a suffering
patient invoking the so-called principle of autonomy, does

not eliminate in one way or another the evil contributed

to killing.
Contrary to the Ultimate Author of Life
The act of taking life, whether it be that of the self or
that of the other, whether it be in conformity with ones
request or much worse, against his will, is a dishonour
against the Creator who has absolute power over life and
death.