Euthanasia Argumentative Essays Samples For Students

Dax Cowart’s Case

Dax Cowart should have been allowed to stop treatment. He was 25 years old during the accident and had full knowledge of his own capacity to tolerate the pain of treatments. He was also well aware of the quality of life that he would want for himself. The following sections describe his accident and treatments, relate the stand of Dax Cowart about his treatments, and discuss the rationale for euthanasia in the case of Dax Cowart.

The accident and treatments

The accident that changed Dax Cowart took place in 1973, in Henderson Texas. On their way home, Dax and his father stopped to ...

- Introduction
Euthanasia, sometimes called assisted suicide, is the practice of allowing an individual suffering from a significant, terminal illness or injury to end their life before the injury or illness takes them. The idea of euthanasia is to allow the individual freedom from pain and suffering; proponents of the practice suggest that euthanasia allows people to avoid the pain and humiliation that can come from long-term palliative care.
Euthanasia is a process through which medical personnel or families help the patient to end his or her life. There are certain situations that are not considered euthanasia-- such as “ ...

When people talk of euthanasia, many think of it as a crime or suicide. However, it may be easy for them as they have not faced an incurable illness. On the other hand, the persons who have experienced it claim that euthanasia is the best option available in such a case. The first reason for opting euthanasia is the suffering of the patient. Therefore in case of euthanasia, the suffering is less. Sometimes the patients have the opportunity to make a decision regarding euthanasia and in such cases, the family of such a person should respect the decision made by him or her. ...

Euthanasia has been one of the most controversial issues discussed in philosophy and medical fields. The term euthanasia refers to the deliberate actions of medical practitioners to end one’s life for benevolent reasons such a relief from suffering and pain (peter Odianosen on Immanuel Kant’s Moral Theory). Therefore, the controversy arising is the right to die at one’s own choice. There several ways through which euthanasia is performed. Voluntary euthanasia involves termination of a patient’s life at the patient’s instructions to the person other than the patient. It thus involves the termination of a terminally ill person, ...

- The legal issue surrounding flag burning and its verdict in relation to human rights
- The First Amendment
- Comparison between the Arab and Western world on human rights
- Conclusion
- Drawing comparison through cultural expressions
- Debriefing the two authors views
- Justification of Argument

Introduction

What are human rights? It’s the rights humans have. Anybody and everybody born on this planet, irrespective of their nationality, sex, color, religion, and language are equal before the law, and are thus, entitled to be treated equally without discrimination.

The majority of people in the countries in the Middle-East, Africa, and to a certain extent, South America, face discrimination, and human rights issues.
Can non-government organizations, or the elite society of a country help protect their citizens from human rights issues” On reading In Defense of Professional Human Rights Organizations, by Azzam (2014), and Elites Still Matter When Protecting Human Rights, by Cordero (2014), it is apparent that they both failed to address what needs to be done to protect innocent citizens from human rights violations.

In a report in Human Rights, by an anonymous writer in 2009, said that, Kosba, an Egyptian woman, and a few other Egyptian participants, which included lawyers, journalists, engineers, researchers, pharmacists, and activists, participated in a three-week program on human rights abuse, in the U.S. On completing the program, Kosba voiced her opinion that, human rights in their country could come, “if there is an empowered civil society and a new generation of reformers who are grounded in their faith and freedom.”

Kosba’s view has a lot of authenticity, simply because, here, we have a person who has seen and experienced or heard of human rights discrimination at close range. Her view is a perfect example of what needs to be done to stop human rights violations in her country.

In 2013, as the man who tried to become another Hosni Mubarak, Mohamed Morsi was abdicated from office by the military. The so-called empowered civil society is none other than the government, for, it is the government alone, which can initiate and introduce laws to protect people from injustice. It is governments alone, which has the ethical and legal duty to ensure that their people live with dignity. Human rights cover a wide range of issues. It’s not just providing basic security and amenities to the public; it also covers social, cultural, economic, religious and other humanitarian issues. These are not issues that non-government organizations or the elite club members of a country can address or solve. It has to have the support of the government.

People diagnosed with a terminally ill disease should have the right to choose their fate in order to keep their dignity.

Euthanasia is defined as the intentional killing of a person on compassionate grounds, to relieve the person of misery and pain. In most cases of euthanasia, the affected person is put to sleep by a direct action of using a lethal injection, or terminating an action necessary to maintain life. For euthanasia to occur there must be an intention to act to kill. Euthanasia can be voluntary and involuntary, depending upon the seriousness of the case. Of these, the most common cases relate to voluntary euthanasia, where the affected person asks for mercy killing. Harsh as it may sound, euthanasia harbors around this category, for it is the only accurate, non-emotional word to describe the reality of the action and a word that the law uses

The debate on euthanasia continues to cover the front pages of medical journals and the like, yet, there are no clear winners so far, to address the plea of those who seek mercy killing. Dr. Donald Low produced a video eight days before his death, castigating the medical establishment for forcing unnecessary suffering on terminal patients.

Nursall (2014), reporting on euthanasia in The Star.com, wrote that Ed Hung, “who suffered from ALS, died on Sunday in Switzerland, the only country that allows physician-assisted suicide for non-residents.” The other countries that have similar laws for their residents are Belgium and Holland. Several states in the U.S allow doctors to prescribe fatal drugs to terminally ill patients.

The debate on both, assisted suicide and euthanasia continue to rage, as many people try to take the extreme step on medical and mental grounds. No one in their senses would think of killing themselves unless they face uncertainty of life, and/or excruciating pain. To live or die, is the right of a person, and no one has the right to object to that. As Dr. Low said, just before his death, that the medical establishment had no right to put him through such pain and torture.

There is a popular belief that euthanasia shouldn't be allowed even if it were morally right, because, should the law turn a blind eye to euthanasia, it could be abused and used as a cover for murder (BBC, 2005). This argument clearly shows that it has to be a law, that decides what is right and what is wrong, and not, any non-government organizations or the elite society.

Freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of association, freedom of assembly and petition are all expressions that are based on human rights. These are laws passed by legislation, approved by the government and practiced by the judiciary.

In 1984, during the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas, a certain Gregory Lee (Joey) Johnson was part of a political demonstration. The protest was against some of President Reagan’s, and some Dallas-based corporation’s policies. In the heat of the moment, and sometime during the march, it came to light that Johnson had burned an American flag in full view of the demonstrators.

While the march was peaceful, and no one was physically injured or threatened with injury, several protestors who were witness to Johnson’s defamation, were offended by his action. Johnson was found guilty and convicted for desecrating the national flag in violation of a Texas statute. He was charged, and the case was allowed by the State Court of Appeals (Apel, 1989).

However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed their earlier decision, citing that, the State of Texas, consistent with their opinion of the First Amendment, would not punish Johnson for burning the flag. The court declared that Johnson’s act of burning the flag was an expressive conduct that could be protected by the First Amendment. The First Amendment ensured that there could be no prosecution of Johnson under the present circumstance, and so, concluded that the State could not file criminal charges against Johnson for his act. The statute too, did not meet the State’s goal of preventing breaches of the peace, and so, Johnson was not guilty of causing and serious public disturbances (Apel, 1989).

It would be illogical to even contemplate questioning certain Muslim nations whether they have such freedom available to them. It is the rulers who dictate and pass laws there, and the government is just an entity. The question, therefore, is not whether these countries have such liberties accorded to their citizens, but, can an elite league or a non-government organization, let alone, the government; have the power to overrule the hierarchy in those nations?

In the U.S, the First Amendment was passed into law by the government, and protected by the judiciary. Therefore, such human rights are clearly under the jurisdiction of the government, and not some non-government organizations or elite societies.

Conclusion

Would it be possible for them to disobey the hierarchy and take the matter to their Supreme Court? For a nation like Saudi Arabia, where it is illegal for women to show their face in public places, or drive cars on their own, such luxuries are a distant dream, because it is the law of the hierarchy, and not a law that allows them the freedom of expression.

It can be concluded that while both, Azzam (2014), and Cordero (2014), accept the importance of human rights, they are far less convincing in assessing how human rights issues need to be addressed. True, some elites and non-government organizations do have influence with their governments, but they don’t have the power to influence governments in issues as sensitive as this, which is, a human rights issue. It is only governments that can address the issue of human rights, and not non-government organizations or the elite.

Works cited

Apel, Warren S, (1989), U.S. Supreme Court: TEXAS v. JOHNSON, 491 U.S. 397 (1989) 491 U.S. 397, Certiorari to the Court of Criminals Appeals of Texas, No. 88-155, Retrieved March 22, 2014, from http://www.esquilax.com/flag/texasvjohnson.html
Azzam, F, (2014), In defense of 'professional' human rights organizations, Retrieved March 22, 2014, from http://www.opendemocracy.net/openglobalrights/fateh-azzam/in-defense-of-professional-human-rights-organizations
Anonymous, (2009), Human Rights, The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, American Educational Trust, Volume 28(5), ISSN 87554917, p. 58-59
BBC, Religion and Ethics: Ethical Issues, bbc.co.uk, Retrieved March 22, 2014, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/ethics/euthanasia/overview/introduction.shtml
Cordero, F, (2014), Elites still matter when protecting human rights, Retrieved March 22, 2014, from http://www.opendemocracy.net/openglobalrights/felipe-cordero/elites-still-matter-when-protecting-human-rights
Nursall, K, (2014), Canada's shifting landscape on euthanasia, GTA, Retrieved March 22, 2014, from http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/03/19/canadas_shifting_landscape_on_euthan asia.html
Shin, H, B, (2013), Human Rights, Asian Journal of International Law, Cambridge University Press, Volume 3(2), ISSN 20442513, p. 419-420, DOI http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/10.1017/S2044251313000118

Many people believe that we now live in a world where we can make decisions – women are allowed to choose if and when they want to get pregnant so they take pills to ensure they have their choice. However just like with birth control, there is a lot of debate on euthanasia. Many people are of the opinion that euthanasia should not be allowed. Euthanasia is the process of allowing someone dies willingly and has being mercy killing by many. Unfortunately it is the killing that gets many people riled up as they are of the opinion that lives should not ...

Euthanasia refers to the act or practice of ending a life intentionally with the aim of relieving pain and suffering. Different countries have different laws on Euthanasia. According to the British Select Committee that deals with Medical Ethics in the House of Lords, euthanasia is "a deliberate intervention which is undertaken with the main intention of ending life, with the purpose of relieving intractable suffering". In the Netherlands, it is understood as "the termination of life at the patient’s request by a doctor. Euthanasia can be voluntary, involuntary, or non- voluntary. Voluntary euthanasia is considered legal in certain countries and some ...

Euthanasia is defined as the procedure when “someone other than the 'patient'—a doctor, nurse or someone else—performs an action, such as a lethal injection, which brings about death” (Glover). Assisted-suicide occurs when an individual, usually a doctor, enlists the aid to end one’s own life, without participating in the killing directly (Glover). However, pulling out the plug of a life sustaining machine or refuse treatment is not considered physician-assisted suicide and it is legal in most states, since it is perceived as allowing nature to take its course (Oregon Right to Life). Euthanasia and whether one has the right to ...

Introduction

The process legalizing euthanasia in order to end suffering painlessly has been termed as one of the heated debates globally. It is clear shows that majority terminally-ill people have less chance for survival or to recover, though this does not give the doctors any power or responsibility to terminate a person live. The government should consider legalizing the practices because of the following reason.
Legalization of euthanasia is very fundamental to the medical fraternity because it assist the ill person alleviate their depression, pain and suffering. All people are entitled to the liberty right to life. This means that ...

Active euthanasia has become a popular topic of discussion in recent decades, especially in the late 1990’s when Dr. Jack Kevorkian was convicted of second-degree murder for assisting the suicides of several of his patients. When Kevorkian died in 2011, the topic became popular once again. Had Kevorkian been wrong in what he had done, or was he right to help end the lives of those who suffered. I argue that Kevorkian was right, and that active euthanasia in certain situations should be legalized.
“Active euthanasia is a type of euthanasia in which a person who is undergoing intense suffering, ...

Jeff Stephenson

The Debate of Quality of Life as it Relates to End of Life Decisions
In 1990, Terri Schiavo had a heart attack that placed her in a vegetative state for over a decade. The debate that surfaced as a result of her ailment had an enormous impact on how Americans viewed clinical autonomy. Clinical autonomy is the ability to appoint a person the control of your treatment in case you are not able to. Unconscious and unable to even feed herself, Terri was considered a “vegetable.” Prior to having a cardiac arrest, Terri had legally appointed her husband as the sole person in charge of ...

Abstract

Physician –assisted suicide or euthanasia, which means terminating a person’s life, painlessly, with a ‘humane’ motive of putting an end to his suffering, has been going on for centuries. Though it is practiced widely, it is a highly debated issue and there is a lot of controversy surrounding it. In some countries, it is legalized, whereas it is still considered to be illegal in many other countries. However, today, most of the population, including the society as well as physicians, are in favor of this practice. If the benefits and harms of the practice are to be weighed, practicing euthanasia seems to ...

for Euthanasia

Protecting the Right to Act Autonomously: A Philosophical Argument for Euthanasia

There is a long tradition of support for voluntary euthanasia in Western civilization. The ancient Greeks and Romans “did not believe that life needed to be preserved at any cost and were, in consequence, tolerant of suicide in cases where no relief could be offered to the dying” The ancient schools of philosophy, the Stoics and Epicureans, believed that an individual who no longer wanted to live and chose to commit suicide should be supported in their decision. Thomas More, writing in the 16th century, foresaw a utopian community in which individuals suffering from intolerable pain and burdened by ...

Introduction

The definition of physician assisted suicide is slightly different from the general term definition of euthanasia. Although some may equate physician assisted suicide with the blanket term, the distinction between euthanasia and physician assisted suicide is that the latter is done with both the patient’s and doctor’s intent to end the patient’s life by unnatural means (Tamayo-Vela´zquez, Simo´n-Lorda, and Cruz-Piqueras, 678). The doctor assists the patient in committing suicide, usually by administering an injection or pill that contains a lethal substance. A doctor may also administer a relaxant to help keep the patient calm during the ...

One of the most controversial issues of the modern world is euthanasia. The term itself has developed from the ancient Greek word “euthanatos” which stands for “easy death”. According to BBC Ethics, “euthanasia is the termination of a very sick person’s life in order to relieve them of their suffering”. Most of the time, the patient himself or herself asks for this procedure to be performed. However, in special cases this decision can be made by family members, doctors and even courts. The initial idea of euthanasia was to relieve people of their pain and suffering. Euthanasia is usually ...

Finding common ground on questions like euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) will never be possible, given the strong religious convictions that many Christians, Jews and Muslims have always had against any form of self-destruction. For them, suicide is a sin and killing is always wrong, except of course in wartime situations or when the state has to use force in policing and maintaining order. Their views are based on the Bible or other sacred writings as well as strongly-held religious traditions and convictions, and therefore are not going to change quickly or easily. According to the U.S. Supreme Court, assisted ...

A young teenage girl lies on a bed at a hospital. She looks so frail and sick, with all kinds of tubes attached to her body from several machines beeping around her. She has been in a coma for two years already, from the time she was brought to the hospital after a fatal car accident. The doctor said there is no chance that she will wake up again, and so her family walks in everyday, stares at her with tears on their eyes, then goes home at night. At her age, she should be going out friends, watching ...

Euthanasia is defined as the act of terminating an extremely sick person in order to alleviate them of their pain (BBC). In most cases, it was performed because the dying patient asks for it. However, in some cases when the patient can’t make such a decision, the family decides. The argument about whether or not euthanasia should be legalized has been going on for quite some time already, but the government has yet to reach a decision about it. Although some states in America have already legalized it, such as Washington, Oregon, California, Vermont, and in Bernalillo County ...

[Student]
[Professor]
Active Euthanasia is a medical intervention opted by the relatives of the patient in terminating his (the patient’s) life due to the severe health condition. However, it happens in rare cases and there is proper legislation to do so. However, it is not an ethical way of terminating someone’s life as it imposes impact on the family of the patient that are everlasting. The paper presents the most practical argument against active euthanasia, and then analyzes the counter argument against that argument by presenting a reply to it.
Active Euthanasia is not a viable option, ...

Euthanasia is a term used to mean mercy killing or assisted suicide. It is derived from two Greek words, eu and thanasia, which mean good and death respectively. It is a painless termination of human life for patients suffering from terminal diseases or those undergoing a lot of pain. Assisted suicide can only be done on patients who, in their right sense of mind, willingly authorize the procedure to be done on them. This procedure is usually done from a humane motive point of view to help the patient end suffering and pain. In most countries all over the world, assisted suicide is ...

I intend to discuss the ethical implications of euthanasia throughout the course of this essay. Firstly I will be touching on the German philosopher Kant regarding his theories on personhood and consciousness in terms of people in vegetative states such as Terri Schiavo. I then will be moving on to broader issues of euthanasia such as the right to die and the legality of assisted suicide refusal of treatment the utilitarian perspective and the Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle. The purpose of which is to determine whether or not euthanasia is an ethical approach to incurable illnesses or disabilities which ...

If one should oblige to the demands of his or her aging parents of concluding their lives once they is no tangible optimism for recuperation is a major debate in the world today. Do individuals have to respect their parents’ requests and end life support or any other medical support should they have no optimism for recovery? The reply to these queries is hinged on what the individual considers. Concluding a person’s existence by way of mercy-killing is murder in the practical logic, however people become over-involved in their aging parents despair, aches and distress, that many believe that by ...

The question of morality has been discussed throughout the history of philosophy. These questions cannot be solved through simple logic due to the philosophic difficulty that they present. This is important because in the modern world there are still major issues that challenge the capacity for rational decision making. This is especially true in regards to medical ethics, in which these decisions can often result in the difference between life and death. Should doctors be given the right to end patients lives in cases in which they are going through extreme suffering and are given consent? This brings up ...

Horse slaughter is a practice of slaughtering horses for their meat and then selling this for consumption by humans. This practice has been the subject of a heated debate in the recent past to the extent that, at one moment, all the three horse slaughter plants in the United States had to be shut down. A vast majority of the American population opposes horse slaughter according to several surveys done by professionals. Just like other domestic animals like dogs, horses are perceived to be man’s companion. Because of this and their use in sporting and as working animals it is ...

Doctor-assisted suicide is among the most controversial topics, which are facing the society in the contemporary world. Doctor-assisted suicide or the Physician-assisted suicide occurs when a physician or a doctor provides a competent with a prescription aimed to end the patient's life. The argument refuting this topic suggests that helping a person to end his life contradict with the practice of medicine and concept of humanism. However, doctor-assisted suicide should be legal because it is a sympathetic response to relieve the dying patient from suffering. Some incurable diseases cause not only suffering to the patients but also a burden ...

Eugenics is a teaching that calls people to struggle with the phenomena of degeneration of the gene pool of humanity with the help of selection with regard to people. The very first concepts about eugenics were introduced to the public in 1865's article "Heredity Talent and Character" by Francis Galton, an English psychologist, where he suggested investigating the phenomena that could improve mental abilities, physical health and talent of subsequent generations. The very term eugenics was introduced later in 1883, and Galton himself described it as a science that analyzed the factors that could improve the inherent qualities of ...

Introduction

Doctors are very important people in the society following their capacity to identify and a find a solution to a condition that interfere with our everyday living. However when they make decisions that seem to shorten rather than increase our life expectancy, questions arise as people of search for truth and justice. The novel titled “Five Days at Memorial” by Frank illustrates how patients died at New Orleans hospital following the disaster of Hurricane Katrina and portrays the quest for justice and truth. The writer describes the lives of those who struggled to survive and maintain life in the midst of chaos. ...

Assisted-Physician Suicide happens when a physician helps a patient end his or her own life in cases when the patient is suffering very much. This may sound a bit unprofessional on the part of the physician but it does happen in some very serious health conditions (Weir 3). The physician in this case will honor the request of a patient to end their own life, thereby prescribing a lethal drug that can help terminate a life prematurely. This brings one to the question whether it should be legalized or not. If it was legalized then there could be a solution to many patients suffering from terminal ...

In the 21st century, criminal offenses have become the order of the day. In order to counter crime, United States of America has implemented various forms of execution. These forms of execution range from hanging, gas chamber, beheading, electrocution, as well as firing squad. Perhaps, most of these have raised a lot of concern on how inhumane, brutal, cruel, and unusual among people. Most activists term this forms inhuman; therefore, in 1977 the United States government adopted lethal injection to be an alternative method of execution as it was seen to be human.
New York practitioners advocated the course ...