Essays on Mercy Killing

Morality and Abortion

1. Is abortion in any sense a moral question, or is it purely a question of individual rights? One strongly believes that abortion is both, a moral issue, as well as a question of individual rights. According to one’s research, abortion falls within the ethical and moral realm in terms of the curtailment of life of the unborn . Accordingly, the authors asserted that “pro-life activists make the cunning argument that abortion is equivalent to murder, and murder is not ethical. Therefore, abortion is unethical” . However, abortion is also a question of individual rights since the woman carrying the ...

The topic of euthanasia is one of the burning issues of debate all over the world for a long time with the advocates for and against the act of mercy killing coming up with their explanatory views and perspectives regarding the matter. It is beyond doubt that the ethical dilemma encompassing the act of euthanasia would make one ponder about the correctness of ending a life. However, to shed more light on the matter, one should delve deep into the concept of voluntary euthanasia, non-voluntary euthanasia as well as involuntary euthanasia so ...

Assisted dying is mostly referred to as suicide that is committed with the assistance of physicians. In this case, the doctor provides the patient with the knowledge and means such as lethal doses necessary for easy dying. To reduce the intensity of the term ‘assisted’ the advocates mostly uses the ‘compassionate death’ to refer to assisted dying. In most cases, the compassionate death is confused with the euthanasia which is ‘mercy killing’. However, assisted dying and mercy killing are different such that, in euthanasia means of dying are administered by the physicians while in assisted dying the patients manages ...

ARTICLE REVIEW: Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in dementia

Tomlinson, E., Spector, A., Nurock, S., & Stott, J. (2015). Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in dementia: A qualitative study of the views of former dementia carers. Palliative Medicine, 29(8), 720-726. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269216315582143

Introduction

The interest on the topic of mercy killing or assisted dying for people suffering from dementia from media and the scholarly world, little has been done to research the perspective of the closest people who are affected by the act. Studies estimate that three people over the age of sixty-five years of age succumb to dementia, with most of them not in their right minds when they die. ...

Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

It is becoming progressively regular for people to support the decision for terminally ill patients to be let to die, mainly to put them out of their misery. This can take place in two ways, that is, physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and euthanasia. Euthanasia is an act in which the physician causes the death of terminally ill patients by administering lethal doses. During PAS, the physician prescribes lethal doses to patients but does not administer the drugs. The term euthanasia comes from a Greek word which interpreted as “good death”. In other words, it is “merciful killing”; ending an individual ...

Ordinary and extraordinary treatment has different meaning to different people. For those working in the medical profession, ordinary means standard treatment while extraordinary means non-standard treatment. When used by an ethicist, ordinary treatment will refer to those means of prolonging life which are morally acceptable by both the physician and patient preserving life and health. Extraordinarily relates to those means of treatment which are not morally acceptable. Standard treatment for a particular group of patients is more likely to be morally required than a non-standard treatment. In some cases, standard treatment may be not morally required for individual patients ...

Introduction

Currently, medical technology advancement has contributed to the development of new drugs for treating serious illness such as cancer. Apart from a cure, it has also created many problems in the health sector. Medical practitioners performing this kind of illegal act on patients do re-establish a secret between him and the client. One major factor that determines a society’s opinion on euthanasia is religion. Different Islamic countries have a separate view on termination of a patient’s life. The first team entails counties controlled by Islamic rules only; they accept Sharia as their legal and administrative leader such ...

English

Euthanasia has always been a controversial social issue in the cultures around the world. It is associated with ethical issues as well as social consequences. The term Euthanasia itself means, mercy killing. It is the process of ending someone's life based on that person’s own wish. When a person wants to end his life because he is suffering from a terminal disease or some other weakening condition, Euthanasia is often recommended. In most of the states of the United States, euthanasia is considered illegal. However in many states including California, physician-assisted suicides are legalized based on the requirement ...

Passive Mercy Killing

According to medical practice, mercy killing is described as the act of allowing an individual to die or putting him to death painlessly through withholding medical procedures from the individual if he is diagnosed of an incurable painful condition (Khan, & Tadros, 2013). Owing to this definition, disconnecting the respirator and the events surrounding the death of Harryelt Gessner was a mercy killing. Marry Rose Robacynski explained in court that she was only trying to act in the best interest of the patient who was helpless after she could not feel any pulse or blood pressure. Additionally, I believe that this ...

While euthanasia has been widely practice even in the ancient times, opposition against mercy killing still continues until today. Saint Thomas Aquinas is one of the most vocal figures during the earliest times who believed in the sanctity of life. In fact, the saint argued that euthanasia violates the natural laws of life--survival. The ethical and moral beliefs of those countries and states in the US that openly practice euthanasia at present is founded on the basic tenet that suffering among living things whether humans or animals should not be tolerated. However, before discussing whether euthanasia is morally ...

- Euthanasia: Liberating Individuals from Pain and Suffering - But what exactly are animals? And what makes humans different from other animals such that some humans are sometimes confounded on the morals of putting other humans and domesticated animals to mercy killing? But the latter question seems very difficult to answer since it involves questioning the existence of the higher moral status of humans. - Perhaps the more clear cut definition of an animal in a biological perspective is that they are biological multicellular entities that belong to Kingdom Animalia. These biological entities are motile to include humans ...

Ethics is defined as the accepted rule of conduct within a certain organization. It is a social code of behavior which governs a certain organization or members of a certain group or community. The associations can be a business organization, medical institution or a religious organization. Ethics should be distinguished from morality. Morality is defined as the conduct or the behavior of an individual. On the other hand, ethics is the accepted behavior of a group of people. For example, there were different ethical organizations which have different rules. These organizations include the church, the government, a business organization or a club organization. The ethical standards for members ...

Section I: Matching (Maximum 20 points)

This section consists of ten (10) matching questions worth two (2) points each. Match the moral theories in the shaded box below with the ten numbered descriptions set forth below the shaded box. Choose the moral theory that corresponds best to each numbered question and write the letter that corresponds to the appropriate moral theory in the space provided below. [Hint: Some questions may have more than one moral theory that is applicable to it. In such a case, simply choose one applicable theory and write its corresponding letter on the space provided. Only one correct response is required ...

Nursing is a profession that demands the application of ethics for nurses across the world (Davis, 2010). Nurses should be ethical while dealing with patients and their fellow medical practitioners. An absence of clear ethical guidelines in the nursing profession would lead to loss of lives among patients, health damage to patients and poor relations among nurses and other practitioners in the healthcare systems. However, in the process of executing their noble duties, nurses may encounter several dilemmas as they try to work by the set ethical guidelines (Butts, 2013). The dilemmas may arise due to personal, spiritual or cultural ...

The term «euthanasia» has a Greek origin and it means a «good death» (pleasant, beautiful). In ancient Greece euthanasia had no medical meaning and meant a happy death for their country. An English philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626) introduced the term euthanasia into the scientific usage. In 1623 in his work «On the dignity and enhancement of science» (2008) he said that doctors not only have to restore health, but also relieve pain and anguish even when there is no hope. In such cases doctors have to make the death easy and quiet. In his work Bacon outlines the modern medical approach to ...

Introduction

The term “euthanasia” has been dubbed as a form of “mercy killing”, which can be accomplished by doing a particular act which is unlawful or by some act of omission that is considered as lawful. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) had become the most talked about controversial issues around the world. Euthanasia is referred to as the administration of drugs with the explicit intention of terminating the life of the patient at his or her explicit request (Siu, 2010, p. 169). On the other hand, the physician-assisted suicide or “PAS” is recognized as the act of prescribing or supplying of drugs ...

The topic that I was assigned is the physician-assisted suicide. How is physician-assisted suicide viewed by the medical profession? Is physician-assisted suicide legal in the U.S? The ethical dilemma I am examining is, should this be a decision between a physician and the patients, or should it be controlled by the state? I believe this should be a matter that should be left between the physician and the patient. A physician-assisted suicide refers to a situation where a medical practitioner or a physician facilitates the suicide of a patient. The process involves prescription of a controlled substance thus assisting in a suicide. The topic is very relevant ...

[Client’s name] The word suicide implies self-killing, and it may be either assisted or unassisted. Physician-assisted suicide falls under the category of assisted suicide where the person providing backing is the doctor. A doctor assisting a patient of terminal cancer in taking his own life by providing him with the means or the information necessary for committing self-killing would be an example of physician-assisted suicide. The word euthanasia, also referred to as mercy killing, is often used synonymously with assisted suicide. It is a Greek word where ‘eu’ means right, and ‘Thanatos’ means death. The word euthanasia therefore adds ...

English

Euthanasia is simply a “euphemism” for death (Johnston). Many cases of people being euthanized are not being reported with the assumption of killing in the name of mercy by offering ultimately, good death (Pereira; The Telegraph). Whether it was part of the person’s living will or death wish, even with family members’ consent, termination of life prior to natural death is often due to long agony or continual suffering brought about by ‘dehumanizing’ factors such as vegetative condition, terminating illness, debilitating disease, long-time comatose, and so on. Given such a scenario, pro-euthanasia group advocates for the basic human rights ...

English

Many cases of euthanized individuals are not being reported given the assumption of killing in the name of mercy or providing ultimately, good death (CHN International; Patients Rights Council; Pereira; The Telegraph). Whether it was the patients’ wish/will or with the consent of family members, people were terminated prior to their natural death because of their continual suffering or long agony brought about by their vegetative condition. Given such scenario, defenders or pro-euthanasia advocate for the basic human rights of all people, not only of life, but also death. They insist that brain dead patients, via their loved ones, ...

Euthanasia is a word derived from a Greek term eu thanos meaning good health. In medical terms it is defined as an act where a doctor intentionally ends the life of a person by the administration of drugs, at that person’s voluntary and competent request for reasons of compassion. This type of killing usually has mercy as motive thus its other name “mercy killing”. Euthanasia further implies a good death where the killing act should meet the criteria for “goodness” (Cavan, 41). This criteria maybe swift, relatively painless and causes minimal if any psychological suffering such as fear, anguish or deep regret. With ...

Philosophy

I would like to define first what (active) euthanasia is. The term euthanasia is derived from the Greek words eu, which means good, and thanatos, which means death. In short, euthanasia is a “euphemism” for death (Johnston). Many people consider active euthanasia or “good” death as a deliberate mercy killing of patients who are terminally ill, comatose, in vegetative states, or similar situation. Active euthanasia is done by either laypersons or professionals “out of concern” for such patients (Franko 2). Whether it is the ill persons’ will or with the consent of family members, they who request for direct mercy killing ...

Mercy killing is considered as an act in which an individual’s life is taken in order to alleviate a suffering, often as the result of a terminal and an incurable illness. This includes patients who are in an irreversible coma or are gravely ill to avoid being kept in this hellish limbo between life and death. The act called “Good Death” is one in which euthanasia is performed by patient’s consent, also known as a mercy killing. This is considered voluntary euthanasia. However, some patients may be unable to give their consent, for example a child, and fall into another category ...

This essay discusses the laws concerning euthanasia in the United Kingdom and in other countries of the world. It also discusses the meanings of and the differences between the terms euthanasia (sometimes called “mercy killing”), terminal sedation and assisted suicide. According to “Euthanasia Statistics (July 2012), over half of all doctors support euthanasia, as do about 86 percent of members of the public surveyed, yet there are so few places where it is legal. As Rhodes (2013) states, such issues “are highly controversial and opinions on whether they should be legalised are split.” As she also states, there ...

Assisted suicide

Recently in the newspapers there was a man who killed his wife who was suffering from stage four cancer. In his defense, he said that the wife had asked him to kill her in order for her to stop feeling pain. The wife was no longer responding to pain medication and was in agony for several weeks. This act of mercy killing is called euthanasia.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is defined as the intentional killing of people in order to relieve them from pain and suffering. Euthanasia is a hotly debated topic. Critics believe that mercy killing is unethical. They believe that the choice ...

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 ...

English

Before I answer the question: “Should euthanasia be legalized,” I would like to define first what euthanasia is. The term euthanasia is derived from the Greek words eu, which means good, and thanatos, which means death. In short, euthanasia is simply a “euphemism” for death (Johnston). Many people consider euthanasia or “good” death as mercy killing due to the fact that those who are terminated are the terminally ill individuals. Whether it is their will or with the consent of family members, they would rather be killed prior to their natural death because of their continual suffering or long agony ...

English

first i want to say that English is not my native language that is way I said I am in high school but i am not but I don't want it to have very sophisticated vocabulary. so what i need is an Persuasive Essay and I want to talk about why I think Euthanasia should be allowed, ((because of the right of humans who have terminal illnesses to die in dignity, also the right to end their suffer and pain, and that they don't have the life quality also it is a emotional and physical distress for the family experiences)) I don't ...

One of the purposes of this course is to help students be able to objectively consider all points of view. To be able to argue effectively you must be able to know and understand both sides of an argument. This paper will be a measure of how well you are able to do that. You are being ask to research an issue upon which there is a disagreement. You will write the paper from your viewpoint, showing all the facts and reasons to support that side of the issue. You will also want to be sure you include 3 major points ...

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, ...

Mentor’s Name

One of the purposes of this assignment is to be able to objectively consider all points of view. To be able to argue effectively you must be able know and understand both sides of an argument. This paper will be a measure of how well you are able to do that. You are being asked to research an issue upon which there is a disagreement. You will write the paper from your viewpoint, showing all the facts and reasons to support that side of the issue. You will also want to be sure you include 3 major points that your opposition ...

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 ...

Euthanasia is a process whereby patients who suffer from terminal sicknesses or are in excruciating pain authorize a physician to induce death. This procedure is usually aimed at relieving the patient from excessive suffering and pain. Most countries in the world, except a few, allow this practice. Euthanasia is a word derived from two Greek words, eu and thanasia, which mean good and death respectively. Therefore, it means good death. Euthanasia is classified into two major groups. One form of classification classifies euthanasia as involuntary and voluntary. Another, which is also the most used form of classification, is passive and active euthanasia. Euthanasia ...

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 ...

ACTIVE EUTHANASIA LAWS

Active Euthanasia refers to ending a person’s life without them feeling pain usually using painless methods in places where it is allowed. Mercy killing is not legal in most parts of the world though it is in some states such as Montana, Luxembourg, Oregon, Switzerland, Netherlands and Washington. This kind of death attracts a lot of controversy due to a crash with cultural and religious beliefs of various people (Snyder, 2006, p. 13). Though legal, mercy killing is not condoned unless in the event where it is meant to assist in a natural death or event that will eventually result in death.

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Introduction and reports intention

In the past, dying was not a big issue. Patients with chronic illnesses decided to live the rest of their lives under the care of friends and family. In other words, the patients would choose to spend the remaining days close to their family and friends. Nowadays, however, ending somebody’s life has become complicated with aid of machines. However, in most cases, the problem is not even ending the life of a patient, but the effect it has on the person who does it. In this article, the focus will be on a case where a patient suffering from a chronic mental illness, ...