This week was also a quite attention-grabbing week to all the students in class. That was because, the topics that were spoken were mind catching. They were about; Cloning: the creation of a genetic copy of a sequence of DNA, Surrogacy: when another woman carries and gives birth to a baby for the infertile couple, Euthanasia: originally meant ‘good death’, but in modern society it has come to mean a death free of any anxiety and pain, often through the use of medication and Abortion: it is the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or an embryo prior to viability. I found chose Euthanasia as the most interesting topic among them all.
Therefore, I chose this topic to reflect upon in this diary. As I have defined a little bit regarding euthanasia, let me give a further more explanation about this. Euthanasia is the termination of a very sick person’s life in order to relieve them of their suffering. A person who undergoes euthanasia usually has an incurable condition. But there are other instances where some people want their life to be ended. In many cases, it is carried out at the person’s request but there are times when they may be too ill and the decision is made by relatives, medics or, in some instances, the courts.
The term is derived from the Greek word euthanatos which means easy death. Euthanasia is against the law in the UK where it is illegal to help anyone kill themselves. Voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide can lead to imprisonment of up to 14 years. The issue has been at the centre of very heated debates for many years and is surrounded by religious, ethical and practical considerations.
Now let us see the ethics of euthanasia. Euthanasia raises a number of agonizing moral dilemmas: is it ever right to end the life of a terminally ill patient who is undergoing severe pain and suffering? , under what circumstances can euthanasia be justifiable, if at all? , is there a moral difference between killing someone and letting them die? ,
At the heart of these arguments are the different ideas that people have about the meaning and value of human existence. Should human beings have the right to decide on issues of life and death? There are also a number of arguments based on practical issues. Some people think that euthanasia shouldn’t be allowed, even if it was morally right, because it could be abused and used as a cover for murder.
Why euthanasia should be allowed Those in favour of euthanasia argue that a civilized society should allow people to die in dignity and without pain, and should allow others to help them do so if they cannot manage it on their own. I personally agree with this statement. They also say that our bodies are our own, and we should be allowed to do what we want with them. So it’s wrong to make anyone live longer than they want. In fact making people go on living when they don’t want to violates their personal freedom and human rights. It’s immoral; they say to force people to continue living in suffering and pain.
Why euthanasia should be forbidden On the other hand, religious opponents of euthanasia believe that life is given by God, and only God should decide when to end it. Other opponents fear that if euthanasia was made legal, the laws regulating it would be abused, and people would be killed who didn’t really want to die.
Therefore regarding all these facts, we could conclude that the act of euthanasia would be ethical depending on the situation. There is no right or wrong in this.