Should The Euthinasia Be Legalized?

The Ethics of Euthanasia

And Its Legal Dilemma The Case of Diane

In the text , Death and Dignity : A Case of Individualized Decision Making , Diane had undergone Euthanasia (known also as mercy-killing She gave her informed consent and she willingly submits herself to the process . In short , she had agreed to undertake voluntary euthanasia Voluntary Euthanasia is defined as the type of Euthanasia that is undertaken with the informed consent of the patient herself . Informed consent means that the patient understands the process in which she has to go through

, accepts it , and submits herself completely

In the case , Diane had given up the idea that she could still be cured She had acute leukemia . Knowing that such disease had no cure at all she refused to be treated and even demanded to be allowed to just die The physician , who was the very person who was narrating the case of Diane , revealed that she herself assisted Diane in undertaking euthanasia . She said that she even told Diane the right dosage of barbiturates which could bring her death . Having such scenario , it could also be said that there was an active euthanasia ' that was happened This entails that the physician has indeed assisted the death of the patient

The Ethics of Euthanasia

Euthanasia has long been disputed for its moral position . Does it morally permissible or not ? The problem in the arguments of those who advocate the moral permissibility of euthanasia is that they tend to categorize it into different types and classes . The notions of voluntary and involuntary euthanasia , and active and passive euthanasia , have really masked the true essence of the practice of euthanasia . Some say that active and involuntary euthanasia are not morally permissible while inactive and voluntary euthanasia are morally permissible . The latter is argued because of the ideas of non-commission ' and informed consent

On the other hand , there is no real difference between those types and classes . According to James Rachels , no matter what type of euthanasia is performed still the end result is death . And that is morally unjustifiable in the sense that there is no such thing as right to die but only right to life . Likewise , in an ordinary course of life , no one would really claim for his or her right to die . Thus , whether the patient has given his or her informed consent , there is no justifying basis for the commission of euthanasia

Also , as mentioned in the text , the physician had even assisted the death of the patient Diane . That was very unethical . In the first place physicians have no right to take away one 's life (as for the active euthanasia . And speaking of duty , physicians ' duty is to promote life and never the reverse of it which is death . By appealing to the Kantian Ethics (ethics of duty , that physician has committed a wrong act and has acted unethically and immorally . Thus , the physician in the given case must not have assisted Diane 's death whatever her...