Euthanasia is the practice of doctors killing the patient on their behalf to stop their suffering from an incurable and painful condition or a disease. This topic has been very hot in the medical community for decades, with both sides utilizing ethics in order to justify their position and disprove that of the opponents. I am pro-euthanasia, and in this post, I will defend my position from an ethical perspective.
From the perspective of rights ethics, universal unalienable rights apply to every human being. One of these is the right to live, which includes much more than the ability to simply exist, and suggests an adherence to a minimum of quality and self-determination (Bedzow, 2018). Euthanasia is often seen as a way out for individuals for whom existence has become unbearable in a physical sense due to pain or a plethora of other potential issues. Dying is a natural process in life and it is within an individual’s rights to manage it in the way they see fit (Bedzow, 2018). Therefore, individuals have the right to die, as it is implicit in the right to live.
Another aspect of rights ethics that supports euthanasia is that death is a private matter. It is often opposed by critics on religious grounds, but such opposition is inherently oppressive, as it crouches upon an individual’s right of belief. What is considered abhorrent from a Christian point of view may be allowed from any other (Bedzow, 2018). Since rights do not distinguish between faiths, people should have the right to decide when to depart from this world (Bedzow, 2018). Personally, I believe that people have the right to live with dignity and without needlessly prolonging suffering. The medical community should realize this and accept euthanasia as a standard of practice, not something to be fought against to placate one’s own conscience.
Reference
Bedzow, I. (2018). Giving voice to values as a professional physician: An introduction to medical ethics. Routledge.