Euthanasia and assisted suicide are controversial issues from a public and legislative point of view. On the one hand, the right to end one’s life should be a private matter for each person. However, there are ethical and moral contradictions that prevent the creation of laws that allow euthanasia. Currently, euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal in the UK; however, public pressure may force the authorities to rethink the laws. Assisted termination of the life of seriously ill patients is usually more justified from a moral point of view, since it is perceived as the cessation of suffering.
The main advantage when talking about euthanasia is the end of physical suffering. Allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives is a right to protect personal and bodily autonomy. Euthanasia allows such patients not to resort to painful methods of suicide and to pass away as they wish. Another argument for euthanasia is the possibility to relief moral sufferings. People in the last stages of an incurable disease may experience moral suffering when they find themselves in a vulnerable position. The last advantage of euthanasia is the ability to give patients the right to control what memory of them will be preserved.
The downside euthanasia concerns the legal risks: people fear that legalization will give too many rights to doctors who will be able to abuse their position. Patients in this case may experience pressure from medical personnel that can influence the decision (Attia et al. 2020). Another drawback is the fact that the permission of euthanasia is difficult from the ethical side: to what extent the state can give the right to one person to take the life of another. Finally, religion stands on prohibition of euthanasia, since a person cannot withdraw the divine right to give and take away life.
Despite the fact that euthanasia causes a lot of controversy, every person should have the right to end suffering. In a case where medicine is powerless and a person experiences daily suffering, they should be allowed to end their life with dignity. Permission of euthanasia is the realization of a person’s right to dispose of their body. For the terminally ill, euthanasia is often the only way to gain control their body, and they should have the right to implement their decision.
Reference List
Attia, J.R., Jorm, C. and Kelly, B. (2020). ‘Medical assistance in dying: The downside’. BMJ supportive & palliative care, 10(3), pp.259-261.doi:10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002350