Euthanasia: An Overview

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point to three main arguments which I
will mention only for the purposes of refuting them. First, many cite the
Hippocratic oath which reads, "I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked,
nor suggest any such counsel" as a reason to oppose euthanasia. Clearly, the
Hippocratic oath does condemn the practice, however, I do not find this as
reason enough to reject the moral permissibility of euthanasia. If the premise
of the oath is flawed (i.e., if it is morally permissible for a physician to
assist in suicide), then a physician should not be prohibited from assisting in
suicide simply because of an oath. Indeed, if it is proven (as will be done
later in this essay) that euthanasia is a moral way to end needless suffering,
then doctors should be obliged to fulfill their patients requests for early
death. The second argument that opponents of euthanasia cite is based on the
Judeo-Christian ethic of human life being the ultimate value of existence. This
argument is ...

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for this reasoning is that under a system of voluntary
euthanasia, doctors must make the final determination of whether a person can be
euthanized or not therefore allowing them to decide if a patients life is
"worth" living. Many feel that if doctors can do this to competent people, it
could snowball to incompetent patients and doctors may make decisions to
euthanize without the will of patients. However, I argue that the moral
permissibility of euthanasia depends on a patients voluntary consent. If a
patient does not expressly wish to die, then a doctor who kills a patient
without the consent of that patient would be acting immorally. From a legal
standpoint, the request for ...

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