Euthanasia and assisted suicide are considered merciful ways to end the agony of people who suffer from grave illnesses. It is impossible to decide whether euthanasia can be widespread because each particular case is individual. However, it is also cruel to prohibit it either because, in particular situations, euthanasia can help. Thus, euthanasia and assisted suicide have both advantages and disadvantages.
Medicine can release mental and physical pain of people with terminal illnesses by means of euthanasia. Nowadays, it is believed that even people with severe psychiatric disorders should have the opportunity to use euthanasia (Churchill et al., 2018). Thus, the main advantages of euthanasia and assisted suicide focus on the empathic issue of ending sufferings and giving people with terminal illnesses the opportunity to choose. However, if the euthanasia is legal, people will diminish the value of human life, and, as a result, there will be a shift in society’s priorities (Luzon, 2019). Moreover, many can use euthanasia for the benefits, for example, of a medical organization. The cons of euthanasia are related to the problem of the depreciation of human life. From my point of view, the euthanasia should not be prohibited, however there should be created legal limitations for this process. Doctors must analyze each patient’s situation, and their decision to use euthanasia should have solid proof.
Perera touches upon the legal aspects of euthanasia and points out that terminally ill people should have the opportunity to choose their death. The author of the paper, referring to the advocate’s opinions, claims that the legislation can also regulate the disadvantages of euthanasia. This paper is highly informative and contributes to the discussion about the legal aspect of euthanasia. The author’s position and pieces of evidence changed my attitude toward euthanasia. When the law regulates all the implications, there will be no severe dangers for the depreciation of human life.
In the second paper, Granados claims that people who cannot get treatment and are destined to die need to have the opportunity to use euthanasia. The author points out that it is a personal decision, and all the responsibility is on the patient, not on the doctor providing this procedure. However, Granados also states that doctors are responsible for estimating the necessity of euthanasia for each patient. The paper discusses the crucial point of euthanasia responsibility and addresses the question of ethical recognition.
The third paper by Sherba focuses on the nurses’ attitude towards the issue of euthanasia. The main idea of the paper is that euthanasia should be prohibited. The author analyses positive and negative attitudes towards the problem. Sherba states that some nurses are against assisted suicide because of ethical and religious principles, while some consider euthanasia helpful for patients’ procedures. The paper’s reasoning is one-sided and not solid enough because the negative aspects of euthanasia are primarily based on religious issues.
The main idea of the paper written by Hovard is that euthanasia should be prohibited. To support this position, the author provides examples of people with terminal illnesses and states that patients usually want to die not because of the physical pain but moral one which appears because of social oppression. This idea is contradictory because everything depends on the different situations of particular patients. People long to die often because of unbearable pain they and their loved ones have to cope with.
Analyzing the last paper and the Eatley’s position, I was astonished by the idea that euthanasia gives people freedom. The performed paper’s positive and negative aspects of euthanasia and assisted suicide depict the author’s opinion: showing respect to the patient’s choice is the most vital factor in discussing this issue. The author of this paper contributed to analyzing the weight of the burden for people who keep on living and have to cope with taking away others’ lives. Thus, the paper depicts the deep contradictory points of euthanasia and assisted suicide and provides scientists’ research as proof of the position.
References
Churchill, M., Gastmans, C., Kim, S., & Nicolini, M. (2020). Should euthanasia and assisted suicide for psychiatric disorders be permitted? A systematic review of reasons. Psychological Medicine, 50(8), 1241-1256.
Luzon, G. (2019). The practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide meets the concept of legalization. Criminal Law and Philosophy, 13, 329–345.