Euthanasia

The topic of my research paper is euthanasia. I chose this topic because it is very controversial and I am intrigued by the dialog it can spark. Before this research paper I thought euthanasia was simply a doctor or nurse killing patients they thought didn't have any quality of life by giving them a lethal injection. I found from my research that it is a lot more complicated than that. There are people who actually want to be euthanized. There are also situations where removal of ventilation or feeding tubes will bring about death. There are many different situations and circumstances and even definitions of euthanasia. This paper will only scrape the surface of the mountains of debates, legal issues, moral issues and personal stances of this very sensitive topic.

The first obstacle of this paper is to clearly define euthanasia. "Euthanasia defined is the act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment." (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 2000)

"The practice of painlessly ending the lives of people who have incurable painful or distressing diseases or handicaps. It may occur when incurably ill people ask their physician or friend or relative to put them to death or to allow them to die. It may also occur when ill people ask others to help them commit suicide. (The World Book Encyclopedia, 2004, pg.421) These are simple, or politically correct, definitions of euthanasia.

The definitions get a little more complicated when they are defined by different organizations. Euthenasia.com had several break outs and definitions on their website. They started with the basic euthanasia definition Ð'- "the intentional killing by an act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. (The key word here is intentional. If death is not intended, it is not an act of euthanasia)." Voluntary euthanasia Ð'- "when the person who is killed has requested to be killed." Non-voluntary euthanasia Ð'- "when the person who is killed made no request and gave no consent." Involuntary euthanasia Ð'- "when the person who is killed made an expressed wish to the contrary." Assisted suicide Ð'- "when someone provides an individual with the information, guidance, and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose." Physician assisted suicide - "when it is a doctor who helps another person kill themselves." Euthanasia by action Ð'- "intentionally causing a person's death by performing an action such as by giving a lethal injection." Euthanasia by omission Ð'-"intentionally causing death by not providing necessary and ordinary care or food and water." (Euthanasia definitions, euthanasia.com, retrieved December 2004)

Religious Tolerance groups gave the definition a historical twist. It originated from the Greek words eu (good) and thanatos (death). "Ð'...the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies. That is, the term euthanasia normally implies that the act must be initiated by the person who wishes to commit suicide. However, some people define euthanasia to include both voluntary and involuntary termination of life." The most common form of euthanasia is when a patient is given large doses morphine to ease pain, but the likelihood is that the pain-killer will suppress breathing and cause an earlier death that would have happened otherwise. Such doses of pain killers carry dual roles of suppressing pain and hastening death. (Meaning of terms, religioustolerance.org, retrieved December 2004)

Death and Dying classifies euthanasia a little differently than the previous definitions. Active euthanasia "the hastening or death through the administration of lethal drugs as requested by the patient or another competent individual" and passive euthanasia "foregoing medical treatment, knowing that such a decision will result in death". (Death and Dying Who Decides? 2005, pgs. 57 & 58)

Different people have different reasons for wanting to end their life by committing suicide or requesting euthanasia. Some people live in excessive, chronic pain, some because of lack of medical attention due to lack of health-care. Others have terminal illness and do not want to diminish wealth by incurring large medical expenses and as an act of generosity, rather die sooner as to leave more to beneficiaries. Still others have serious disorders that adversely affect their quality of life. Others have been diagnosed with a degenerative illness and they fear gradual loss of the quality of life as the disease progresses. Some have lost their independence and must be cared for continually and would like a way out. And finally others know that dying is near and they want total control of the process. (Why is it an issue? religioustolerance.org, retrieved December 2004)

Now that euthanasia has been defined and we know why it's an issue lets look at another point where definitions play a role in the euthanasia controversy. When does a person stop qualifying as a person? Some philosophers argue that "personhood" has to involve thoughts and feelings which is what makes people superior to animals. Without brain functioning such as these, people are merely breathing bodies. Personal identity argument states "a patient literally ceases to exist as an individual when his or her brain ceases functioning, even if the patient's body is biologically alive. Actual decapitation creates a similar situation: the body might continue to function for a short time, but it would no longer be the Ð''same' person." (Ethical Issues in Death and Dying, 1996, pg. 34)

Vegetative state or persistent vegetative state in its terminology alone suggests that one is less than human. Vegetative and vegetable come from the same Latin root vegetabilis or vegetare. Vegetation is alive but not conscious. Vegetative is commonly associated with vegetables Ð'- things we eat. Therefore vegetative Ð'- some people due to severe physical and/or mental impairments are considered to be less than human. (Issues in Law and Medicine, 2000, pg 146)

"Many people oppose active euthanasia, such as the injection of a lethal drug, because it requires one person to deliberately kill another. Fewer people oppose passive euthanasia Ð'- the withdrawal of life-sustaining medical treatment Ð'- for patients who request it. Belgium and the Netherlands are the only two countries that have legalized active euthanasia under certain conditions."