Voluntary Euthanasia

Question 1: Explain in depth why voluntary euthanasia is a moral issue

The excerpt demands respect for individuals to make their own rationale decisions regarding voluntary euthanasia, as long as these decisions do not result in harm to others. Voluntary euthanasia is the act of killing a person at his or her request. It is usually carried out in the belief that dying would benefit the person and end their sufferings.

Voluntary euthanasia is a moral issue for the following reasons. When making the decision to undergo euthanasia, we are deciding whether dying is of a benefit to us to end our sufferings and subsequently, exercising our right to choose. All individuals have a right to choose, allowing them to retain control of decisions that bear great significance to them such as dying. In order to respect someone, we must acknowledge this right and his or her capability to make rationale decisions.

We know that choosing between two dresses and choosing whether to undergo euthanasia is immensely different. The latter is a matter of life and death; in other words, an irreversible change. Advocates for euthanasia imply that we must respect others’ autonomy and that their right to choose must given priority. Anti-euthanasia lobbyists argue that the right to live precedes all other rights and therefore anything that violates this right is immoral.

Many feel uneasy and insecure, especially when they are deteriorating health wise, dependent on life-support machines and losing control of their life. Hence, they may resort to exercising the right to choose and make the decision to be euthanized to retain what is left of the instrumental value of their lives and dignity to make live worth living. Voluntary euthanasia is seen to violate the fundamental human right to live, as well as, assault an individual’s intrinsic value of life and dignity. Hence, voluntary euthanasia is a moral issue because of the conflict between the right to choose and the right to live of an individual.

Question 2: Identify the central argument found in the article concerning the issue of voluntary euthanasia.

Those who feel that the respecting an individual’s autonomy, right to choose is important, and that voluntary euthanasia should be made legal can make the following case in support of their position

Argument

P1: Everyone has rights

P2: One of our rights is the right to choose.

P3: If we have a right to choose, we should be allowed to exercise this right.

P3: If we were allowed to exercise this right, we would make rationale decisions on matters of significance to them.

P4: Dying is a matter of significance to many people and we can make the choice to be euthanized.

P5: We must respect others’ right to choose or we will be infringing on their rights.

P6: If we respect others’ right to choose, then we must respect their decisions, even if it means being euthanized.

C: Therefore, voluntary euthanasia should be made legal.

Question 3 : Evaluate the arguments identified in Question 2

Euthanasia is intended as a means to end one’s life. Having the right to choose, does not necessarily imply that you own your body and you can do whatever you please to yourself. Rights are limited; meaning that they we are only subject to doing some actions that do not harm others or ourselves when we are subject to the right to choose. We are not to misunderstand our right and misuse them, such that it infringes a pre-existing right. The Kantian theory states that we must not use any one as a means to an end but as an end in itself. Based on the assumption that this theory is correct, violating your right to live and causing harm to yourself is immoral.

In addition, other reasons apart from alleviating suffering and pain