Euthanasia
Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal?
Pros
- People have a right to die
- Euthanasia may free up scarce health resources
- Death is a private matter
- Allowing people to die with dignity
- Ends suffering
Cons
- Under the Hippocratic Oath doctors have a moral responsibility to keep their patients alive
- Voluntary euthanasia can lead to involuntary euthanasia and the murder of those who are thought of as undesirable
- Euthanasia will target the poor and disabled and create incentives for insurance companies to terminate lives in order to save money
- Euthanasia accepts that some lives are insignificant compared to others
- No proper way of regulating euthanasia
- Discourage the search for new cures and treatments
- Gives too much power to doctors
- Moral pressure on elderly relatives by selfish families
- May not be in the person's best interests
My Opinion
Though a painless death for those who are suffering is desirable, under the Hippocratic Oath, doctors make a vow to do the best of their ability to keep their patients alive. Euthanasia can quickly become abused and lead to involuntary euthanasia for the benefit of insurance company.