Euthanasia

Paper Summary:

This paper presents arguments that oppose the practice of euthanasia. The paper maintains that the risks of permitting euthanasia far outweigh the benefits and that the arguments that favor the practice of euthanasia are not enough to make it a morally permissible or socially desirable act.

From the Paper:

"According to Somerville (2003), research has shown that the marker for people wanting euthanasia is a state that psychiatrists call "hopelessness," which is different from depression. This indicates that ill people such as Mr. Wellwood probably opt for an early death because they feel that their situation is devoid of hope. It can be argued, therefore, that what people like Mr. Wellwood really need is counseling. For, not only is medical science constantly making new breakthroughs in the treatment of various diseases, but there are also times when patients simply make a miraculous recovery. For example, Donald Herbert and Terry Wallis began suddenly speaking after spending years in a coma. Gary Dockery began talking after spending eight years in a mute and paralyzed state (BBC News, 2005). Such stories are proof positive that modern science has yet to achieve complete knowledge of the mystery that is life and death. In any case, as observed earlier, medical knowledge is constantly breaching new frontiers, which means that there is always cause for hope that new treatments may succeed in giving ill people a fresh lease of life."

More papers on Euthanasia:

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• Persuasive Essay # 37089 : "Euthanasia in America"
• Argumentative Essay # 3150 : "Justifying Euthanasia"

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