Opposing Euthanasia

Argumentative Essay # 116683

Hot Topics > Euthanasia
Medical and Health > Public Health Issues

Opposing Euthanasia

An argument against the legalization of euthanasia.

1,038 words () | 7 sources | MLA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper argues that euthanasia should not be legalized and contends that we cannot be certain that patients who want to die are not depressed and able to make a clear and free choice for themselves. The paper reveals that end-of-life decisions are often used in Belgium, Australia and the Netherlands for those patients who physicians do not want to treat or cure. The paper further reveals that that there is no reason for euthanasia because there are pain medications that can block depression as well as pain until one dies of natural causes. The paper argues that those who claim they can make the choice of death for others inevitably allow financial considerations to outweigh the value of a human life and concludes that we, as human beings, do not have the right or authority to choose death for ourselves or for others.

From the Paper:

"The question is, who has this authority to determine when a person should die? Many people believe that no one should have this authority because this decision deserves a perfect and omniscient knowledge over the entire situation, and no human being has this kind of infallible judgment. Others believe that it is the right of the individual to freely decide whether they want to be killed through euthanasia, even though it can be argued that for someone to choose death would only arise under such a stressful situation that the clarity of their judgment and the freedom of their choice could easily be called into question. Other countries have shown us what happens when euthanasia is legalized, and we need to learn from their mistakes so we do not kill innocent human life."

Sample of Sources Used:

"Arguement Against Euthanasia." Euthanasia.com. 6 Dec. 2008 <http://euthanasia.com/arguementsagainsteuthansasia.html>.
Balch, Burke J., and David Waters. "Part Two: Pain Control." Why We Shouldn't Legalize Assisting Suicide. 6 Dec. 2008 <http://www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/asisuidz.html>.
Bauer, Gary. "Euthanasia." ThinkExist.com Quotations. 6 Dec. 2008 <http://en.thinkexist.com/reference/quotes_on_euthanasia/>.
Elie, Paul. The Life You Save May Be Your Own. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
"Euthanasia." Marriam-Webster's Online Dicionary. 6 Dec. 2008 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euthanasia>.