The Right to Die

Paper Summary:

This paper argues that legally recognizing a patient's "right to die" does not solve the dilemma of whether or not a patient's life should be medically prolonged even if that patient has no hope of recovering from a comatose state. Furthermore, this paper argues that proponents of the rights of the terminally ill should instead focus on other programs that will provide comfort and medical care. The first part of the paper looks at the arguments for recognizing the right to die. The next part then examines the social costs of legal euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide, as seen in the experience in the Netherlands. This part also evaluates the possible consequences of legalizing euthanasia in the United States. In the conclusion, the paper looks alternatives to legalizing euthanasia, such as hospice care and pain management.

From the Paper:

"Proponents of the right to die movement believe that their actions are a compassionate response to the pain of those who are terminally ill. Others add that euthanasia upholds the rights of many individuals, particularly the elderly, the ill and the handicapped. Many physicians thus believe that a case-to-case approach is necessary where, subject to strict regulation, physician-assisted suicide can be an option for the dying."

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