Assisted Suicide Vs Voluntary Euthanasia
The word ‘Euthanasia’ is derived from the Greek words ‘easy death.’ The basic definition of euthanasia explained by the Oxford dictionary is “the bringing about of a gentle and easy death in the case of incurable and painful disease” (Allen 2000, p.403). Euthanasia is more often classed as the deliberate and intentional killing of a human being by a direct action, such as a lethal injection, or the failure to perform even the most basic medical care, such as the provision of nutrition and hydration, necessary to maintain life (Dworkin, Frey & Bok 1998).
Keown (2002) suggests that there are two main forms of euthanasia, which are; Voluntary Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. Voluntary Euthanasia is when the life of someone is ended at his …show more content…
Assisted suicide is reportedly widely performed with no repercussions for the physicians who perform the act (Dworkin, Frey & Bok 1998). A succession of court cases culminated in agreement being reached between the legal and medical authorities to ensure that no physician would be prosecuted for assisting a patient to die as long as certain guidelines were strictly adhered to (Griffiths, Bood & Weyers 1998). These guidelines permitted physicians to practise voluntary euthanasia in instances where a competent patient had made a voluntary and informed decision to die, the patient’s suffering was unbearable, there was no way of making that suffering bearable and the physician’s judgement as to prognosis were confirmed after obtaining a second opinion from another …show more content…
There will be more cases similar to those of Diane Pretty and Charlotte Wyatt where complex moral beliefs are brought before the High Court. The Church may argue that the Courts have no right to consider whether or not someone has the right to die. I do believe that life and death are the will of God and man has no right to take life. Yet, until one is faced with the most difficult of decisions it is impossible to be objective.
Word Count 1492
Bibliography.
Allen, R.E. (Ed.) (2000) The Oxford Dictionary, Clarendon Press: Oxford.
Dworkin, G., Frey, R.G. & Bok, S. (1998) Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
Douglas, J.D. & Comfort, P.W. (1990) New Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Testament Volume, Tyndale House Publishing: Chicago.
Edelstein, L. (1997) Hippocratic Oath, Ares Publishing: Chicago.
Griffiths, J., Bood, A & Weyers, H. (1998) Euthanasia and Law in The Netherlands, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
Keown, J. (2002) Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy: An Argument Against Legalisation, Cambridge University Press:
Keown (2002) suggests that there are two main forms of euthanasia, which are; Voluntary Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. Voluntary Euthanasia is when the life of someone is ended at his …show more content…
Assisted suicide is reportedly widely performed with no repercussions for the physicians who perform the act (Dworkin, Frey & Bok 1998). A succession of court cases culminated in agreement being reached between the legal and medical authorities to ensure that no physician would be prosecuted for assisting a patient to die as long as certain guidelines were strictly adhered to (Griffiths, Bood & Weyers 1998). These guidelines permitted physicians to practise voluntary euthanasia in instances where a competent patient had made a voluntary and informed decision to die, the patient’s suffering was unbearable, there was no way of making that suffering bearable and the physician’s judgement as to prognosis were confirmed after obtaining a second opinion from another …show more content…
There will be more cases similar to those of Diane Pretty and Charlotte Wyatt where complex moral beliefs are brought before the High Court. The Church may argue that the Courts have no right to consider whether or not someone has the right to die. I do believe that life and death are the will of God and man has no right to take life. Yet, until one is faced with the most difficult of decisions it is impossible to be objective.
Word Count 1492
Bibliography.
Allen, R.E. (Ed.) (2000) The Oxford Dictionary, Clarendon Press: Oxford.
Dworkin, G., Frey, R.G. & Bok, S. (1998) Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
Douglas, J.D. & Comfort, P.W. (1990) New Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Testament Volume, Tyndale House Publishing: Chicago.
Edelstein, L. (1997) Hippocratic Oath, Ares Publishing: Chicago.
Griffiths, J., Bood, A & Weyers, H. (1998) Euthanasia and Law in The Netherlands, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
Keown, J. (2002) Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy: An Argument Against Legalisation, Cambridge University Press: