Preview

Mercy Killing

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
449 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Mercy Killing
Mercy Killing Pros and Cons
Weighing mercy killing pros and cons against each other is the best way out if you are finding it difficult to take a stand on this issue. Continue reading for some important points of mercy killing debate which you can't afford to miss out on.
Mercy Killing Pros and Cons"Right to live or death with dignity? The entire controversy surrounding the practice of mercy killing revolves around this very question - with each side putting forth strong arguments for and against it. Even though the practice has been legalized in countries like Belgium and Netherlands, it continues to be an issue of contention in these countries even today. Not many people out there will be able to take a stand on this issue and - more importantly, support it with logical arguments. This inability to take a stand on this issue can be attributed to our ignorance about basic mercy killings facts - including what is mercy killing, what is the procedure involved, what makes it amount to homicide, etc.

Mercy Killing Facts

Starting with the basic definition, 'mercy killing' refers to the practice of terminating the person's life - by removing the life support or by using a lethal drug, with the intention of relieving him of the pain and suffering that comes with his medical condition. On the basis of procedure involved, it can be categorized into two types - passive mercy killing and active mercy killing. When the person is put to death by removing life support (on going treatment, feeding, etc), it is referred to as 'passive mercy killing'. On the other hand, when the person is put to death by means of some lethal drug, it is referred to as 'active mercy killing'. Even though mercy killing is also referred to as 'euthanasia' or 'physician assisted suicide', the term euthanasia is more often used in context of active mercy killing or active euthanasia.

One has to also take a note of the fact that this practice is categorized into three different types on the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    PHL 292 - Exam 1 Study Guide

    • 2595 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Understanding what the wrong-making feature of killing is helps to understand why those who are opposed to abortion may think certain (consensual) mercy-killings are morally acceptable.…

    • 2595 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some may say that mercy killing is murder, and should not be done. People might say that mercy killing is not fair the victim has no say in whether they live or die. One article against euthanasia states “ the decision allows euthanasia and assisted suicides. but not also psychological suffering without limiting it to clear parameters.(Warren R.M)” Mercy killing is the most humane thing to do for a patient who is in a vegetative state. It would be unfair to make them suffer. “ choosing a pain free death demonstrates an act of love and compassion.(Preiss,…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Involuntary euthanasia is also more commonly referred to as Mercy Killing, and it is the act of painlessly killing someone suffering from an incurable and painful disease or someone in an irreversible vegetative condition with very little quality of life.…

    • 1532 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Euthanasia is another term for mercy killing. It is said to be the act of putting to death painlessly a person suffering from such incurable or painful disease. Meanwhile, in the 21st century it has been argued that euthanasia is one of the famous social concerns nowadays. Moreover, it is usually done by doctors to their patients who are terminally ill. Although euthanasia ends the suffering of the patients, it can damage the teachings of some religions, principle of medical ethics, and the patients trust.…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    If you think about mercy killing, also known as compassionate homicide, you think about the act of painlessly allowing to die, to avoid extreme measures of pain and suffering. Mercy killing is demonstrated thoroughly throughout John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice And Men. Mercy killing can be argued whether or not it is right or wrong, and/or justifiable, as demonstrated throughout the novel Of Mice And Men. In current society Mercy Killing is considered politically incorrect, although many people agree it is a necassary step to save one from extreme pain and suffering.…

    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Living is more valuable than dying and threatening to diminish the value of life is dangerous. Euthanasia, also called mercy killing, is the practice of doctors intentionally ending a terminally ill patient’s life in what is purportedly a gentle and dignified manner. The term originated in ancient Greek and means “easy death.” Doctors perform euthanasia by administering lethal drugs or by withholding treatment that would prolong the patient’s life. Physician-assisted suicide is also a form of euthanasia, but the difference between the two methods is that in euthanasia, doctors end the patient’s life with lethal injections, whereas, in physician-assisted suicide, patients kill themselves with a lethal amount of drugs prescribed by the doctors.…

    • 1537 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The idea of a merciful death is to allow someone who is terminally ill to take their death in their own hands. To die with dignity is to die without having to suffer the effects of some very hard debilitating terminal illnesses. I believe this a process that should be allowed for certain cases, and this issue is very ethically challenging. The ethical issue is that is it okay to allow someone to end their life legally. There are very good points on both sides of the great debate. Individuals that are pro mercy death understand that it needs to be regulated, and determined upon a case to case basis. Also these individuals understand that a patient’s case needs to be scrutinized, and evaluated before a determination is made. If someone is terminal…

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Euthanasia is known as the practice of deliberately ending a life which releases an individual from an incurable disease or intolerable suffering. This mercy killing is often referred as an easy and painless death. This can be done from the request of a dying patient or that person’s legal representative.…

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Assisted Suicide Cons

    • 189 Words
    • 1 Page

    Assisted suicide is a challenging topic to debate on because it is solely based on one’s personal opinion. The argument in favor of the right to assisted suicide is that it is not up to doctors to make decisions that disregard the rights of sick patients. Patients have the right to make any choice they want and stick up for their dignity. Their right includes the ability to choose assisted suicide and die on their own terms. Along those lines, having access to physician-assisted suicide allows the patient to maintain control over his or her situation which lets them end their life in an ethical and humane manner. People that are against assisted suicide argue that the medical field doesn’t have the right to assist in a patients death, but…

    • 189 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The topic of assisted suicide and its benefits versus its cons is an ongoing debate that initially started after Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act in 1997. The Death with Dignity act states that terminally-ill patients are able to end their lives with lethal medications prescribed by a physician. Oregon is one of the only six out of fifty states that have made physician assisted suicide legal. There are many pros and cons associated with assisted suicide, such as the patient is relieved from discomfort but they die prematurely. However, many patients feel that dying prematurely is the only way to end their pain. That being said, I believe assisted suicide is worth the personal costs because it ends suffering, lessons grief for loved ones, and retains the patient’s dignity.…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Lethal Injection

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Proponents of lethal injection have many arguments in its favor. They mostly come back to one broad category: humanity. They say it is a more humane method of execution than any others, because it causes little to no pain. It is also argued to be less expensive than confining someone for life. Many people say that the condemned deserve to feel a degree of pain for their crime. While these are all good arguments, there are also very sound arguments against lethal injection.…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    assisted suicide

    • 1524 Words
    • 7 Pages

    centuries- old debate. For both logical and humanitarian reasons, assisted suicide is not right and…

    • 1524 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Death is nothing new, it has existed for thousands of years. Lately, we are forced to rethink the issue of death and we must decide what types of practices and behavior are ethical when someone is dying. One such practice-which has posed a moral and ethical dilemma for the society- is euthanasia. Euthanasia or "mercy killing" is the act of killing a person, who is ill and in great distress, without the hope of recovery in spite of all the medical advancements, and is killed to relieve him of his misery in a painless manner.(Vidyut Jain)…

    • 1107 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Persuasive Essay

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “Euthanasia”, “mercy killing”, and “physically assisted suicide” – no matter what it is called – they all mean the same thing: ending a person’s life who is in a vegetative state or who is suffering from terminal illness, in order to relieve the subject of pain and suffering associated with their condition. But the main question is, is euthanasia right? Everyone dies, and if a person is terminally ill, then they should have the right to decide to pass away without the suffering.…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The definition of euthanasia from the Oxford Dictionary is: “The painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or is in an incurable coma.” Consider the words “suffering,” “painful,” “irreversible” and “incurable.” These words describe a patients terrible conditions and prospects. Euthanasia is known as “mercy killing” for a reason, it is the most, humane, moral and logical form of treatment available to patients that have no hope in fully recovering. If you had to choose between lying in bed dying a slow and painful death, or dying a quick painless death at the time you choose so that you can be surrounded by all your loved ones, which would you choose? With euthanasia, patients have this latter choice, offering them the ability to end their pain and suffering.…

    • 963 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics