Voluntary Active Euthanasia

What is morally permissible? Voluntary Active Euthanasia is a controversial subject, Does one have the right to end their own life? According to Peter Singer in “Voluntary Euthanasia: A utilitarian Perspective,” Voluntary Active Euthanasia is morally permissible under certain circumstances. If and only if certain requirements are met by certain parties can the process of voluntary active euthanasia be completed. Certain situations where Voluntary Active Euthanasia is morally permissible include; mental illness and terminal illness. The first case would be a 50 year old woman who is severely depressed with no physical illness. This woman has suffered her whole life from depression, taken numerous treatments and has failed to find a cure. From a hedonistic utilitarian perspective, “what matters is not whether the suffering is physical or psychological, but how bad it is, whether it can be relieved,” (Singer p.534). . Terminal illness is our second case. Individuals who are terminally ill will suffer for the rest of their life. An individual who has developed cancer‘s last memories will be of nothing but pain and misery, even with chemotherapy it is still not guaranteed that the individual is going to recover. Under these circumstances (mental illness and terminal illness) voluntary active euthanasia is morally permissible.# In order to follow through with the procedure with a physician, an outside source must examine the patient. The patient must be in a rational state, for example one cannot be depressed. To determine whether the person is in a rational state, they must be studied by a psychiatrist. Voluntary Active Euthanasia is morally prohibited under such circumstances as one being pressured into euthanasia or without ones consent. As human beings, we can do certain things that can ensure our freedom or take it away. One of Singers best counter-arguments is: It will be said that we do not allow people to sell themselves into slavery. If, in a free