Research Essay:
Euthanasia can be defined as “the deliberate killing of a person for the benefit of that person.” (BBC Ethics Website). Any person who decides on Euthanasia is usually terminally ill; however that is not always the case. Some people may not be able to speak or communicate for themselves; therefore someone else makes the decision on behalf of that person, usually as a result the person previously informing them of what to do should this ever occur. There are many different types of euthanasia. There are active and passive euthanasia, voluntary, non - voluntary and involuntary euthanasia, indirect euthanasia and assisted suicide. For this essay, the main focus will be on voluntary euthanasia and active and passive euthanasia. This is when the person wants to die and admits this out loud. There are also the considerations of John Hardwig, a philosopher. He defines what he thinks produces a “duty to die”. These will be discussed further in this essay also as it relates to the thoughts that may be in John’s mind in the case study.
For the purpose of this essay, the ethical and philosophical issues of euthanasia will be addressed in greater detail. Euthanasia has many issues which are debatable. Some of these issues are autonomy, ethical issues and end of life issues. A person’s rights should be included in this argument. For example, does an individual have the right to decide when and how to end their life when they have no hope of recovery? Other questions which may arise are does the personal autonomy have limitations? Does Euthanasia devalue life? The legality of euthanasia should also be considered, and what is determined as euthanasia which makes it illegal in Ireland. As euthanasia is usually for those who are terminally ill, what about those who are physically or mentally disabled? That is those who have either been born with a disability or those who resulted in a disability due to an unfortunate happening their lifetime (like John’s...