Aspects of Euthanasia

One of the principal questions in contemporary medical ethics that bleeds into societal morality is the question of euthanasia. At the very heart of this argument is the perception and attitude about death itself. Indeed, death may or may not be perceived as a disease in and of itself, and may be treated in similar ways, with all the ethical predispositions that are inherent in modern medical behavioral (Callahan 54-6).

Should, for instance, modern medicine do all it can to save a patient, or should quality of life issues enter into the question? What is the moral balance between preserving life and preventing a once vital human from remaining comatose, sometimes for years? Should religious beliefs prevent medical professionals from helping to ease the pain and suffering of prolonged treatment in a terminally ill patient? These are but some of the difficult questions surrounding the debate on the subject of euthanasia. One wonders, then, if the subject should have special treatment, or if the moral wisdom of contemporary society will engender cogent responses to the dilemma (Schneiderman 15-18). This paper will present an overview of the major issues on the subject, give both the pro and con sides of the argument, and conclude with a synthesis of the dilemmas faced by both health professionals and society at large. Throughout the paper, there will be discussions of medical, moral, religious, and legal aspects of euthanasia.

At the basis of the traditional view on

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ly difficult to prove whether a patient suffering a terminal illness is of "sound mind," it is evident that "deference to the patient's refusal treatment reflects sensitivity toward personal interests in bodily integrity and self-determination . . ." (Weir 269). In this sense, there is a considerable difference between "being alive" and "having a life," with the later clearly offering the preference for supporters of euthanasia (Rachels 5). In a sensitive and balanced approach to the issue, Arthur J. Dyck offered an alternative to euthanasia. Instead of the attitudes of individual concern, society should allow a compromise to take place between the good of the community and the sanctity of the individual life. Further, the only being with the wisdom and foresight to take life is the being that created life in the first place (Weir 281-296). One additional example of the ethical problems that are engendered by the debate on euthanasia is the case of Nancy Cruzan. The preservation of a life filled with suffering is now possible with modern life-sustaining methodologies. Nancy, a thirty-two year old woman, has been in a persistent vegetative state for seven years since a car accident left her with a hopeless prognosis. Her

Category: Medical - A