Argumentative Essay Example on the Euthanasia Issue

Question Formulation

In most cases, euthanasia is considered as suicide. People should have the right to cease their pain and suffering whenever they wish. Should it be legal for doctors to euthanize people suffering from non-life threatening conditions such as disability, depression, or a pain?

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Introduction

Death is a sensitive matter for anyone to face. Most individuals are suffering from a condition that is a non-life threatening condition that might not kill them, but it makes them live in pain and suffering for the rest of their lives. Their suffering makes their lives difficult to the extent of wishing they can die. These reasons may be mental or physical pain that makes people end their lives. The idea of death has crossed many people who undergo pain throughout their lives. Some view that if they want to end their lives, they should be allowed to kill themselves. However, most people cannot do this due to their ailments, either mental or physical. In this case, a physician-assisted suicide is introduced. Physician-assisted suicide is when a medical expert euthanizes patients per their request and for the right reasons (Kamm, 2015).

Position Statement

Physician-aided suicide should be authorized for people that are in pain and cannot continue living as their quality of life is poor.

Supporting Reason

People should have a right to end their lives whenever they choose to because it is their right to decide whether they want to continue living in pain and suffering for the rest of their lives or put an end to their suffering. Most of them suffer from severe pain that is unbearable and the only way that they can get any relief is through death. Some ailments for instance depression cannot be cured as a normal disease. This condition makes individuals feel that they are not worthy of living in this world. They get to a point where they feel that they do not have a reason to live anymore. At this point, people should have a right to end their lives because it is unworthy. When people are sick or healthy, they feel that they do not have control over their lives because all the decisions are made by a third party (Christians et al, 2015). These individuals feel that they should be granted a chance to make one last choice for their lives when they have the ability to do so because the ailments may make their bodies weak. According to Manetta and Wells (2001), the "proponents of the right to die believe dying people are in intractable pain and should be allowed to end their lives and thus their pain". The patients should make the decisions without coercion or manipulation of both the family members and physicians.

Opposing Reason

Right to die is a controversial topic that faces opposition from many people. Doctors are highly trained individuals to protect and preserve life at all costs. They should not assist their patients to die because they would be going against their duties and responsibilities (Battin, 2015). If people have a right to end their lives whenever they choose to then individuals would fear to fall down "the slippery slope that [Physician Assisted Suicide] will eventually lead to involuntary deaths" (Manetta & Wells, 2001). This demonstrates that doctors would make decisions to end the life of a patient even though he wants to continue living in pain. Moreover, the right to die would create distrust among physicians and their patients. Individuals cannot prove whether or not they doctors cannot improve the condition of the patient and hence he or she died when being treated.

References:

Manetta, A., & Wells, J. (2001). Ethical issues in the social worker's role in physician-assisted suicide. Health & Social Work, 26(3), 160-166.

Christians, C. G., Richardson, K. B., Fackler, M., Kreshel, P., & Woods, R. H. (2015). Media Ethics: Cases and Moral Reasoning, CourseSmart eTextbook. Routledge.

Battin, M. P. (2015). Physician-Assisted Suicide: Safe, Legal, Rare?. In Physician-Assisted Suicide (pp. 63-72). Routledge.

Kamm, F. M. (2015). Physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, and intending death. Physician-assisted suicide (pp. 28-62). Routledge.