Discussion of Active Euthanasia & Passive Euthanasia

Euthanasia is a practice of intentionally killing a patient to relief pain and suffering. In most cases, euthanasia or so-called physician-assisted suicide is performed because chronically ill patients ask for it to eliminate pain and inability to live a normal life. There are active and passive euthanasia. An active euthanasia occurs when medical professionals deliberately do something which leads to the patient’s death; death is caused by an act. For example, medical professionals can give a patient overdose of painkillers to eliminate suffering and end the patient’s life. The passive euthanasia is when death is brought by an omission, or in other words, when medical professionals let the patient die. Physicians may stop the treatment process or other therapies, which results in the patient’s death. For example, this may include disconnection from feeding tube, or life support apparatus, or stop giving medicine, etc. The topic about active and passive euthanasia has become a hot issue of debate among medical professionals, physicians, psychologists, and patients’ families. Many people believe that it may be acceptable to let the patient die and do not support killing the patient deliberately. In general, there is no difference between active and passive euthanasia as both lead to one outcome – the patient’s death. Today, it is very difficult to find a moral distinction between killing and letting die. But in certain cases, passive euthanasia might be acceptable. Studies show that “the grounds for passive euthanasia are… the interests of patients, where their expected quality of life is so poor that life will be worse for them than death” (Gerrard, & Wilkinson 2005). For example, when the patient is terminally ill and experiences prolonged suffering, passive euthanasia might be acceptable, which help to eliminate horrible pain, terrible suffering, and tortures. Thus, passive euthanasia might be morally permissible here.              

References:

Garrard, E., & Wilkinson, S. (2005). Passive euthanasia. Journal of Medical Ethics31(2),64–68. http://doi.org/10.1136/jme.2003.005777

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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