Running Head: "EUTHANASIA"

Literature Review: "Euthanasia"

Erick Daniel Rico Barraza
The University of Texas at El Paso

"Euthanasia"

For several years, a debate has been taking place in many cities around the world, one
that has been making a tumult between politicians and policy-makers on what is right or wrong
about euthanasia. The exact meaning of this word is "easy death" but it also means the painless
killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma.
This is often confused with 'assisted dying'. When euthanasia is taking place, a physician plays
an active role in the killing of a patient, he might be either giving the patient a heavy dose on
lethal medication or simply taking away the equipment necessary to keep the patient alive. On
assisted dying, the physician supplies the lethal medication or dose for the patient to take
whenever he/she is ready, which is a less active role than in euthanasia. But in today's world, it is
not an easy task to decide whether it is correct or not to allow physicians take these methods into
action to those who request it. There are many commentators who argue to have the last word on
the matter, but the truth is that politicians are still arguing about it and in most cases, the result is
not in favor of allowing it. Polls have been done, though, and took into light that the majority of
the people supported the right to suicide. While the polls cannot be taken into consideration
when changing the policies, politicians can, but have to be first well educated on the matter, and
not have a bias judgment on the subject. A better formulated way to get into the politicians mind,
and fill them in with what both sides have to say will considerably change the way court
sessions, as an example, take place. Some questions to consider for this topic are:
1) Is it ethical to allow a physician practice euthanasia or assisted dying?
2) Should the government regulate how a person ends his/her life?
As this essay develops, the goal that it has is to demonstrate both sides of the argument
on euthanasia and provide a better understanding on the topic. It is to be done analyzing and
comparing documents from different authors and thus creating an unbiased view on the topic.

"Euthanasia"

Is it ethical to allow a physician practice euthanasia or assisted dying?

Whether it is ethical or not to allow euthanasia become legal is a very controversial
debate amongst many countries, but the final say rests on the shoulders of those in the head and
what they believe is right and wrong. An emotional appeal is often taken on several court cases
putting as an example patients where they have rare diseases and are going through an intense
amount of pain and will eventually die. This approach was taken in a situation in France, where a
woman had tumors growing in her head causing the loss of some of her senses, and would
eventually lead to a death. (Douthat, 2014). From this standpoint, it is reasonable to say that
euthanasia, or assisted dying would be ethical since it would end her suffering, but like in this
example, the judge assigned to this case spoke up and said that if the right to kill is allowed, then
they would be heading towards a barbarian society. (Douthat, 2014). However, this is not the
only perspective on the issue. This next one relates to every single human being, regardless of
country of birth or religion: respect for human life. "When a competent adult person gives
informed consent to euthanasia there is no breach of respect for human life at the level of the
individual, but there is a breach of respect for human life in general." When a decision is made, it
doesn't only affect that one person, but every single other one who is pleading for it to be passed,
it affects how everybody dies and the problem comes when euthanasia is being performed in
those patients where there is still hope for life, but some families would rather not spend such
money and go the easy route. (Boudreau, Margaret, 2014). So if euthanasia were to be legalized,
society might as well create a new occupation of euthanology so the doctors or physicians are
relieved from having to go against their principle of "primum non nocere," which stands for
"first, do no harm." (Boudreau, Margaret, 2014)

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References
Boudreau, J. Donald, Somerville, Margaret A. (2014). Euthanasia and assisted suicide: a
physician's and ethicist's perspectives. Medicolegal & Bioethics, 4, 1-12
Douthat, R. (2014, October 11). The Last Right: Why America is Moving Slowly on Assisted
Suicide. The New York Times. Retrieved from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/opinion/sunday/ross-douthat-why-america-is-movingslowly-on-assisted-suicide.html?_r=0