Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia are Moral and Ethical Essay

Euthanasia is Moral and Ethical      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There has been much debate in recent American society over the legality and morality of a patients right-to-die.   Current legal statue prohibits any form of euthanasia, however, there are many moral and ethical dilemmas concerning the controversy.   For the purposes of this essay, I will define euthanasia as the implementation of a decision that a person's life will come to an end before it need stop.   In other words, it is a life ending when it would otherwise be prolonged.   There is an important distinction between voluntary euthanasia where the decision to terminate life coincides with the individuals wishes and involuntary euthanasia where the individual concerned does not know about the decision and has not approved it in advance.   I will be dealing specifically with the concept of voluntary euthanasia, for it seems intuitive that involuntary euthanasia is not only illegal but also profoundly immoral. Opponents arguments against euthanasia which fail to substantiate their claims, many proponents arguments highlighted by the right to autonomy, and empirical examples of legalized euthanasia all prove the moral legitimacy of physician- assisted-suicide.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Opponents of euthanasia generally point to three main arguments which I will mention only for the purposes of refuting them.   First, many cite the Hippocratic oath which reads, "I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel" as a reason to oppose euthanasia.  Ã‚   Clearly, the Hippocratic oath does condemn the practice, however, I do not find this as reason enough to reject the moral permissi... ...voluntary euthanasia will somehow snowball to involuntary euthanasia.   It is also powerful proof that voluntary euthanasia can be carried out legally and with no great harms to society or individuals.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The unsubstantiated claims of euthanasia opponents, many affirmative arguments supporting the moral permissibility of euthanasia, and the successful Dutch experiment with legalization all prove that euthanasia is a legitimate moral practice.   If we do not allow for individual autonomy in determining the scope and extent of medical treatment, then we are sentencing many terminally ill patients to a final stage of life filled with misery and wracked with unrelenting pain.   Instead, the moral and ethical course of action is to grant patients who request euthanasia the mercy and relief of a death with dignity.