Acceptability Of The Euthanasia In The Modern Society - Assignment Example

Acceptability Of The Euthanasia In The Modern SocietyEuthanasia is one of the most controversial topics that have invited a lot of debate. Euthanasia is assisted suicide whereby an individual is led to the point of death with due assistance of one or more people upon the individual’s own will. There are quite a lot of diseases in which living feels extremely painful for the patient, so the patient chooses death over life in an attempt to permanently escape the unbearable pain. In other cases, euthanasia is given to old patients who have gone into comma and have remained in that state for years.

This paper discusses the ethical implications of this practice from both sides of the debate. Proponents of euthanasia base their claims on the fact that in the democracy and capitalistic modernity that are so widespread in the contemporary age, every individual has the right to decide for his/her own future. “The Hemlock Society is very vocal in their belief that euthanasia should be allowed, especially if the patient has conveyed those wishes” (Yares, 2011). Therefore, if an individual wants to die, his/her wish should be granted.

Proponents of euthanasia also say that this practice relieves the patient as well as the patient’s relatives of the continuous pain and havoc. In a lot of conditions, there is no hope of improvement of the patient’s condition. Instead of waiting for the death to come on its own, it is right as per the utilitarian view to assist the patient with the suicide. The utilitarian view considers all such practices ethical whose results are favorable. Apparently, all results of euthanasia are favorable because it not only allows the patient an escape from the uninterrupted state of pain, but also give physical and financial relief to the relatives who have to pay for the hospital expenses on daily bases as long as the patient lives.

In the present age, health care is becoming more and more expensive. People have to pay hundreds of dollars every single day for the patient care in hospitals. Euthanasia saves all this money and allows the relatives to take a sigh of relief. Opponents of euthanasia fundamentally base their opinion on religious grounds, saying that it is for no one but God to choose the time of birth and the time of death of an individual. If an individual is in a state of stress or pain, it is God’s will.

God will take the life out of the body when He will want. By interfering in God’s business, humans are making themselves sinful and will have to be accountable for their acts in the world hereafter. Suicide is wrong, be it assisted or otherwise. By helping the patient embrace death, the caregivers are committing a murder. As an alternative to euthanasia, “Palliative care and rehabilitation centers are better alternatives to help disabled or patients approaching death live a pain-free and better life” (Maisie, 2011).

Euthanasia can not be reversed, so all possible alternatives should be considered in order to improve the circumstances for the patient as well as for the relatives instead of resolving to commit the act of murder. References:Maisie, M. (2011). Pros and Cons of Euthanasia. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-euthanasia.html. Yares, K. (2011, July 18). What is euthanasia? Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-euthanasia.htm.