[Debate] Is euthanasia ethical or unethical?

[Souma-kun]

We will have a debate on this at my university next week and I can't choose a side. So can you guys state your side and why

 

[Rei]

I believe that in a civilized society one should be able to choose what they want to do with their bodies.

Dignity goes hand in hand with freedom and society forcing people to continue living in suffering and pain, when all medical options are exhausted and when the person is in sound state of mind to make this choice, is a violation of personal freedom.

Most arguments against euthanasia are religion-based, which does not apply to me and I have zero interest in arguing about them. If somebody thinks that life was given to them by a superior being and only they can take it away, they can go ahead and not choose euthanasia. Nobody is forcing them. But they should not be the ones deciding for me.

 

[HowDidIGetPrem]

Ethical so long as the receiver requested it. I think it's very fucked if the person in question can't actually give their input because they've lost their marbles or got stuck in a coma though. At that point, the thought that's going into the decision to kill them isn't simply about easing their suffering but freeing others and resources from the strain they cause.

I guess I see it like the death penalty. There's always the chance the person could be innocent. But instead of innocence, there's always a chance that the person in question is actually cognizant or finds their marbles later down the line. Worse is that it's not in the name of justice, but on the basis of selfishness and economical reasoning. Not that the two are evil or anything, they're just not as worthy as justice and if justice can't make the death penalty right then those two can't make euthanasia right either.

 

[chopstickchakra]

I believe that in a civilized society one should be able to choose what they want to do with their bodies.

Dignity goes hand in hand with freedom and society forcing people to continue living in suffering and pain, when all medical options are exhausted and when the person is in sound state of mind to make this choice, is a violation of personal freedom.

Most arguments against euthanasia are religion-based, which does not apply to me and I have zero interest in arguing about them. If somebody thinks that life was given to them by a superior being and only they can take it away, they can go ahead and not choose euthanasia. Nobody is forcing them. But they should not be the ones deciding for me.

What you're describing is suicide, the ill/affected ending their own lives, euthanasia is the medical practitioner doing it for them. Everyone has the freedom to end their own life already. Also about the religious part of your reply, in most religions suicide is a sin so religious people who are in pain and want to die believe they can't do it themselves so they seek euthanasia as a work around.

OT;
The real problem with euthanasia that supporters tend to overlook or turn a blind eye to is it's very hard, almost impossible to prove that is in fact what the patient wanted. Should we allow family members to make that call about non responsive patients? Just because you perceive their life as unbearable doesn't always men they do and just because you believe they're somewhere better doesn't mean they are.

 

[Rei]

What you're describing is suicide, the ill/affected ending their own lives, euthanasia is the medical practitioner doing it for them. Everyone has the freedom to end their own life already. Also about the religious part of your reply, in most religions suicide is a sin so religious people who are in pain and want to die believe they can't do it themselves so they seek euthanasia as a work around.

OT;
The real problem with euthanasia that supporters tend to overlook or turn a blind eye to is it's very hard, almost impossible to prove that is in fact what the patient wanted. Should we allow family members to make that call about non responsive patients? Just because you perceive their life as unbearable doesn't always men they do and just because you believe they're somewhere better doesn't mean they are.

In Belgium and in the Netherlands the law dictates:

'Euthanasia is the act, undertaken by a third party, which intentionally ends the life of a person at his or her request, and can only be effected by a doctor, after medical and societal control. A doctor can only proceed when they know the patient well enough to be able to assess whether their request for euthanasia is voluntary and well-considered, whether the patient's medical situation is without prospect of improvement, and whether the individual's suffering is unbearable. '

This is what I am describing and I would like to remind you that not everyone has the capacity of committing suicide. Also this covers your thoughts about other people making this decision.

I do not care what religious people think about euthanasia and if it is a sin or not. Euthanasia should be optional.

 

[chopstickchakra]

In Belgium and in the Netherlands the law dictates:

'Euthanasia is the act, undertaken by a third party, which intentionally ends the life of a person at his or her request, and can only be effected by a doctor, after medical and societal control. A doctor can only proceed when they know the patient well enough to be able to assess whether their request for euthanasia is voluntary and well-considered, whether the patient's medical situation is without prospect of improvement, and whether the individual's suffering is unbearable. '

This is what I am describing and I would like to remind you that not everyone has the capacity of committing suicide. Also this covers your thoughts about other people making this decision.

I do not care what religious people think about euthanasia and if it is a sin or not. Euthanasia should be optional.

Oh you're one of those people who hears the word religion and just stops listening regardless of what's said after, well I'm not going to entertain a back and forth so I'll just say this and be done.

I didn't say religious people think euthanasia is a sin. I said most religious people believe killing yourself is a sin and some will use euthanasia as a means to "bypass" the sin.

You also said; "
I believe that in a civilized society one should be able to choose what they want to do with their bodies.

Dignity goes hand in hand with freedom and society forcing people to continue living in suffering and pain, when all medical options are exhausted and when the person is in sound state of mind to make this choice, is a violation of personal freedom.

Based on the word choices highlighted in bold it reads as if you're talking about a person's right to end their own life. As you provided the definition for euthanasia I shouldn't have to point out how these are different.

 

[Rei]

Yup, one of these people, since my world views are so fundamentally different there is no point debating such sensitive questions anyway. There will never be consensus as is clearly highlighted right now.

Likewise, not going to entertain debating what should be a basic human right.

 

[salamander uchiha]

I dont think there's anything ethical about suicide through a different means.

 

[Waindo]

Well when one gets so sick/old that he is uncapable of living anymore, but rather just staying alive It is actually one of the most humane ways to go in my opinion. Either that or wingsuiting without a parachute.

 

[sunclan]

Who really knows better, should we let a child make decisions we know they're making out of ignorance, we've laws but they change with every generation, fundamentally speaking I still think euthanasia shouldn't be allowed, we don't know where life comes from, we shouldn't decide when it ends, it's currently out of bounds of our understanding.

 

[YowYan]

Robbing one of the choice to prolong or end their life by law or cultural pressure is unethical.

 

[chopstickchakra]

Robbing one of the choice to prolong or end their life by law or cultural pressure is unethical.

How is anyone "robbing someone of a choice to prolong their life" though?

Also if I think it will prolong my life to drink people's blood like a vampire is it unethical to stop me by laws or cultural pressure?

 

[YowYan]

How is anyone "robbing someone of a choice to prolong their life" though?

Also if I think it will prolong my life to drink people's blood like a vampire is it unethical to stop me by laws or cultural pressure?

By law..

And aren't you comparing doing something harmfull to yourself to doing something harmfull to others?

 

[chopstickchakra]

By law..

And aren't you comparing doing something harmfull to yourself to doing something harmfull to others?

There is no law prohibiting people from prolonging their life, go reread the words you wrote. prolong means to extend.

 

[YowYan]

There is no law prohibiting people from prolonging their life, go reread the words you wrote. prolong means to extend.

Ah, you're right. That is confusing indeed. Should've left that out.

 

[chopstickchakra]

Ah, you're right. That is confusing indeed. Should've left that out.

Yeah that bit was throwing me