The Moral Permissibility of Legalizing Active Euthanasia...

The Moral Permissibility of Legalizing Active Euthanasia To date, in the united States of America, active euthanasia has been seen as unacceptable in legal terms. However, the issue is not so clear in moral terms among the public, and especially among the medical community. In fact, nearly half of the doctors in the United States say that they would prescribe active euthanasia under certain circumstances. The law that prohibits active euthanasia restricts many people from doing what they feel morally justified to do. The moral aspects of killing a person would be the primary point in the argument that society would be harmed by the legalization of voluntary active euthanasia. Therefore, it†¦show more content†¦In Rachels example the action, or lack of action, is not the relevant point because in each case in the example the actions are the same. Instead, it is the intentions of the person which are important and relevant because the intentions in each case are obviously not the same. I agree with Rachel and I too believe the moral difference between killing and letting die does not lye in the action a person takes, but in the intentions of a person in carrying out those action(s). Furthermore, it is important to understand that if one of the two actions is going to be accepted it is logical that they both be accepted because the actions are not morally different. To say that killing is morally impermissible and letting die is morally permissible or vice versa seems to be ignorant. Specific cases for killing and letting die can be presented where the equality of the moral permissibility between the two can be put into question. For example, a hunter walking in the woods trips over a rock and shoots his son who dies, while in the other part of town a mother finds her baby lying face down in water filled bathtub, does nothing about it, and the baby dies. The first part of this scenario depicts an obvious case of killing, while the second partShow MoreRelatedThe Difference Between Moral Permissibility And Legal Permissibility1462 Words   |  6 Pagesdifference between moral permissibility and legal permissibility. This difference is evident in the three medical procedures that end patient’s lives: physician-assisted suicide (PAS), voluntary active euthanasia (VAE) and passive euthanasia. PAS is when a physician intentionally and knowingly prescribes lethal drugs to a patient intending to commit suicide. VAE is when a physician administers a lethal injection to kill a voluntary, informed patient upon request. Passive euthanasia is when a physicianRead MoreThe Death Of Euthanasia And Euthanasia3752 Words   |  16 Pages Euthanasia has long been a topic of debate and can be characterized as indirectly or directly bringing about the death of another person for that person’s sake. Forms of euthanasia that are most commonly brought up include passive euthanasia, which is the legalized practice where someone is allowed to die by not doing something that would prolong life, and active euthanasia, which involves performing an action that directly causes someone to die. Furthermore, they can be further differentiatedRead More Euthanasia Should Be Performed By Medical Professionals Essays3073 Words   |  13 Pages Although, euthanasia was widely discussed in the eighteenth century (the era of enlightenment), this controversial topic only gained national publicity in the year 1915 when Dr. Haiselden refused to perform a lifesaving surgery on a deformed child, leading to the child’s death (Doug, 2013). The morality of Dr. Haiselden’s action became scrutinized, as America asked, Is it mo ral for someone to let another die through actions or lack thereof. There are differences of opinion concerning the moralityRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide : An Argument Of Semantics And Hypotheticals3266 Words   |  14 Pagesprominent topic of discussion in the bioethical community. The main concerns of these discussions are the different types of euthanasia involved in physician-assisted suicide, as well as the legality of a physician’s right to aid in the death of a patient, and the patient’s right to choose death over life when there are no active treatments to forgo. The legalization of active physician-assisted suicide would coincide with a person’s right to self-determination, or autonomy, as well as a person’s right