For the uninitiated, the term euthanasia means intentionally ending a person’s life in order to relieve pain and suffering. Some call it mercy killing, some call it assisted suicide and some even go as far as calling it happy death. While normal suicide is largely looked down upon in the society, mercy killing has some positive points too which starts a moral dilemma, should it be legal or not?
One thing is already established, there should be consent of the person concerned as to what their fate should be. This way euthanasia can be classified into three types:
- Voluntary : When an active consent of the patient is expressed, it is known as voluntary euthanasia. This type is most akin to suicide as the person himself is wishing for death but there could be more to it than what meets the eye. For example, if the person is terminally ill and will die in about 3 months anyway all the while suffering from excruciating pain and taking expensive medication and thus financially burdening his loved ones, should he be spared of his pain and killed now itself?
- Non-voluntary : This is one of the more conflicting types of euthanasia. In this case the explicit consent of the patient is not available. This could be due to the fact that they are in a persistent vegetative state, or the person is severely mentally retarded or in the case of infants and toddlers as they can’t speak for themselves. Here the problem arises due to the fact that it is a relative of the patient that is taking the decision, and the morality of the doctor is also involved.
- Involuntary : In this type, euthanasia is administered on a person who says “no” to euthanasia, or were not asked at all. This is usually always considered murder, but let us take an example of why this type exists in the first place. A soldier has their stomach burst open by a shell burst. They are in great pain and screaming in agony. They beg the army doctor to save their life by any means possible. The doctor knows the soldier will die in 10-15 minutes and that time will be spent in unimaginable pain. As the doctor doesn’t have any painkillers with him, he decides to spare the soldier further pain and shoots them dead. It is murder, yes, but why?
Now that we have explored the territories of why or why not euthanasia should be administered, let us explore the side of how it is administered because that also is a matter of moral and ethical conflict. According to this, there are two types of euthanasia :
- Active : This case occurs when the person administering the act does something deliberately that ends the person’s life.
- Passive : This case occurs when the medical practitioners either don’t do something to keep the patient alive or when they stop doing something that is keeping the patient alive. For example disconnecting the feeding tube, switching off the life support machine etc.
The question is that is there really a difference between killing someone and letting them die? If you remove the life support from a person, you are doing an action that is responsible for the death of the person, so this should come under active euthanasia right? The intention was to kill the person nonetheless. On the other hand, in your defence it can be said that the disease causing the person to require life support systems killed the patient, not you.
After all the debate and arguments, euthanasia continues to be a moral grey area. It is illegal in most countries in most forms and is generally considered manslaughter. Further, surveys among doctors and citizens alike show that people are vastly divided in their sentiment and there seems no particular solution to this dilemma in the near future. In the end, it should depend on the will of the person concerned and the law of the land if such an act should be carried out or not. If indeed it is to be carried out, proper regulations should be set in place to keep in check the abuse of this privilege by greedy relatives, because there is a very fine line of difference between moral and immoral when a topic as sensitive as this is concerned.
THE END
What do you think about euthanasia? When is it okay or when is it not? Let me know in the comments section and let us have a discussion on this.
Like the cover image of this post? Well then you might wanna follow my artist friend Shishir. He does a lot of artwork in his free time and is an aspiring animator too, do check out his pieces.
The Shining Gem 
Its still a dilemma; whether to reinforce the will to live despite sufferings or administer the suffering through intentional murder. We have no right to end the life and watch out the pain/burden without doing nothing as well. Medical professionals, administration,patient and their relatives are somewhere in between yes/no line.
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Its still a dilemma; whether to reinforce will to live despite suffering or administer the pain/burden with intentional murder. We have no right to end life and watch out their pain without doing nothing as well. Medical professional, administration, patient and their relatives are somewhere in between yes/no line.
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Euthanasia must not be allowed at any cost. Deciding whether a person should be allowed to live or not is not anybody’s power.
For an interesting read on the same topic you can visit https://nestoftheories.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/let-nature-decide/
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And what about the person himself? Should he be allowed to decide himself?
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I feel that if the time remaining with the sick person is going to be spent in pain and agony, i.e. They will be living a life in excruciating pain or there is no hope of any sort of recovery then it is better to let them leave peacefully.. spare them the pain that will do no good at all. But with their consent as far as possible. What do you say?
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Well it will always be a grey area. We don’t condone suicide now do we? We always discourage people from committing suicide and tell them that life is worth living for, but what we don’t understand is that they too might be living in constant mental and emotional pain. Same logic applies here too, although physical pain is something others can see and feel pity about, which raises the doubt of euthanasia in the first place. I have had personal experiences regarding euthanasia too (through relatives) and what I have found that the pain it causes to the loved ones of that person should also be considered. How can the mother of a sick child live with such a great guilt that she could have let her child live one day more, but didn’t.
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I am a psychology student, so I understand your point of the physical and mental pains. Also, the emotional disorders can be corrected but not the physical ones (like cancer for example). There is no solution available. So same logic cannot apply. And yes, there should be a discussion between the patient and the family. So that it is a well informed decision. And the mother may need to consider certain factors like:
a) is there hope for recovery
b) will that one day be spent in so much pain that the child comes begging for death as it will be more peaceful.. what would be more guilt producing? Letting him/her live in such horrible conditions just for having her child or letting them die a peaceful death
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That’s a very eloquently put viewpoint, and yet, as you said in your sub-parts a and b, it just goes to show how situation specific it always is, you can never generalize something as profound as this. There is always a scenario of “what if” that needs to be examined.
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Absolutely!
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Really well done! I enjoy reading over people’s opinions on these conflicting matters…I personally believe in some cases (in which the person has not long left and is in much pain) it should be utilized, but in many situations it is unjust.
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Hello My Friend. I think that just like “general morality” is relative , this morality of “euthanasia” is relative too, in a sense that if it were a person that one knows very well and understands his/her’s pain ,this very act could be deemed as moral , but if the decision came from a third-party ,like the government or a pressure group etc , it becomes intrusion, or sanctioned murder etc. I personally think the decision to end life is the sufferer’s decision , but if the person is not of sane mind ,it should pass on to the closest person ,whether a friend or kin. The government is in a dilemma, as being the supreme decision making body in the land it is answerable to everyone. So one solution “could be” that in every hospital when such incidents occur there should be a representative from a government “recognised” body or commission , who could be a person, lawyer, pressure group member who ensures that , euthanasia is the only way , and the decision is from the closest person of the sufferer or the patient himself. And these hospitals should have the patient fill in the closest person’s name in the form in the beginning itself(i’m not saying it has to be filled by the patient himslef). THIS is NOT the only solution , i suppose there could be better ways too.
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That really leaves a large room for abuse don’t you think? Even a “loved one” can make it look like the patient needs euthanasia, while he happily plots at getting that large estate in inheritance. This could also be true in government services, children killing their own parents to get a government job. Plus these representatives you speak of could be easily corruptible seeing as to how big a responsibility is in their hands.
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I do somewhat agree with your thoughts but I am not okay with voluntary euthanasia. I believe that it was a chance at life that was given to that person but he chooses to give it away? Meanwhile, there are people who have no chance at living on sometimes.
Loved this post and followed as well, excited to see more!
https://munabanana.wordpress.com
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My thoughts on your response are:
Why is it anyone else’s business or problems if someone wants to end their life due to suffering? Your statement “I believe that it was a chance at life that was given to that person but he chooses to give it away? Meanwhile, there are people who have no chance at living on sometimes.” – I understand that as meaning that it is selfish for one to take their own life when there are other people who want a healthy life but cannot do so? I believe it should always be up to the individual to decide what they do with their lives, everyone needs to accept these decisions.
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I went into your post thinking you were talking about euthanasia in regards to animals instead of people but after reading your article and the comments, I’m wondering this: Do you view euthanasia when it comes to animals in the same way? They don’t have a voice period yet it’s frowned upon if you don’t euthanize your animal when you find out they have cancer or some other threatening disease that will make their last days painful. When it comes to humans, however, it’s a huge deal no matter who the decision maker is. Either way you spin it, you can’t make all parties happy I suppose.
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The fact that you never can make everyone happy is the root of the problem here. If animal euthanasia had to be fit into one of these classifications, it would be non voluntary because animals can’t speak for their own, and there arises the problem of who should be the decision maker. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) in our society human life is given much more importance than animal life, and hence the so much noise.
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This is sadly true. That is a root that will always be there. It’s impossible for everyone to agree on anything. I personally think it should be up to the person experiencing the pain and if they can’t speak for themselves and their caregiver or whoever is closest to them decides to hold on to them forever against medical judgement then that’s their money. If they truly believe letting go is the best option, no matter the reason, then there’s not much they can say or do anyway. It sounds harsh as hell, I know, but I believe that keeps it simple. Sometimes a decision just gets snatched from your hands. Gotta roll with the punches.
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Agreed!
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Awful subject I think it should be an option in certain scenarios, cases where folk are in so much pain and are in the courts fighting for their right to die, those cases. Here in the U.k we are currently in a recent case of the opposite, the Charlie gard case
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oops sent before I finished! CG case where the family fought for treatment instead of death. Emotionally gruesome subject to discuss any way you look at it.
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See what I think is if the family of the patient wants better treatment then no one should interfere. It is just sad that some organization would object to the treatment of the patient just to prove a point that the patient is in pain and hence must die, haven’t they ever heard of medical miracles?
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The post was so insightful. I gained so much knowledge about this topic. I really liked the way how you had written The End and striked it off. That was a real classic. Kudos to the sketch artist too!
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This is a great breakdown of a very controversial subject. There are forms people can fill over when they are of sound mind that instructs whether or not they want to be resuscitated. If a person has been put on life support then they are being artificially kept alive. Having said that though sometimes in that time of being kept alive artificially the body can take steps to self heal or receive medication/surgeries to heal. There are so many people who are living happy productive lives because the “plug was not pulled”. I definitely don’t think it should become a legal issue because when the government gets involved all sorts of “weirdness” can happen. Having had a near death experience, I know that in that moment between life and death we are given the opportunity to decide if we want to try and live.
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I like that you have such substance in your articles. Euthanasia does pose a number of issues, such as the idea of full consent, capacity to consent and protection of the vulnerable. Despite this, I think that Euthanasia is a personal choice. Unfortunately in modern society much time is spent trying to shove one person’s morals down other peoples throats. Morality is subjective, what is right in one persons eyes could be wrong in another persons. People should decide what is right for them. Certainly using the reasoning that just because some people have an opportunity to live which others don’t is not the way to approach this question. It is easy for a person who is healthy to accuse someone else of not appreciating their life enough because they chose to end it, they are not the one going through irrevocable pain and suffering. I think Euthanasia would need to be heavily regulated in terms of capacity to consent but otherwise it is each persons choice whether they wish to live or die.
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That is a very well put point, this is the exact type of comment which I want from my reader, thought out and well put. And yes, I do agree it should be down to the person and the availability of consent. No government and NGO non sense.
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I gained knowledge from this post. I am a medical student and I dont know whether to prefer/condone enthunasia. It’s really thought provoking
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Well once you are a doctor, a specialist one, I think you will get to see a few conditions where you will be in a dilemma about euthanasia, thankfully it is not legal in our country so your dilemma will only be a moral one, in practice, there is only one decision that you and the family of the patient can take. Where do you study anyway?
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Maharashtra, india
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Very complicated issue. I think whoever agree to it, have their own personal views. I cannot really say if it’s wright or wrong.
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As a vet I find this issue hard to pick apart. For animals I firmly believe in giving a good death and that quality of life always comes before quantity but I recognize humans as being at a different level of sentience. I consider human life to have a greater purpose, as someone who believes in God, and I believe that sometimes people in great suffering are called to do great things despite their suffering. As such I don’t think I could undertake this action/make this decision for someone else and wouldn’t ask my doctor or family to do it for me. Sign a DNR, make clear your wishes should you fall into a vegetative state, whatever you need to do but I just couldn’t leave this on someone else shoulders. I know what it feels like to walk into a room to end a life, I know the dread in the pit of your stomach and the tears welling up while you try to keep it together and family cries all around you. Some nights you go home and you just want a bowl of ice cream and a cuddle, you find yourself ruminating on death and dying more than anyone ought to, and I don’t fancy giving all our doctors that responsibility over human life.
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*vet student
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Wow, just wow!. The way you have explained the feeling of when you have to kill someone because they wanted you to, it’s just out of this world. Really, it is a very hard decision.
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Hi The Shining Gem! I have nominated for you for the Versatile Blogger Award which I hope you will check it out here.
https://yuvisbuzz.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/the-versatile-blogger-award/
Have a happy weekend!
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Being a finance student i have never ever read about euthanasia in such detail so first of all i would say that ur blog serves the knowledge purpose for me.
I think the situation varies from case to case. If we talk about animals and infants the sole decision lies with the doctors but the situation altogether changes when it comes to a person who can direct the doctors to a decision. Ofcourse the consent of the family and relatives is a major driving force but sometimes a person can’t withstand the pain and he wants nothing as much as to die.
Thanks for sharing such an interesting information.. I’m certainly feeling well informed about the topic.🙂
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Thought provoking naturally ! I like this piece!
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Wow, I’d never thought about all the different possibilities and situations euthanasia can happen in. This was very interesting and has given me some new food for thought.
Kathrin — http://mycupofenglishtea.wordpress.com
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Always such an interesting and controversial topic. I suppose it is case by case and therefore the laws should not be so black/white. Very interesting read!
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I enjoyed this and as a student nurse this topic is always complex to think about. I see patients die and experience death and I was once asked by a patient if she could stay in hospital and die there. Prior to our meeting, she’d been refusing food, drink and whatever else. She had made it clear that her intentions were to have her organs shut down.
It was bizarre to see but she had full mental capacity and her decision was respected by myself and the rest of the staff on the ward.
It’s odd and unfortunate but respected. She clearly had a perspective that differed to most and it had to be respected.
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That is very insightful Michaela. In the end, it just differs from person to person. What worked for that old lady might not be the case for someone else.
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I’ve always been a firm advocate for legal euthanasia when the individual him or herself requests it to be done. Nobldy chose to enter into the world, so the choice to exit it should at least be ours.
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True. But by that logic, do you support or condone suicide too?
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No, I was thinking more like if somebody had a terminal illness and would rather choose to leave on their own terms rather than suffer until their natural death. The motives behind suicide usually stem from a temporarily overwhelming situation or treatable mental illness, so there’s still hope for the lives of those individuals to become better.
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Very well put indeed and I agree with you.
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oops, nobody*
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This is such an interesting post and I never even knew how many different strands there were on euthanasia. I personally see euthanasia as a moral and right choice if that is what the person wants. We use euthanasia with animals very regularly so why should humans not have that same choice.
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I enjoy your posts! I like that you’re talking about real life topics and explaining them in a simplistic way that those who don’t know a lot about them are able to understand and learn.
My thoughts on euthanasia are quite similar to yours, I feel. It is one of those things that are so complex, with so much to consider that it is HARD to have a solid answer or decision about it. I think its completely contextual – but I really do support it when those who are suffering are ready to pass one. I am a strong believer in nature, and I like the idea of “letting nature run its course”, but with the technology we have today, it’s clear it will be put to use. I think no one should have to suffer at the hands of others decisions, and no one (other than ourselves) should be able to decide what we do with our lives. Appropriate regulations are completely necessary (there may be a lot to cover) to provide safety within it.
Many situations and problems come into play in this topic too, such as mental illness, or not being “capable of making the right decision because they’re sick”, which is where people worry that it is unethical. How do we know when someone is “genuine” about their decision to end their own life through euthanasia? These are just things that need to be researched so they can come to a safe conclusion and find a way to make it work. Not everyone will agree, but that’s just how the world works really? I totally accept it. I would never want to suffer because someone tells me I’m unable to make my own decision about whether I live or die.
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That is so true. Your comment is very insightful and made me see the topic in a clearer way. I am glad you have it all figured out what should be done when (God forbid) you are in a position like that.
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I think this comes down to the intersection between the moral status of a human being and the role that they play in their society. We can all agree that human life is worth preserving (except in the case of serial killers that have been subjected to the death penalty- another controversial topic), but we also have to consider the effects that keeping someone alive has on the people around them, both financially and psychologically.
In our day and age, health care and medicine are incredibly expensive, high-profit industries. A terminally-ill patient faces a dilemma themselves in deciding whether or not living is worth the burden they may become on their families. I think your article was very well-written and thought-provoking. In my opinion, however, the ethics of euthanasia should be discussed in the context of a capitalistic society where money is an enormous factor.
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The person dying should have the choice…they should not be made to suffer so much pain!
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Suicide is considered wrongful, cause according to me taking your own life isn’t the only option to end mental suffering. If you’re physically fit, you may seek help for other issues, and it would get better with time. Life isn’t to be taken for granted. Whereas, if the person is terminally ill, and it is confirmed that he/she is going to suffer a lot of pain and misery physically over time, h/she has all the right and reason to go for euthanasia. It should not be considered immoral in that case. A really informative post. Thank you for sharing. It was good to explore the depths of this topic.
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That’s a very understandable point cinderandstarlight. One can agree to that point of view, but at the same time the method by which euthanasia is administered also becomes important because even the way of death should have some dignity to it.
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I believe that death happens whenever it is time. We really don’t have to assist it, because it definitely must happen when it has to. I do not literally support euthanasia, who knows?
“Understanding Death”
http;//www.jerriperri.com/understanding-death/
“Life and Death”
http://www.jerriperri.com/life-death-2/
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Seems like we write on a lot of similar topics. Will definitely check the linked post out. Now, if we should not support assisted suicide, we should also not support keeping a person alive via feeding tunes or life support systems. So it does become a grey area in that regard whether to support or not.
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Sure, it’s a grey area! Life itself though simple, is in truth complex!
Yeah, we write on a lot of similar topics, probably “like minds”! Keep educating through your posts, you are doing well!
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This is tough. I imagine how it’d be like for a family faced with the dilemma that is Euthanasia….a well written piece and thought provoking.
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Thank you so much Jennifer! I hope you or any of your loved ones never face such a dilemma.
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Amen. Thanks
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I think sometimes the life is left to live it is hardly to be called life.We should all be have the choice to end our sufferance and to choose to die with dignity and nobody can really judge a such choice ,it is too personal.Of. Purse when the person consent is not possible is more difficult and there is when we really enter a big grey area but let’s think at the fact that we aro so kind to give our animals the chance to stop suffering and die in peace ,may be we should have the chance to be that kind with our fellow humans being too.
Anyway either side we are ,pro euthanasia or contra is just an opinion ,a personal believe that shouldn’t be judged.
Very hard subject and involving so many aspects that it is really hard to give a definite answer unless probably we are facing it ourself,but even then……would it be the same response from everybody,and would we be responding as we thought we would or in a opposite way?
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Very true. Thank you for the wonderful comment. Means a lot to me.
As far as consent is concerned, yes, that’s where the grey area begins. I myself am quite a bit divided on this because I’ve seen this in my own extended family and I just hope that none of my readers or their loved ones get to such a stage in their life.
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I am sorry to hear you touched this matter so closely.You have been very brace to bring it up in your post.X
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This is a complex issue, but currently one which needs debating. It’s good that you are helping to raise awareness on this matter. I think the law must always safeguard vulnerable people. At the same time , more people with terminal or degenerative conditions are speaking out about their right to die. Hard to judge when not in that situation oneself. Most definitely, there needs to be a priority on providing hospice care, and relief of suffering wherever possible.
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True in theory, difficult in practice, but as you suggested, better awareness will help us come to a better conclusion.
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Euthanasia is legal in Canada . The legal worries are Power Of Attorney. Every person should be in control of there own life. My wife and I spent 2 months in hospital with my mother years ago . It was very troubling for me to watch . She passed from many cancer complications . This last year it was my fathers turn . I was Power of attorney of health . I could never make that call . My father had the choice he chose to let it all play out. We spent 5 months at the hospital. The last week was hard . Truth is that 5 months was hard but you do what you have to.There was an awful lot of pain in the last days . As the pain continues they boost the pain medication . It is tough watching loved ones suffer. I think Euthanasia is okay if the person making the decision is the recipient. I don’t think it is a moral issue if you are going to die in a week .
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I’m sorry to hear about your parents. It surely must have been very painful. I understand your point of view too as to why you wouldn’t make such a call. Sometimes, the conscience just doesn’t allow it.
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I don’t know how we do it . But as humans we can put on a brave face . Show support when it is needed the most . I guess it is part of living, and a preparation for our own inevitable demise.
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I don’t think there’s anything wrong in performing voluntary euthanasia. As you said things get tricky when it comes to the involuntary case. “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there”- ma man, Steve Jobs. I think this is why its important to plan ahead. Even if jokingly, you could tell your loved ones that if it comes down to this, I want you to pull the plug.
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Safeguards and guidelines are bound to fail. Government safeguards will not stop people suffering from depression from seeking PAS. Doctors will be placed in the terrible position of making judgement calls of who can die and who will live. If all depends on autonomy – to decide for one’s self the time to die, what is the point of safeguards? People will find a way around them.
People will ask for PAS out of a sense of duty, because they feel they are a burden. What if they are being pressured into the decision? What if they are demented or unconscious or mentally handicapped? Safeguards and guidelines will not protect them.
We ought to err on the side of caution. Let’s concentrate on eliminating the suffering, not eliminating the sufferer. This is true compassion.
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