Euthanasia

Title	Euthanasia
# of Words	820
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.28

Euthanasia

Euthanasia

Michael Wilson
FYSM 136-01
9/15/96
Professor Lee

     A long time ago, culture was universal and permanent.  There was one set
of beliefs, ideals, and norms, and these were the standard for all human beings
in all places and all times.  We, however, live in the modern world.  Our ethics
are not an inheritance of the past, completed and ready for universal
application.  We are in the situation of having to form our own beliefs and
meanings of life.  This struggle is now obvious in the contemporary discussions
of euthanasia.
     Of the controversial discussions involving euthanasia, the question of
legalization is an often argued one.  Whether euthanasia ought to be illegal is
different from the question of whether it is immoral.   Some people believe that
even if euthanasia is immoral, it still should not be prohibited by law, since
if a patient wants to die, that is strictly a personal affair, regardless of how
foolish or immoral the desire might be. [Rachels, 56]  My position is almost
identical.  I believe there are some instances in which euthanasia is immoral,
but I believe it should unquestionably be legal.  In the following paragraphs, I
will display the position of the opposition to the legality of euthanasia as
well as the position of the supporters.  I shall attempt to prove that, yes,
euthanasia should be legal. There is a strong opposition against the
legalization of euthanasia.  The main argument against the legality of
euthanasia is sometimes known as the slippery slope argument.  People argue that
if euthanasia was legally permitted, it would lead to a general decline in the
respect for human life.  It is professed that we would kill people in the
beginning simply to put them out of extreme agony.  This is the ideal.  But the
opposition states that the killing of people wouldn't stop here.  The killing
could perhaps escalate to mass murder of innocent victims.  When would the
killing stop?  This is what scares the opponent. The opponents argue that once
something is accepted, we have no right to deny other similar practices.  This
is when doctors and patients would start taking advantage of the new law.
Therefore, the first step should not be taken.
     I disagree with this notion and believe that there would hardly be any
abuse of the new law.  I have formed three reasons why euthanasia ought to be
legal.  First, history tells us that mercy killers have generally been let off
easy in court.  In the case of Hans Florian, a man who shot his elderly wife to
death because she had lost her mind to Alzheimer's disease, ...

This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Academic Library. Please register below now!

Subscribe to Academic Library

When you subscribe to the Academic Library, you get 24-hour access to the online database containing full-text articles written by thousands of scholarly students. For only $8.95 per month, you receive unlimited monthly access to view and download all of our 40,000 articles available online. That is less than the price of one textbook!
This price includes:

24-hours-a-day, 7 days a week unlimited access on any computer with Internet access

Complete access to all 40,000 articles, essays, and research papers

Ability to view and download virtually unlimited number of documents

Ability to browse through perfectly arranged catalog of articles

Superior search and relevancy ranking techniques using Google SiteSearch and our local search engine

Instant access to the online database after registration

You can pay by credit card, checking account. You get instant access after registration:

You will be billed $ 8.95 every 30 days (recurring billing) starting on the day you subscribe.
Your credit card will automatically be renewed for your convenience until you cancel.

If you are already registered, please click here to login.


	Home \| Register \| Login \| FAQ \| Forgot Password \| Privacy Policy \| Disclaimer \| Close Account \| Contact Us \| Logout Copyright 1998-2007 Academic Library. Academic Library is designed only to assist students and researchers in the preparation of their own work. Anybody who use our services are responsible not only for writing their own papers, but also for citing Academic Library as a source when doing so. By accessing and using this page you agree to the Disclaimer. If you wish to cancel your subscription to Academic Library, please click here.