Euthanasia and Assistant Suicide

Introduction

The Hippocratic Oath, taken by most Western physicians for over two millennia, states, “Neither will I administer a venom to any individual when inquired to manage so, neither will I propose such a course”. Nonetheless, some medical historians accept as factual that numerous Greeks in Hippocrates' day (c. 470-c. 410 BCE) did not outlook euthanasia as always criminal or unethical. The aim of this paper is to presents the comparative findings for the similarities or differences between assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Discussion

Distinctions Between Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide

As per the definition, Euthanasia is the intentional killing of the person or the patient for alleged or illegitimate benefits. It can be either voluntary, where person himself request to get killed. This situation commonly occurs with the family of the patients who is under prolonged pain and wants to get painless death. Non-voluntary is when person does not want to die and is killed, unfortunately (Daniel, 41).

Assistant Suicide is when an individual is provided with information, guidance to commit suicide. Assistant suicide is usually done with the help of doctors who usually, do it with patient having prolonged illness or mental disability that is causing hindrance to the other people.

Those who see euthanasia as a valid and worthy of death are based on the idea that man is master of his own life and as such has the inherent right to end it, especially if that life is only pain and suffering without room for improvement.

Those who attack the euthanasia dispute the notion that man is master of his life. According to them life is a value in itself of divine origin that the only person given, does not possess. Other arguments suggest that the legalization of euthanasia gives rise to the relatives of a seriously ill death give obedience to material or monetary interest, makes doctors violate the Hippocratic oath and makes the State waives the duty to protect life people.

Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is a practice where a Physician or Doctor provides a patient with medication that the patient requested by choice to end their own life. Most people tend confuse Physician-assisted suicide with Euthanasia which is the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependant person for their alleged benefit.

The difference that people tend to overlook is that Euthanasia is an intentional act of killing that is forced upon a person and PAS is not. It usually ...