Built an Argument

Built an Argument

Introduction

Moral and ethical considerations are one of the most important concerns for the society. There are a number of different standards and criteria to identify these moral and ethical considerations in a society. These standards are based on either social, cultural, legal, or religious practices that guide and assist citizens, religious scholars, and other legislative authorities to determine the status and criteria to identify and determine the standards of moral and ethical practices. In the book “Disputed Moral Issues”, Mark Timmons has discussed a number of different moral and ethical concerns that resulted in raising various arguments, such as sexual issues, marriage, pornography, hate speech, censorship, drugs, gambling, racism, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, abortion; cloning and genetic enhancement, death penalty, torture, and many other. All these issues resulted in creating more problems with the advancement of technology, changing lifestyle, change in perceptions, and change in the social, cultural, and religious understandings. One of the most controversial issues is related to the euthanasia or physician assisted suicide. It is not a new concept, but it involves a number of different moral and ethical considerations all over the world whether it should be legalized or not?

Discussion

In his book, “Disputed Moral Issues”, Mark Timmons presented different arguments to provide clear understanding about the moral and ethical concerns associated with this concept. These different arguments and their analysis provide assistance to understand and weight the strengths and weaknesses of different arguments. Strengths and weaknesses of these arguments will assist me to understand the moral and ethical issue associated with the concept and it will also assist me to build my own argument.

Arguments

There are various arguments presented by Mark Timmons, some favored euthanasia or physician assisted suicide; while, many argued against this concept. Euthanasia is known as mercy killing or 'easy death' (Pozgar, 2010, 254). It is also defined as “the deliberate, rapid and painless termination of life of a person afflicted with incurable and progressive disease” (Roy, Williams & Dickens quoted by Foreman, 2003, p.95). There are many contrasting views associated with this concept, some people arguing in favor of it while some against it. This resulted in a very controversial issue of moral and ethical standards. In the book by Mark Timmons, the argument based on the rules of nature make it as a wrong act, as it is intentional killing or taking life of ...