Active Euthanasia- A Kantian Perspective Essay -- essays research pape

Active Euthenasia – From A Kantian Perspective Euthanasia is one of society's more widely debated moral issues of our time. Active euthanasia is; "Doing something, such as administering a lethal drug, or using other ways that will cause a person's death." In the other hand, Passive euthanasia is; "Stopping (or not starting) a treatment, that will make a person die, the condition of the person will cause his or her death." It seems that this one is not to debate, as much as the other one (active). I have chosen to look more closely at the issue of active euthanasia, and that it should not be considered ethical, by Kantian standards. Those who support active euthanasia can argue that helping the ill to bring their own deaths, allowing them to determine the how and when, is not only a human act but also allows the person, who is "living to die," to maintain their dignity; this way, they will let them die in peace, rather than suffer to the end. Because if not, they think of themselves as a disgrace, to those they love. According to recent researches and surveys, many Canadians would agree to this, but my question is, have they taken a close look at the ethical debate? Those who are against active euthanasia would say not, and would argue that by participating in the practice of active euthanasia, they are "playing God," or perhaps, that they are not acting out of mercy, therefore, the act is nothing less than cold-blooded murder. Murder by the law is defined as; "The unlawful, premeditated killing of one human being by another." Euthanasia, in Canada, remains unlawful as of today, and the act of euthanasia is premeditated, whether for the purpose of mercy or not, euthanasia is, by definition, murder. According to Kantian perspective established by Kant the philosopher, and the Holy Bible, murder is both a sin and a crime, therefore we ought not participate in the practice of euthanasia, because it is murder, and it is the wrong thing to do. The euthanasia debate raises many questions. Questions such as: who is the one benefited by the murder? Or should we allow family members to make a life-or-death decision over a loved one who may never have expressed a desire to die, simply because they could not say with words a will to live? If a person should be suffering with an illness of which there seems no hope of r... ...sidered as ethical because it totally violates the will, the freedom of choice, and also the values of the ill person. Barbara McKinnon, "Euthanasia," Ethics Theory and Contemporary Issues, second edition, p.126, 1998 Barbara McKinnon, "Euthanasia," Ethics Theory and Contemporary Issues, second edition, p.126, 1998 http://charlacon.infosel.com/000165/lomejor.htm TTI Market Explorers, Poll of 603 Adults in British Colombia, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, 1997 Clarendon Press, "Concise Oxford Dictionary", p. 895, 1995 . http://www.sagrado.edu/personal/lazaro/jlazaro.html Pieter Admiraal, "Euthanasia in the Netherlands - A Dutch Doctor's Perspective," (speech presented at the national convention of the Hemlock Society, Arlington VA, 1986) http://www.vrweb.cl/mf/wwwboard/messages3/1131.html Brown, Henteleff, Barakat and Rowe, "Is It Normal for Terminally Ill Patients to Desire Death?," American Journal of Psychiatry, Flora Johnson Skelly, "Don't Miss Depression, Physicians say," American Medical News, p. 28, 1992 Dahlgren, "Suicide and Life Threatening Behaviour," Attempted Suicides 35 Years Afterward, 1977