EUTHANASIA: AN ACT OF MERCY OR MURDER?
Dr. Adefarasin V.O.
Department of Philosophy
Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria
E-mail: adefarasinvo@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
A moral discussion on Euthanasia is not a newly emerging issue. Rather, it has been an age-long problematic in ethical theory that has occupied scholars and non-scholars. In contemporary times however, it is an issue that is debated with a new intensity. Thus, this paper sets out to examine the general conceptual and ethical issues involved in Euthanasia. Euthanasia is the practice or act of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy. An act of Euthanasia may involve killing someone or it may involve refraining from trying to prev
ent death (permitting someone to die). However, the condition of the person undergoing Euthanasia and the intensions of the person(s) performing it are crucial for distinguishing between euthanasia and other forms of killing, such as murder or self-defense. In order to be considered an act of euthanasia, an act must be done in the interest of the person who undergoes it and the goal must be to prevent, reduce or end a patient’s suffering to preserve a patient’s dignity, or to respect a patient’s autonomy. A lot of moral and legal issues are involved in euthanasia. The argument of pro-euthanasia is that the act is meant to end the agony of patients. How valid is this reason? Life, it should be noted could be in pain or pleasure. As Bentham noted, nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. Is it possible to abolish pain entirely? Does it follow that any life that is associated with pain should be terminated? However some pains are tolerable and some beyond human tolerance. Thus, human life can be associated with a considerable amount of pain and still be worth-living, also there is a level below which pain and suffering become simply unbearable as well. In this paper, we shall discuss meaning and definition of euthanasia, methods of euthanasia, forms of euthanasia, kinds of euthanasia, euthanasia: an act of mercy or an act of murder. An attempt shall also be made to discuss the problem that arises in euthanasia. The paper concludes that euthanasia is not an act of murder, but rather, it is an act of mercy.
Keywords: Euthanasia, mercy, murder, persons, life.