The Moral Acceptability Of Passive Euthanasia

The Moral Acceptability Of Passive Euthanasia This paper will discuss the moral permissibility and acceptability of passive euthanasia, especially with regard to active euthanasia. The aim of the paper is to argue for the thesis that passive euthanasia is morally acceptable under certain conditions. I will present a defense of this thesis by defining its terms, distinguishing the various forms of euthanasia, especially between active and passive, as well as voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia. I will cite concrete cases and also consider various factors that may affect the euthanasia decision, such as the pain and suffering of the patient. The arguments will be evaluated from utilitarian perspectives, taking into account the views of Kant and Aristotle. Strictly speaking, the term euthanasia refers to actions or omissions that result in the death of a person who is already gravely ill. (Moreno). There are two important features of euthanasia. First, that euthanasia involves the deliberate and premeditated act, of taking away a persons life; and, second, that it is an act of mercy, which is taken for the sake of the person whose life is unbearable from pain or has an incurable disease. This notion of mercy distinguishes euthanasia from most other forms of taking life. Euthanasia is a controversial concept, which evokes heated moral, medical, legal, and social debates. The term has both positive and negative connotations: the fundamental idea is, that a suffering person will be relieved by means of an act of mercy, but at the same time there are numerous abuse cases where people have been killed or murdered under the euthanasia pretext. There are various forms of euthanasia. Although the topic of this paper is the discussion of moral acceptability of passive euthanasia, it is important to distinguish between active and passive forms of euthanasia: actively causing a person to die (for example by intentionally giving some medication) or passively allowing them to die by withdrawing or withholding their treatment, or taking away something they need to survive. Typical examples of passive euthanasia are switching off life-supporting machines, such as feeding tubes, respirators, or not carrying out life-extending operations and treatments or not giving life-extending drugs. Another categorization of euthanasia is along voluntariness or by consent: voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia are both in the patients interest, freeing him/her from unbearable suffering. The difference between the two lies in the patients ability to make the decision. In the case of voluntary euthanasia (which is also often referred to as assist ed suicide) the terminally ill patient is mentally competent and makes the decision about terminating his/her own life. In the case of non-voluntary euthanasia (which is also often referred to as mercy killing) the patient is not mentally competent to make a decision about his/her fate (for terminal brain damage or coma, for example) and a proxy, the guardian or physician makes the decision on his/her behalf. Finally, involuntary euthanasia though not in the focus of this paper needs to be mentioned as a conceptually different form of euthanasia. In this case euthanasia is administered without the consent, and against the will of the person. In the following I will compare and contrast passive and active euthanasia, discuss whether there is a moral difference between them, and mount a defense of the thesis, that in most cases there is no real moral difference between helping someone die and letting someone die. I will also argue that there is a more profound moral difference between voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia, and there need to be clear guidelines to ascertain that no one gets killed against his/her wishes. By explaining that there is, in fact, no relevant moral difference between omissions and acts, I will prove that active euthanasia is not immoral and is fundamentally no different than passive euthanasia, and in some cases passive euthanasia is more moral than active. The utilitarians emphasize that when deciding an acts morality we should only consider the consequences (Mill). To validate this point, first, we may argue, that it is not exactly correct to say that omission is a non-act (Rachels). Letting t he patient die is also an act. There is an active decision of not to perform certain other life-saving actions. However, whether it is considered an act or not, the outcomes are the same, thus regarding morality they should be approached in the same way. From a moral perspective pulling the plug of the respirator, withdrawing the feeding tube or withdraw a life sustaining treatment is an act itself, which means, that omission is also an act itself. Thus passive euthanasia is subject to moral appraisal in the same way that active euthanasia, a decision to directly act would be subject to moral appraisal. Since utilitarians are only concerned with the consequences of an action, not with the motives or the action itself, there does not seem to be any reason to distinguish between active and passive euthanasia, since they both lead to the same ultimate conclusion (the death of the patient). If we consider the amount of happiness or pain that either form of euthanasia creates, however, o ne may even argue, that withholding a treatment (passive euthanasia) may take the patient longer to die, and so lead to more suffering, than if more direct actions would be taken (active euthanasia). This suggests, that from a utilitarian perspective once an initial decision not to prolong the patients life and agony has been made, active euthanasia would actually be preferable to passive euthanasia, because it would decrease overall pain. If we examine the difference between passive and active euthanasia from a deontologists (Kants) point of view we can come to a similar conclusion. One of his basic insights is that morality is a matter of motives and intentions, and not a matter of consequences (Kant). If we accept that the intent of an action determines morality rather than the effects, omissions would be subject to the same moral evaluation as acts, since the underlying motives would be similar (to end the patients suffering). This argument also suggests that there is no morally relevant difference between act and omission, that is, between active and passive euthanasia. In fact, if we proceed with this argument and develop the logic that morality is a matter of intentions further, we can conclude, that passive euthanasia leads to more suffering rather than less, and is contrary to the motivation that prompts the initial decision of not to prolong the patients life and agony. Thus, active euthanasia is not only not morally inferior to passive euthanasia, but may indeed be preferable. (Current) So far we have looked at the possible differences between the various forms of euthanasia and came to conclude, that, although there are some valid arguments from the causality perspective, and also the current practices worldwide might allow passive euthanasia, but not, or only very rarely allow active euthanasia, we see no major moral distinction between the two forms. From a utilitarian perspective they both lead to the same conclusion, and we even terminate that in some cases active euthanasia may be preferable to passive form, because it brings less suffering to the patient. We have, however, came to conclude that there is a more significant distinction between voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia, since in the latter the patients will may or may not be carried out which can lead to potentially killing someone who either wouldnt have wanted to be killed in this way. The subject of euthanasia is filled with room for interpretation. In the analysis above we have proved that there are various and contradictory approaches, and it seems to be difficult to come to a conclusion about the moral rightness of euthanasia. A different approach could be to study the concept of euthanasia case by case and determine the ethical values and the major factors that need to be considered in an attempt to establish some criteria for moral acceptability. In the next part of this paper I will discuss the various factors that influence the euthanasia decision through some concrete cases and evaluate their moral acceptability. Human life itself is commonly taken to be a cardinal good for people, often valued for its own sake. But when a competent, terminally ill patient decides that the best life possible for him/ her with treatment is of such bad quality that it is worse than no further life at all, than continued life is no longer considered a benefit. Human life should not be degraded by reducing the quality of life for the sake of artificially extending the quantity of life. When a person has no quality of life any more because of unbearable pain, then they should not be forced to live, they should be able to choose to die, because at one stage continued attempts to cure are not compassionate any more. However a deontologist would disagree with this argument. Kant emphasizes that it is persons duty to live, even if you have an untreatable illness. You have to act from duty and not give in to the easier path and chose euthanasia. The following example shows how it is possible to think this way and deny euthanasia: I no longer accept this enduring pain, and this protruding eye that nothing can be done about, Chantal Sebire 52 years old French schoolteacher said. I cant take this anymore. I want to go out celebrating, surrounded by my children, friends, and doctors before Im put to sleep definitively at dawn. When she was offered the possibility of passive euthanasia she objected: that passive form of euthanasia was neither dignified, humane, or respectful of me or my children. From these lines we can see how Sebire insists that she stays alive, since it is her duty. In this context euthanasia should be a natural extension of patients rights to life allowing them to decide the value of life and death. Through the next example we will see some difficulties we can come across when trying to enforce non-voluntary euthanasia. Current medical ethics seem to implicitly legitimize or legally accept passive euthanasia in many parts of the world with the moral argument of letting nature (the underlying disease) take its course, and accepting that human active (medical) intervention would simply lengthen this process unnecessarily (Moreno, 1995). This seems to be acceptable if that is what the patient wants (voluntary) or would have wanted (non-voluntary). Of course, the case of voluntary euthanasia is more straightforward: the patient is conscious and can actively give consent and confirm his/her wishes. In the case of non-voluntary euthanasia, however, when the patient is unconscious and incompetent, the decision makers must rely on former statements or comments of the patient where they had indicated they would not want to live hooked up to a machine or when it is hopeless. An example is the well known and much debated Eluana Englaro case. The Italian woman had been in coma for irreversible brain damage that she had suffered in a car accident at the age of 20. For 17 years she was in a vegetative state, while her father, ultimately successfully, fought for passive euthanasia (having her feeding tubes removed), saying it would be a dignified end, and this is what her daughter would have wanted. His argument was that her daughter had visited a friend in coma before her own accident, and stated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾she did not want the same thing happen to her if she was in the same state (CNN.com, 2009). In absence of such former statements, the consenting proxy (guardian or physician) must rely on their own judgments and that has the possibility to lead to as it is called slippery slopes. This also brings up the problem of involuntary euthanasia, when euthanasia is administered without the consent, and against the will of the person. In our example how can we be sure th at the father is telling the truth? Or is he only saying this to help his own suffering? It is also important to see how the physicians role is crucial. It is them who know the patients condition well, who have access to drugs who have specialized knowledge or appropriate methods, and it is also them who can provide emotional support for the patient and the family. Equally importantly, it is also the physician who has been directly and intimately connected with and responsible for the persons care, and who the patient typically trusts. The physicians role is controversial too. One approach is that euthanasia is fundamentally incompatible with the physicians role as healer. This is one of the main arguments of the anti-euthanasia movements, which often cite the Hippocratic Oath, that clearly states: I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it (Hippocratese) This explicitly forbids killing patients. However, we must understand that Hippocrates did not explicitly say that doctors must preserve life at all costs. Also, we may argue the real word-by-word rel evance of the Oath to modern medicine and to the current rights of patients and doctors. The Oath can also be interpreted as a duty of the physician to alleviate pain and suffering. If there is no other option, the doctor, in fulfilling this duty, should be allowed to actively end the patients life. Throughout this essay we have had a look at the different types of euthanasia, and how different moral approaches accept them. We managed to conclude that morally there is no difference between passive and active euthanasia, and in some cases active euthanasia would even be advantageous. We also saw how it is hard to come up with a universal law how to judge euthanasia, since each case is extremely different and there are a lot of perspectives that have to be considered. Therefore when deciding on the moral acceptability of euthanasia we have to view each case separately and then with regard to each theory decide on its morality.

Is It Better to Study in Arts or Science Stream?

Question: Is it better to study in Arts or Science stream? Discuss Nowadays, the level of education is very important in an individual because the world is rapidly developing and required people to have high intellectual capabilities in order to cope with the development. Art and science streams are two fields that offer jobs in many countries in this world. People question that art stream people are usually better in social skill and they help a lot in boosting the economy of a country. Others, however, believes that science stream have more stable pay and contribute a lot in humanity apart from financial benefits. Firstly, people in art streams tend to socialize more with people as their field usually need them to work with other people in order to ensure the success of their career. Communication skill also can be developing as they communicate with others a lot. For instance, in business field, businessmen or businesswomen need to meet their clients to discuss about their business progress. This required them to have good communication skill to make sure the clients can have a clear view about the business in which they are working. Business professions also make the entrepreneur to meet new people and make friends with them as business professions requires them to explore a lot and not to do the office works only. This will open their mind towards new things that happen around the world. Next, the arts and creative industry has the potential of generating high income and making the Malaysian economy more dynamic or boost industry economy, whereby in 2008 from Malaysian statistics, it contributed RM 9. billion, besides providing many jobs available. Realizing the importance of this industry, the government has allocated millions for the Creative Industry Fund to finance activities like arts, film and drama production, music, animation, advertising and developing local content. The funding in the form of loans is managed by financial banking. The development of countries such as Singapore and even the US has been helped greatly by arts and creative industry to boost their economy. An additional point is that the influx of foreign investors can put pressure on services such as marketing, and these costs can be used to increase the production in arts and creative industry. Besides that, with participation of private companies, government linked companies and involvement of investors from many countries; it can ensure that the Malaysian creative product brand names are accepted in the local market and able to compete at the regional and international levels through continuous promotions. All these factors can result in boosted of economic for the government. On the other hand, science stream have variety scopes of learning such as the biology, chemistry, physical and many more. With this different kind of learning, the opportunity of jobs becomes wider. In comparison with the art stream, one with the knowledge of biological studies can even work in engineering field even though they are in different fields. Furthermore, jobs in this stream have more stable pay instead of the art stream. The definite example is the work of a doctor. They receive same payment for every month either they work for the whole month or simply for sometimes. They can also live their life happily without even worried about having shortness of money in this develop country. In addition, this field of study contributes to humanity in many ways. In medical field, the new discovery of various drugs and treatment methods helps to increase the lifespan of humans. Justice can be served through forensics as samples collected from the scene of crime can be traced to any perpetrators. Biotechnology and genetic engineering have the potential to make stem cells transplant a success in the near future. Engineering provides humans with the latest and trendiest technology with the aim of making life more comfortable. Last but not least, research by scientists help to confirm any suspected hypothesis such as gravity and effectiveness of antibiotics. There are equal advantages in studying arts and science field. Hence, this solely depends on different individual’s interest and attitude. One may argue that science stream provides a stable pay but if one is not interested in that field, it brings no meaning at all in studying that particular field. Likewise, if one is motivated and inspired to succeed, it does not matter which field he is studying because regardless of science or arts stream, as long as he is has the motivation and interest, he is bound to succeed. In a nutshell, interest and attitude play an important role in determining which field is more suitable for one’s choice of study.

Ap Euro Dbq

Sarmad Kako 7th period DBQ Essay The Thirty Years War devastated all of Europe from 1618-1648. The thirty Years war was principally fought throughout Central Europe and involved most of the countries in Europe. The origins of the conflict and goals of the participants were complex, and no single cause can accurately be described as the main reason for the fighting. Initially, it was fought largely as a religious war between Protestants and Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire, although disputes over internal politics and the balance of power within the Empire played a significant part.A major consequence of the Thirty Years' War was the devastation of entire regions, denuded by the foraging armies. Famine and disease significantly decreased the population of the German states and Bohemia, the Low Countries, and Italy, and most of the combatant powers were bankrupted. These statements and the thirty years war all led to: The fall of Spain, France’s aggression to win, and absoluti sm in France. In the two treaties of the Thirty Years War, France replaced Spain as the most powerful country in Europe. Spain was unable to recover so quickly from her great losses: she was not only without funds, but without credit, incapable of any great effort in terms of money or man-power†¦Her king was old and in dubious health; he had just one son, young and rather feeble†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Document 3, this was said by King Louis XIV. Louis XIV shows bias in this document by presenting the flaws and exaggerating Spain’s situation; making it seem like Spain was going to fall and no one will be/is there to rule it. He made it seem like there was no competition, only him left.The Spanish navy was badly crushed and Portugal revolted against Spanish rule, corrupting Ferdinand II. Louis XIV aggression to win most made huge statements across Europe. King Louis XIV in document 3 along with document 5 shows tons of bias; he only talks about how great France is and how they woul dn’t make it without his foreseeing and support. France had many allies during the thirty years war for example, France. King Louis XIV talks about how he couldn’t have won alone, but it was mainly his success. In the course of this war I flatter myself that I demonstrated what France, unaided, can achieve†¦All of my subjects supported me to the best of their ability: in the armies, by their valour, in my kingdom, by their zeal, and in foreign lands† Document 5. Louis XIV was very one sided and believed France was above everyone else. In addition, France was backed by Sweden, from what you see in Document 2 Sweden soldiers thought of peasants as sub-human and believed they freely act without judgment.After the thirty years war was over, France sprung into the age of absolutism. King Louis XIV fought to eliminate Protestants and the practicing of their faith in France. King Louis XIV’s ideas were always respected and no one dared to cross judge his ide as; as said in Document 7, â€Å"All the eyes are fixed on him alone; it is to him that all the wishes are addressed; he alone receives all the respects; he alone is the object of all hopes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even though France had a Protestant population, Louis XIV wanted France to be pure of Protestants and their believing’s.The Thirty’s Years war devastated all of Europe; financially, economically, and politically. So great was the devastation brought about by the war that estimates put the reduction of population in the  German states. Catholics and Protestants went to war in the Holy Roman Empire due to the power struggle that could hold on no longer. France was completely bankrupted (Document 9) and sent famine across Europe. The thirty years war all led to: The fall of Spain, France’s aggression to win, and absolutism in France.

French Subjunctive Irregular Conjugations

French Subjunctive Irregular Conjugations While not as difficult as using the French subjunctive, conjugating irregular and stem-changing verbs into the subjunctive can be a little tricky.Stem-changing verbs and most irregular verbs follow the same pattern as regular verbs for the singular conjugations (je, tu, il/elle/on) as well as the third person plural (ils/elles): the subjunctive stem is derived from the present tense conjugation of ils. boire envoyer prendre venir present tense: ils boivent envoient prennent viennent stem boiv- envoi- prenn- vienn- subjunctive endings: boire envoyer prendre venir ... que je -e boive envoie prenne vienne ... que tu -es boives envoies prennes viennes ... quil/elle/on -e boive envoie prenne vienne ... quils/elles -ent boivent envoient prennent viennent However, the nous and vous forms of the subjunctive find their stems in the present tense conjugation of nous: present tense: nous buvons envoyons prenons venons stem buv- envoy- pren- ven- subjunctive endings : ... que nous -ions buvions envoyions prenions venions ... que vous -iez buviez envoyiez preniez veniez This two-stem subjunctive pattern applies to all stem-changing verbs as well as all but seven irregular verbs.Five verbs have irregular subjunctive stems but take the same endings as above: One stem Two stems* faire pouvoir savoir aller vouloir stem(s) fass- puiss- sach- aill- / all- veuill- / voul- ... que je (j) fasse puisse sache aille veuille ... que tu fasses puisses saches ailles veuilles ... quil/elle/on fasse puisse sache aille veuille ... que nous fassions puissions sachions allions voulions ... que vous fassiez puissiez sachiez alliez vouliez ... quils/elles fassent puissent sachent aillent veuillent *These two verbs have different stems for je/tu/il/ils and nous/vous.And finally, two verbs have irregular stems as well irregular endings: avoir tre ... que je (j) aie sois ... que tu aies sois ... quil/elle/on ait soit ... que nous ayons soyons ... que vous ayez soyez ... quils/elles aient soient

HOW RAP GETS A BAD REP essays

HOW RAP GETS A BAD REP essays From its early days in the Bronx to its international popularity, rap and hip-hop, the two words used interchangeably, have become a big part of the entertainment industry. Despite its success, the rap industry has been plagued with controversy. News medias attention on rap seems fixated on instances of violence at rap concerts, gangsta raps lurid fantasies of cop killing, female bashing, and black nationalist rappers suggestions that white people are the devils disciples. The reality of the situation, however, is that the lyrics many rappers use contain positive messages of philosophy and of personal experiences. Artists use their songs to express themselves and their situations. Much of the criticism Received is due to a biased media which portrays content of many rap songs as nothing but endless profanity and extremely offensive language. In addition, much is said about the extent to which violence is used in the songs. Violence towards women, homosexuals or rival rappers. Also, rap artists themselves, for the most part have become victims of the stereotypical media which portrays them very negatively. Finally The urban youth of America have been given a bad reputation as gang members in waiting, and petty thugs due to fact that the majority listen to rap music. The hip-hop community receives much criticism for its use of vulgar and offensive language. When a rap artist such as Eminem is written about in the media, often the writer will focus solely on criticizing the profanity in his lyrics as apposed to the overall message trying to be conveyed in the song. For example, in a recent issue of the L.A Times, Eminem was described as the artist who raps in a gleefully explicit style..... [thats is] clownish and just plain rude. If the content and style of his music is based solely on the use of coarse language, why then are other forms of entertainment not condemned ...

What Is The Relationship Between Whiteness And Racism Effects of Essay

What Is The Relationship Between Whiteness And Racism Effects of Racism and Sexism. Binary Logic of Race - Essay Example Western society has a shameful and recent legacy of slavery and is a country stratified by race, gender and class. For some, like renowned African American author, scholar and social activist, bell hooks, the United States is a country with a strong tradition of institutionalized racism which permeates all aspects of modern America society (see hooks' Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism, 1981). Importantly as well, the United Kingdom has a colonial legacy in which racist ideas about civilisation governed its colonial conquests. For many in the UK as well as in the United States, racism is an ever-present aspect of the social condition and is built upon a rigid social code, a white/black binary which has its roots in a belief that whiteness is superior to all other types of skin tones. The following will explore racism today and the relationship between whiteness and race in modern society.... variety of factors can account for this disparity, low birth weight remains the most prominent cause of a higher infant mortality rate amongst black babies. In fact, black babies in America have a 300% greater likelihood of being born with a low birthrate relative to their white counterparts. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found a variety of socio-economic causes for the phenomenon of low birth weight, including poverty, poor nutrition, a lack of knowledge about pregnancy and the challenges associated with it, and access to proper medical facilities. The disparity in black-white successful birth ratios in America thus can be attributed to social forces and socio-economic differences amongst black and white Americans (Carmichal and Iyasu, 1998; Kogan, 1997) Binary Logic of Race The binary logic of race is inherently hierarchical and people of mixed racial parentage or individuals who are bi-racial are somewhere in-between the artificial and socially constructed binary so pervasive in modern American society. How do mulatto people identify within the rigid constraints of the racial binary How is racial identity redefined by individuals who, through no fault of the own, do not fit into the supposedly neat and compact racial categories society seeks to impose on them Most importantly, how are people who are mulatto freed from the binary concept of race and how do these people define their own unique racial identities Seeking to answer these questions and further analyze the social construction of identity today, this essay will discuss readings from Reddy, Walker, Senna and Williams with an eye to the social construction of race and racial identity. The specific focus will be on how the artificial binaries of race and race hierarchy are navigated and

Garnet lake in Prescott Arizona Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Garnet lake in Prescott Arizona - Essay Example The geology is quite breathtaking with the banner peak, which stands at 3,943 meters, being Ritter Range’s second tallest peak in the Sierra Nevada region (Siragusa 46). The lake is surrounded by a mountainous landscape whose slopes are adorned by a few glaciers. The lake and the surrounding mountain peaks are to be found within the Ansel Adams Wilderness and is part of several lakes that lie within this area. The other lakes include Lake Ediza, Shadow Lake, Lake Catherine, and the Thousand Island Lake (Siragusa 50). Banner peak was the most striking geological feature around the lake. During the observation period, I was able to witness the formation of banner clouds at the top of the adjacent Banner Peak. Garnett Lake is best known for the work that was done by Ansel Adams, an American film maker and photographer, as well as environmentalist, whose black and white pictures photographs of the surrounding area became famous around the same time that Americans began to get envi ronmentally conscious (Siragusa 61). It was at this site that Ansel Adams, together with Fred Archer, developed the zone system so as to make a determination of proper exposure, as well as the improve the, final print’s contrast. In conjunction with Willard van Dyke, Adams Ansel, founded Group f/64 and the pictures, films that they reproduced as a group are famous and have been reproduced in books, on posters, and calendars, making photographs of the region, and especially Garnet Lake, distributed widely around the world. On my trip to garnet Lake, I was so enchanted by the lake and surrounding scenery that I could not stop taking photographs. I had seen the lake on numerous geographically themed shows, calendars, and postcards, but seeing the lake first hand was just breathtaking. I found solace in its solace, artistic inspiration, and its pure sense of adventure, which I found in plenty among the brooding and cloud-laden skies, snow swept passes, and jagged granite peaks. I was inspired to visit the lake in the hope of seeing what had inspired Ansel Adam in essence I was not disappointed. Approaching the lake from the River Trail from the trees at 9,833 feet, I truly admired the splendid prospect set against strong and slanting sunlight. The lake, strewn with boulders, was surrounded by alpine meadows and anchored by Mount Ritter and especially Banner Peak. Suddenly, everything seemed to fall into place in an unbelievably agreeable manner with the mountain, clouds, and rock providing magic of unity that was simply unprecedented in my book. I wandered around the lake carefully, balancing, sometimes precariously, on large boulders, and scrutinizing the scene. The sun, peeking intermittently through the clouds, was roasting at times. I attempted to locate a scene from one of Ansel Adams’ famous photographs and found one of them that captured Banner Peak, the clouds, and the glimmering lake. The scene was more enchanting than I expected, except for the lack of pine to its right and feathery clouds that hugged the mountain peaks in the photograph. This was my only disappointment since the many photographs that I had seen of this beautiful lake had