Pros And Cons Of Euthanasia

Mr. X is a hardworking man. He has worked hard all his life to finally get a taste of success, and a ‘middle-class’ one at that. Unfortunately however, after a routine checkup at the hospital, Mr. X is told by his family doctor that his kidneys are not in ‘working condition’ and he in the near future will need transplantation. Mr. X is flabbergasted, but he decides to let the matter rest. Soon the agonizing side effects of failing kidneys raise their ugly heads. Mr. X has no choice but to go in for an organ transplant, but sadly cannot afford the same. Now the predicament here lies in finding a way out for Mr. X. On one hand Mr. X can be saved, on the other he really cannot. It is situations like these that resulted in the birth of ‘euthanasia’ or ‘mercy killings’, as it is more commonly known. It has always been a matter of concern, deciding between the legalization and forbiddance of euthanasia which in turn has led to countless arguments. Read on to gain access to the pros and cons of euthanasia.

Arguments For And Against Euthanasia 

Pros 

• “Why make a terminally ill patient go through all the pain and suffering, instead just painlessly put an end to his or her end to life?” This has and continues to be the number one argument for euthanasia. The advocates of euthanasia believe that it is necessary to legalize euthanasia because it is inhuman to actually put patients or individuals through the suffering that is the direct result of their illness.
• Euthanasia is the easiest option for those patients who suffer from incurable diseases and where effective treatment is not even an option. The patient can be ‘put to sleep’ if he or she so desires and sees no point in living until their last dying breath. In this case euthanasia is purely voluntary which only justifies the need for euthanasia.
• Euthanasia can help decrease the expenditure on health care. If euthanasia is made a possibility, a family will not have to spend as much as they do on a patient who they know is going to pass on soon anyway.
• Contrary to popular belief, family members desiring to get rid of the patient in question via euthanasia for their own selfish purposes cannot hold true. This is because this objective can be fulfilled even in the absence of euthanasia. The family in question instead of actively taking part in the killing of the patient will passively do so by withdrawing financial, emotional and physical support. 

Cons 

• Humanitarians and the religious amongst them believe that mercy killing or euthanasia is morally wrong. They believe that only God has the right to end life because only he was responsible for the same. They also argue that euthanasia is as good as homicide or murder that simply cannot be justified under the banner of namesake arguments.
• Euthanasia can lead to a steep decline in the quality of medical care administered to patients. Doctors and medical professionals will take it easy on themselves and may do little or zilch to actually rescue patients from the venomous jaws of a serious illness.
• Euthanasia is power, the power to end the life of another. One of the biggest arguments against euthanasia is that this power can be easily manipulated to fulfill the ulterior motives of conniving individuals who always manage to find a place for themselves in society. After all, there really is no mercy in killing!
• A hospital and doctors exist to save the lives of people suffering from illnesses, not end it. Advanced medical technology and knowledgeable medical professionals have made credible breakthroughs in the battles against illnesses and diseases. All these efforts would only go in vain if euthanasia got the nod from those who yield power.