Ethical Aspects of Euthanasia - Research Paper Example

Voluntary euthanasia takes place when death is hastened at the request of the patient. The ethical issues that arise are the respect for individual autonomy, as well as the obligation of the medical practitioners to respect patients’ informed choices. Euthanasia claims to relieve the patient of suffering. It is also argued that if a patient has the right to choose and make informed decision about his medical treatment, he also has the right to decide when to die (Chaloner, 2007). The opponents claim that this could have a damaging effect on the individual and the society.

The opponents argue that palliative care should be improved but in terminal cases, no amount of medicine would make any difference. Moreover, the psychological need of the terminally ill patients to be relieved of the suffering should be of equal importance as the physiological needs. This is individual autonomy and an individual must have the freedom to do what he wants to and when he wants to do. John Stuart’s Harm Principle also asserts that the individual has a right over his own body and mind.

This principle restricts the power of physicians and others in the medical field to arrive at decisions about the patient when the decision affects none other than the patient himself. Autonomy again gives rise to certain apprehensions. For an individual to arrive at the decision, he should be competent enough to decide on a course of action. Is he in the right frame of mind? Secondly, if autonomy of the patient is respected, the autonomy of the medical professionals also needs to be respected.

Hence, if the autonomy of the doctors is also respected the patient loses the right to receive assistance to die. Rights and duties are interwoven. Hence, it can also be interpreted that the health professionals have a duty to assist the terminally ill patients to die. Other arguments that abound are that a competent