The main arguments in favor of euthanasia are respect for individual freedom, the right of each person to choose the medical treatment they consider appropriate and the lack of quality of life that some diseases entail.
It is an open debate in many countries; some laws that already have it regulated and others deny such a possibility.
Euthanasia is a term that comes from the Greek and means "good death." It is the act of helping someone to die, either by action or omission, always at the request of the person concerned.
For this reason, it is usually distinguished between active euthanasia, when death is caused; or passive, when you simply do not continue with treatments that could extend life.
Apart from these types of euthanasia, there is also another modality that is usually taken into account when legislating. It is about assisted suicide.
In this type of suicide, the one who wishes to die must receive help from a third person, but it is he himself who performs the act of killing himself.
The 4 main arguments in favor of euthanasia
1- Personal freedom
This is the main argument in favor of the legalization of euthanasia. Every person, being aware and free to make the decision, should have the right to choose when they want to die.
The problem arises when, due to medical circumstances, you cannot end your own life.
That is why in many countries there is a so-called living will, in which the preferences of the signer are detailed in relation to what actions they want to take in the event of serious illness.
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Related to the above, all human beings have the right to choose what type of medical treatment they want to receive if they need it, and not enter into what is called "therapeutic fury."
This is nothing more than an effort to keep the patient alive using whatever means the doctor wishes.
Faced with this fierceness, the possibility of making it clear that it is not desired, for example, to be resuscitated in case of cardiac death, is claimed.
Also included in this argument is the desire not to receive certain treatments that prolong irreversible situations.
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Although life is considered a right, supporters of euthanasia consider that it should not be an obligation, especially in certain cases.
There are numerous diseases that make a person live in conditions that can be considered unworthy.
It may be due to the pain, physical deterioration or lack of autonomy. This last condition was what led Ramón Sampedro to claim euthanasia in a famous case that occurred in Spain.
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The Human Rights Convention establishes that everyone has the right to life, but also that they may not be tortured or subjected to degrading situations.
For those in favor of euthanasia, there is nothing more degrading than being forced to live in circumstances that the person does not want.
In this way, this argument could be summarized in the maxim: "A life that cannot be lived is not a privilege, it is a punishment."
References
- Free to the End. For a law of euthanasia. Obtained from librehastaelfinal.org
- Rodríguez Garavito, César. Three reasons in favor of the law on euthanasia. (October 15, 2012). Obtained from elespectador.com
- BBC. Pro-euthanasia arguments. Retrieved from bbc.co.uk
- Euthanasia. Reasons for Euthanasia. Retrieved from euthanasia.com
- D. Benatar. A legal right to die: responding to slippery slope and abuse arguments. Retrieved from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov