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Ethics: Euthanasia and physician assisted suicide

Ethics: Euthanasia and physician assisted suicide

Suicide of elderly French couple stirs euthanasia debate | World news The discovery of letters left by an elderly couple who checked into a luxury Paris hotel to commit suicide has reopened the debate in France about the right of individuals to choose to die. Georgette and Bernard Cazes, 86, were found lying peacefully holding hands on a bed in a room at the Lutetia hotel in the left-bank Saint-Germain district, having planned their deaths in meticulous detail. Police found two documents in the room, which was undisturbed: one, a letter for the couple's family; the other, a typewritten missive addressed to the French public prosecutor demanding "the right to die in a dignified manner". In it Georgette Cazes voiced her anger at not being allowed to leave the world "peacefully" and declared her letter a formal legal complaint for the "non respect of my liberty". She wrote that she had asked her son to pursue the case after her death. "They feared being separated and being dependent a lot more than they feared death," he said.

10 Arguments For Legalizing Euthanasia Politics Euthanasia is an issue most politicians wouldn’t touch with a long pole. And with good reason: Any argument on the subject usually devolves into a series of complex, abstract questions about morality and freedom of choice and so on. But while these ideas do have their place in the debate, they usually serve only to eclipse the other, better reasons we have for considering legalization—reasons that involve evidence, lived experience, and hard statistics. 10It Doesn’t Shorten Life One of the big arguments against euthanasia is that it’s irreversible: Once the patient is gone, we’ll never know if their unexpected recovery was just around the corner, or if they might have gone on to lead full and happy lives despite their illness. Now, this isn’t to say that miracle recoveries never happen: They occasionally do. 9It Saves Lives Not only does legalizing euthanasia not significantly shorten life, it’s been proven to actually save lives. But hey, that’s just Holland, right? Take Oregon.

IANDS - the most reliable source of information on NDEs Euthanasia - Arguments FOR Euthanasia Can quickly and humanely end a patient’s suffering, allowing them to die with dignity. Can help to shorten the grief and suffering of the patient’s loved ones. Everyone has the right to decide how they should die. Death is a private matter, and if you are not hurting anyone else, the state should not interfere. Most people would have their pets put down if they were suffering – this would be regarded as kindness. Some Christians would support euthanasia. God is love. For a more detailed study of Euthanasia, have a look at our A level pages. The Voluntary Euthanasia Society (EXIT) believes that faced with terminal illness, pain or a useless existence, for which there is no cure, everyone should be able to turn to “…..the mercy of a painless death.” EXIT works to change the law so people can make “Advance Directives” – statements telling others of the patient’s wishes, in case they reach a stage when they cannot speak for themselves but want to be allowed to die.

Ethics - Euthanasia: Anti-euthanasia arguments Things 2 do b4 u die This activity deals with bucket lists – wishlists of things to do before you die (or ‘kick the bucket’). For example: participate in a demonstration; appear on the front cover of a newspaper; be an extra in a film; do a runner from a restaurant; get arrested; photocopy your bottom at work. Language level: Intermediate (B1) +Learner type: Mature teens; AdultsTime: 90 minutesActivity: Grammar drill; SpeakingTopic: Life & deathLanguage: ‘Have you ever …?’ questions; Past simple questions; Pronunciation of regular past participlesMaterials: Materials freeThings 2 do b4 u die [downloaded 6286 times] Disclaimer: Students should be aware that some of the suggestions in this lesson plan are intended only as fun. Lesson plan outline Note: The inspiration for this lesson plan comes from this book. On the board, write: 101 Things To Do Before You Die. * If you gatecrash a party or a social event, you go without an invitation. Tell students that the 15 verbs relate to things that are in the book.

Ethics - Abortion: Arguments in favour of abortion Euthanasia and assisted suicide - Arguments There are arguments both for and against euthanasia and assisted suicide. Some of the main arguments are outlined below. You should be aware that these arguments do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of NHS Choices or the Department of Health. Arguments for euthanasia and assisted suicide There are two main types of argument used to support the practices of euthanasia and assisted suicide. ethical argument – that people should have freedom of choice, including the right to control their own body and life (as long as they do not abuse any other person’s rights), and that the state should not create laws that prevent people being able to choose when and how they die pragmatic argument – that euthanasia, particularly passive euthanasia, is already a widespread practice (allegedly), just not one that people are willing to admit to, so it is better to regulate euthanasia properly The pragmatic argument is discussed in more detail below. Pragmatic argument Religious argument

Death Cookies on the New Scientist website close Our website uses cookies, which are small text files that are widely used in order to make websites work more effectively. Find out about our cookies and how to change them Log in Your login is case sensitive I have forgotten my password close My New Scientist Look for Science Jobs Death Introduction: Death If there is one thing we can be certain of, it's that we will die. Medical experiments need consent – even in emergency LEADER: 08:00 27 March 2014 In clinical trials of emergency procedures, there's a tricky balance between urgency and informed consent – get it wrong and we risk losing breakthroughs Gunshot victims to be suspended between life and death THIS WEEK: 14:05 26 March 2014 Doctors will try to save the lives of 10 patients with knife or gunshot wounds by placing them in suspended animation, buying time to fix their injuries Virtual clone: A guinea-pig twin will keep you healthy FEATURE: 16:00 18 March 2014 LEADER: 14:30 27 February 2014 Subscribe

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