Euthanasia Morally Wrong Essay

Euthanasia, meaning ‘gentle, easy death’, is known as the act of ending somebody’s life painlessly in order to relieve suffering. This is a common topic for debate, with many arguments about whether it is morally wrong to end somebody’s life in the circumstances of extreme illness. People such as Joseph Fletcher, founder of Situation Ethics, may suggest that euthanasia may be the most loving thing in certain situations, and is therefore morally right. However, other people, such as Aquinas, founder of Natural Moral Law, would disagree, stating that it goes against the precept of preserving life, and is therefore morally wrong, no matter the situation. Although there are some situations in which euthanasia could be exploited, my thesis will argue that it is not always morally wrong to end someone’s life in the circumstances in which euthanasia would be contemplated. The act of euthanising somebody can either be voluntary, in which the person believes their life is not worth living and asks for their life to be ended, or non-voluntary, in which they are unable to do so, and the decision on whether to end their life rests on doctors and family. Furthermore, there are different ways in which it could be performed: through medical intervention, (deliberately ending the patient’s life using medical equipment, such as through lethal injection), or medical non-intervention, (not making any efforts to prolong their life). Both will inevitably end the patient’s life, however, not