Euthanasia is a controversial aspect of medicine that causes a lot of discussion. The main issue is the ethical side of the problem, namely the choice made by the individual whether one should live or not. Besides, it is important to distinguish what exactly euthanasia is and the mechanism of its action. In the article, Jay G. Williams stated that euthanasia does not correspond to a human character or basic goals and that it is wrong from several points of view.
The basic principle of euthanasia is that if the individual is suffering from an illness, the person should be dead. However, the author of the article The Wrongfulness of Euthanasia rejects this notion due to natural and self-interest points of view (Williams, 1992). Thus, according to the natural point of view, the basic desire of a person is to survive, and euthanasia violates this desire. Thereby, it is a process that violates the basic principle of human life. Besides, according to the author, it infringes on our self-interest, which is morally wrong (Williams, 1992). Therefore, the author shows how euthanasia is wrong from two basic points of view.
Furthermore, the author analyzes some factors which impugn euthanasia. Firstly, diseases often go into remission, resulting in significant symptom relief (Williams, 1992). Euthanasia, surely, makes this option irrelevant since one will not be able to know whether relief has occurred or not. In addition, the author does not exclude the possibility of an erroneous diagnosis and prognosis (Williams, 1992). Thus, a person cannot be completely sure that doctors’ predictions will happen. Euthanasia excludes all these possibilities, representing a radical method of solving the problem. Finally, it takes away from an individual the possibility to face any chance for recovery, such as new medicines, surgery, etc.
Reference
Williams, J. G. (1992). The Wrongfulness of Euthanasia. Intervention and Reflection: Basic lssues in Medical Ethics.