Applied Ethics- Biomedical Ethics Midterm Assignment

Luisa Uran IB Philosophy-Harvey 20 January 2015 Applied Ethics- Biomedical Ethics Midterm Assignment Word Count: Applied ethics, put simply, is a term used to describe an event, issue, or situation which can be debated on its morality. Using philosophical ideas, we try to decide the moral choice and if these situations should be allowed. Of course, being humans and having different upbringings and different environments, we often don’t concur on many issues. One topic that is highly debatable is euthanasia. What exactly IS euthanasia? According to Merriam Webster1, euthanasia is the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering.2 Basically a mercy killing. Many people support†¦show more content†¦There is active, passive, voluntary, and involuntary euthanasia as well as assisted suicide.6 In active euthanasia, something is done to speed up death in an uncomfortable situation for a person, such as apply a lethal injection, different from passive euthanasia where nothing is done, such as not administer treatment because someo ne is so close to death or pull someone off of life support. The difference between voluntary and involuntary euthanasia is pretty clear. This just explains if the suicide was voluntary or not. If a patient seeks euthanasia, it is voluntary, if the person is unconscious or cannot make their own decisions, and the family decides for the patient, it is involuntary. There is a difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide, however. Euthanasia would be a doctor administering the drug that is meant to cause death, and assisted suicide is being provided the means to end your life (such as lethal injection), and administering it yourself. Where would this practice be okay? Some people may or may not be