- 17/02/2013
- Posted by: essay
- Category: Free essays
Modern mass media and scientific discourse is full of controversial ideas, suggestions, projects, programs etc. There are a lot of arguments on such issues as terrorism, extremism, abortions, cloning, euthanasia, human trafficking, slavery etc. Some of these issues are regarded by all the opponents as negative, and their opinion differs only on how to struggle and prevent these negative social and political phenomena, what means are the most effective and adequate in dealing with these problems, to what extent the rights of man can be limited for a more efficient solution of the burning issues. The disagreement on the methods only usually results in a compromise more or less satisfying both parties, and then the measures proper begin being taken with the help of joint efforts.
The other issues are disputed on a more fundamental basis, the disagreement lies much deeper, the confrontation of the parties is more heated, and the way out is vaguer, dimmer, and hazier. The followers of various religions, ethical teachings, traditional and modern values are arguing on whether these things have right to exist or not. Abortion, cloning, euthanasia and many others are strongly supported by one party and not less strongly rejected by the other. Both provide true and straightforward facts, both focus on serious problems. The second kind of issues is thus a more delicate subject, and it requires a lot of patience, attention, effort and insight from all those who assume the responsibility of judging the legitimacy or illegitimacy of such controversial problems.
The euthanasia is one of them, it belongs to the second kind of issues, and, what is more, it appears to be the most difficult even among the problems of the second, the most controversial class (Burki 447). When we speak about cloning, for instance, we do not touch the dilemma of taking somebody’s life. As a rule, the argument is had on whether the artificial life is appropriate from the ethical and religious point of view, whether the humans, even with the best intentions and honourable motives, have right to create a living being – either human or animal – which has so far been thought of as a prerogative of God, Nature, Universe. 
buy essay
The abortion is, however, a more delicate item – the discussion is held around whether it is legitimate to end the life of an embryo. Those who equate the life of a foetus to that of a born human hold an opinion that it is culpable, or at least reprehensible, to make an abortion as it is inadmissible to kill.
Euthanasia poses the problem more straightforwardly – whether it is justifiable to abrupt the life of a born, although a very sick, human. The human may be conscious or unconscious, but he / she is a living person according to the standards and definitions of all religions, ethical teachings and civil law. Nobody can recognize his / her life as not full, or deficient, or false or something else. So, euthanasia brings us closer to the very climax of confrontation on the one hand; on the other hand, it helps each party to crystallize and more clearly articulate their approach to the issue whether a human has right to end her / his own or somebody else’s life if it inflicts unbearable suffering caused either by some terminal disease, or old age or fatal injury. The issue is more often regarded rather as the right to precipitate an inevitable death than to end somebody’s life. It makes some corrections to the subject of discussion, the latter becomes even less intense and heated, but still, who or what is able to accurately define the degree of death’s inevitability? Have there actually never been registered the facts of cancer’s recursion? Has there never been evidenced the sudden and inexplicable disappearance of other terminal diseases and terrible sufferings after which a person is able to live a full life? Such cases are rare indeed, and they are often attributed to some kind of miracles, enigmatic phenomena and the like. But this minority is quite vociferous in its call to patience and attention when we treat such a delicate and serious problem where any slightest suggestion or correction may result in irreparable loss, the loss of human life that will be never returned.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
