1. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) are both practices that invol

1. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) are both practices that involve intentionally ending a person’s life to relieve suffering, but they differ significantly in who administers the final act that leads to death. Euthanasia involves a physician or another medical professional actively administering a substance, such as a lethal injection, to end the patient’s life. In contrast, physician-assisted suicide occurs when a physician provides a patient with the means, usually a prescription for a lethal dose of medication, which the patient then administers to themselves. In euthanasia, the physician is the direct agent of death, while in PAS, the patient takes the final action to end their own life (Steinbock, 2023).
One argument in favor of physician-assisted suicide is based on the principle of autonomy. Autonomy is the idea that individuals have the right to make decisions about their own lives, including the decision to end their suffering through death. Proponents argue that PAS allows terminally ill patients to die with dignity, on their own terms, and at a time of their choosing. This autonomy respects the individual’s right to control their body and life, especially when facing unbearable pain or suffering that cannot be alleviated through other means (Quill, 2012). Defending this argument, one could point out that PAS is often a last resort for patients who have exhausted all other options for pain relief and who find that their quality of life is no longer acceptable. Allowing them the choice to end their suffering can be seen as a compassionate response that honors their wishes. Moreover, legal safeguards can be put in place to ensure that the decision is truly voluntary and informed, preventing potential abuse of this practice.
2. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are both techniques aimed at ending a person’s life to alleviate suffering, but they differ in who executes the last act. Euthanasia occurs when a physician or another healthcare provider actively administers a substance that causes the patient’s death (Gutierrez-Castillo et al., 2020). This can be accomplished through lethal injection or another method.
Physician assisted suicide occurs when a physician gives the patient the resources they need to end their own life, typically by prescribing a lethal amount of medication (Gutierrez-Castillo et al., 2020). The patient must then self-administer the medication.
One significant argument against euthanasia is that it reduces the value of human life. From a Kantian standpoint, we have a moral obligation to protect life (Sarkar, 2018). Allowing euthanasia may contradict with this duty because it involves making the decision that life is no longer worth living.