argumentative

1

Annotated Bibliography

Olawoyin Ibitoye

Professor Oakes

Chamberlain University

PHIL347N-11405

10/03/2021

Euthanasia

Thesis: Although treatment can be considered futile in some situations, the practice of euthanasia undermines the quality of life and healthcare as the role of healthcare providers is to protect life rather than destroy it.

Euthanasia grants authority to health practitioners to make decisions about a patient’s right to life. This diminishes the trust placed on health practitioners as it undermines the quality of life. In addition, the practice is unethical as it undermines the cultural beliefs of patients, thus reducing the quality of care. The nurses’ code of ethics requires nurses to protect patients from harm and death can be considered patient harm, which should then be avoided. Proponents of the practice argue that euthanasia offers a way out of chronic pain and suffering through assisted suicide. This could be true as treating uncurable pain and suffering can be futile and costly causing more pain to patient and family members. However, that does not justify disrespecting human dignity.

Annotated Bibliography

Balynska, O. M., Blahuta, R. I., & Sereda, V. V. (2019). Euthanasia or palliative care: legal principles of the implementation in the context of the realization of human rights to life (Scopus).

Part 1

The article argues that "the right to life is a natural inherent human right, the fundamental principle of the existence of mankind, recognized by all civilized countries." Balynska et al. (2019) analyzed and systematized existing problems of the legalization of euthanasia. The authors question euthanasia legalization because they believe its risks outweigh the benefits. They studied the legalities of euthanasia based on the value of human life and preferred palliative care over euthanasia. The authors confirm the objective absence of euthanasia legalization procedure and argue that it is a direct violation of human rights to life. The article suggests the adoption of palliative care as an alternative for euthanasia.

Part 2

The source is current, and it discusses euthanasia issues and cases as they have recently been witnessed. The source is credible because it is scholarly and published on a peer-reviewed website (Google Scholar). The source strongly provides evidence of palliative care as a recommendable alternative for euthanasia analyzing people's opinions, and the actual harm euthanasia causes to the parties involved. The information is persuasive in nature because it explains issues as they occur naturally and demonstrates public opinion towards euthanasia.

Hurn, S., & Badman‐King, A. (2019). Care as an alternative to euthanasia? Reconceptualizing veterinary palliative and end‐of‐life care. Medical anthropology quarterly , 33(1), 138-155.

Part 1

The article explains the role of palliative care and identifies euthanasia as illegal in the U.K. The authors offer multiple examples of non-human death and emphasize natural death as a means of respecting the sanctity of life. The article argues that the theoretical viability of caring for the emotions and the practical feelings of death should not be contributed by euthanasia but rather natural death. Hurn & Badman-King (2019) argued that "paying mindful attention to the diverse ways in which individual animals are cared for as they die reveals the potential violence inherent in both palliative care leading to natural death and euthanasia, blurring perceptions of good and bad death in both veterinary and human medicine."

Part 2

The source was published in 2019 and has played a vital role in educating the public about the illegality of euthanasia. It is authoritative, persuasive, and credible because it is authored by scholarly researchers. The source provides adequate evidence about palliative care as an alternative for euthanasia. The source is popular and educative because it teaches the relationship between euthanasia and palliative care.

Kalal, N. (2018). Euthanasia: Right to live & right to Key Words: Euthanasia, Legitimate medical Euthanasia, Pros and cons of euthanasia.

Part 1

Kalal (2018) emphasized the right to live and argued that every human being is entitled to live; hence taking it away by whichever means should be illegal and severely punishable. The author identifies euthanasia as both a good and a bad activity, based on the type administered. He believes that legitimate medical euthanasia (where euthanasia is the only solution to relieve the patient and their caregivers) is acceptable and should be legalized. He identifies the various advantages and disadvantages of euthanasia and advices the public to make euthanasia-related decisions based on the current situation and in consideration of the consequences.

Part 2

The article was published in 2018 and provides relevant information about euthanasia, citing its advantages and disadvantages. It is credible, authoritative, and reliable because it provides real-time information about euthanasia and explains issues as they occur in the locality. The source strongly supports the thesis by providing adequate euthanasia information and reminding the public of their right to live. The information is popular because it is from a reliable source and is posted on a peer-reviewed website, Google Scholar.

Simion, M. (2019). EUTHANASIA, PROS, AND CONS IN THE JURISPRUDENCE OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS. Fiat Iustitia, 2(2), 172-180.

Part 1

Simion (2019) explained the pros and cons of euthanasia based on the European Court of Human Rights. The authors acknowledge the role of courts in protecting human life. Life is God-given, and the creator is the only one to take it away. The sovereignty of human life is immeasurable. According to Simion, euthanasia risks outweigh the benefits. He argues that it leaves caregivers and physicians emotionally unfit and may cause depression and other mental conditions. The author touches on the positive effects and argues that it relieves patients of prolonged pain and suffering and ends the burden of the patients to their caregivers.

Part 2

The article is recent but explains both historical and present euthanasia issues. It is authoritative, credible, and reliable, written by a prominent and experienced author who has vast knowledge in health and social sciences. The article provides adequate information about the pros and cons of euthanasia and enlightens the public about the risks of euthanasia. The source is popular and accessible to the public.

Ten Have, H., & Neves, M. D. C. P. (2021). Euthanasia, General. In Dictionary of Global Bioethics  (pp. 493-494). Springer, Cham.

Part 1

Ten Have & Neves (2021) explain euthanasia in general. The authors define euthanasia as "the practice of killing a patient to limit their suffering." It takes place in a medical facility in the presence of medical staff and slightly differs from physician-assisted suicide (PAS), which refers to the "prescription of lethal medication be voluntarily self-administered by the patient." The authors explain that prolonged suffering from a disease without cure triggers patients to request euthanasia from physicians. The primary reason for euthanasia is to relieve the patient from continued suffering. The authors argue that the practice relieves caregivers from the burden of taking care of the worsening patients and focuses on other productive duties.

Part 2

The article is recent (2021) and provides insights into the current global situation of euthanasia. The source is scholarly, thus reliable, and credible: it is published on the Dictionary of Global Bioethics website. The source provides evidence of the current situation by highlighting figures and databases about the world view of euthanasia. The source is so popular because it is published on a popular website and contains information about global health affairs.

References

Balynska, O. M., Blahuta, R. I., & Sereda, V. V. (2019). Euthanasia or palliative care: legal principles of the implementation in the context of the realization of human rights to life (Scopus).

Hurn, S., & Badman‐King, A. (2019). Care as an alternative to euthanasia? Reconceptualizing veterinary palliative and end‐of‐life care. Medical anthropology quarterly, 33(1), 138-155.

Kalal, N. (2018). Euthanasia: Right to live & right to Key Words: Euthanasia, Legitimate medical Euthanasia, Pros and cons of euthanasia.

Simion, M. (2019). EUTHANASIA, PROS, AND CONS IN THE JURISPRUDENCE OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS. Fiat Iustitia, 2(2), 172-180.

Ten Have, H., & Neves, M. D. C. P. (2021). Euthanasia, General. In Dictionary of Global Bioethics (pp. 493-494). Springer, Cham.