Debate Primer: Euthanasia

This week, Political Union will be debating whether the United States should legalize euthanasia. Specifically, we’re debating voluntary active euthanasia, which is different from voluntary passive euthanasia (also known as “cessation of treatment”) and involuntary euthanasia (also known as “murder”). Different sources and practitioners define this term differently, but here’s a link to three simple and intuitive explanations of voluntary active euthanasia.

If you want the most comprehensive ethical breakdown of euthanasia, you’ll want to consult Stanford’s (Plato) Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The entry is lengthy, but you can navigate to the sections on standard conceptions of who might qualify for euthanasia (an important point in tomorrow’s debate), as well as contentions for and against the resolution. [25 mins to read the whole thing; but if you do read it, it’ll make Zack really happy]

If you’re looking for something shorter and more reminiscent of our high school days, there is in fact a Crash Course episode on euthanasia and philosophical perspectives on the intrinsic value of human life. [10 mins]

If you want something more in depth (and especially from the human interest angle), Vice News made a well-known documentary episode in 2017 on the state of euthanasia law in the US and Europe. There are several disclaimers in order for this source: it leans toward the pro side, some of the references to the legal status quo have changed since 2017, and viewers should be advised that the episode contains frequent mentions of depression and suicide, as well as an on-screen depiction of a medical euthanasia. [30 mins]

Here’s an explainer on the state of euthanasia law in the United States. [6 mins]

If you’d like to read a history of the euthanasia movement in the United States, beginning in the 19th century with increased attention to patients’ rights, JSTOR Daily put together a blog post on the subject in 2016. [12 mins]

If you’re looking for something brief from the pro side, here’s a FAQ from the “right to die” advocacy group WFRTDS. [7 mins]

And here’s a disambiguation of arguments against euthanasia from the BBC, as well as fleshed out rationale for each. [a long time for the whole thing, but each one probably takes a minute to read!]

"Euthanasia" by alberto.biscalchin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0