Overview of arguments against euthanasia

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Arguments against euthanasia

You can argue about the way we've divided up the arguments, and many arguments could fall into more categories than we've used.

Religious arguments

• Euthanasia is against the word and will of God
• Euthanasia weakens society's respect for the sanctity of life
• Suffering may have value
• Voluntary euthanasia is the start of a slippery slope that leads to involuntary euthanasia and the killing of people who are thought undesirable

Ethical arguments

• Euthanasia weakens society's respect for the sanctity of life
• Accepting euthanasia accepts that some lives (those of the disabled or sick) are worth less than others
• Voluntary euthanasia is the start of a slippery slope that leads to involuntary euthanasia and the killing of people who are thought undesirable
• Euthanasia might not be in a person's best interests
• Euthanasia affects other people's rights, not just those of the patient

Practical arguments

• Proper palliative care makes euthanasia unnecessary
• There's no way of properly regulating euthanasia
• Allowing euthanasia will lead to less good care for the terminally ill
  • Allowing euthanasia undermines the committment of doctors and nurses to saving lives
  • Euthanasia may become a cost-effective way to treat the terminally ill
  • Allowing euthanasia will discourage the search for new cures and treatments for the terminally ill
  • Euthanasia undermines the motivation to provide good care for the dying, and good pain relief
• Euthanasia gives too much power to doctors
• Euthanasia exposes vulnerable people to pressure to end their lives
  • Moral pressure on elderly relatives by selfish families
  • Moral pressure to free up medical resources
  • Patients who are abandoned by their families may feel euthanasia is the only solution

Historical arguments

• Voluntary euthanasia is the start of a slippery slope that leads to involuntary euthanasia and the killing of people who are thought undesirable.