Philosophy of Euthanasia: What if You Were The Vegetable?

[Growth In Recovery]

The idea of euthanasia is something that has always intrigued me. For those that do not know, euthanasia is also known as mercy killing, assisted suicide, or murder, it really depends on the circumstances. Having once been in a coma myself, I have thought about this issue and what I would have done if I had been my mom. I would have likely ended up pulling the plug on me because the doctors were saying I would either die, stay in a coma, or if I came out of the coma I would have permanent brain damage. I managed to make it through the situation unscathed but have always wondered what issues could push a person to euthanize or not to euthanize. What philosophy do you think most people apply when making that decision? Furthermore, how would you handle these 3 hypothetical situations.

1. Your mother, who suffers from the advanced stages of Alzheimer's and does not know you are her son/daughter anymore, under goes minor surgery and is not coming out from the sedation. The doctor tells you that she may or may wake up. After one week of her being in a vegetative state, the doctor gives the choice of pulling the plug. Know this: In the past she asked you never pull the plug. However, you hesitate to answer because your mother was in a similar situation before but the Alzheimer's was not fully advanced and it goes against her verbal wish for herself. What do you do knowing that she is, for all intents and purposes, unconscious of the world around her even when awake? Allow her to suffer? Or give her peace while you have the option?
2. A child is born with a mental or physical birth defect, and when I say born I mean carried the entire 9 months. Suppose we lived in a world where the parents had the choice to either keep or euthanize a baby in that situation, what would you do? Keep in mind all of the extra responsibilities that would come from raising a disabled child, if you could live life without questioning "why", but most importantly, could you live life knowing that the mentally/ physically disabled baby would never be able to experience life in a normal way? IF our world allowed for this choice, which would you choose?
3. You are about to undergo surgery. Before going under, your significant other (best friend, whatever) asks what to do if anything bad happens. You tell them to pull the plug in the worse case scenario and even sign the paperwork to do so. During surgery, the unimaginable happens and there is an 80% that you will remain in a coma for the rest of your life. Your doctor asks your significant other if they wish to pull the plug. To this, they ask for two weeks to see if your condition improves or declines. The two weeks arrive and they ask for more time. After a month has passed, your friend doesn't even come back to visit you and you remain in a coma. If a friend or someone you loved asked you to do this for them, could you? Or would you just runaway and avoid it?

Each of these questions are hypothetical. Place yourself in the situation the best you can and then justify your answers with your philosophical view of Euthanasia.

 

[Maya]

The idea of euthanasia is something that has always intrigued me. For those that do not know, euthanasia is also known as mercy killing, assisted suicide, or murder, it really depends on the circumstances. Having once been in a coma myself, I have thought about this issue and what I would have done if I had been my mom. I would have likely ended up pulling the plug on me because the doctors were saying I would either die, stay in a coma, or if I came out of the coma I would have permanent brain damage. I managed to make it through the situation unscathed but have always wondered what issues could push a person to euthanize or not to euthanize. What philosophy do you think most people apply when making that decision? Furthermore, how would you handle these 3 hypothetical situations.

Your mother, who suffers from the advanced stages of Alzheimer's and does not know you are her son/daughter anymore, under goes minor surgery and is not coming out from the sedation. The doctor tells you that she may or may wake up. After one week of her being in a vegetative state, the doctor gives the choice of pulling the plug. Know this: In the past she asked you never pull the plug. However, you hesitate to answer because your mother was in a similar situation before but the Alzheimer's was not fully advanced and it goes against her verbal wish for herself. What do you do knowing that she is, for all intents and purposes, unconscious of the world around her even when awake? Allow her to suffer? Or give her peace while you have the option?

As much as I love my mother and would like for her to live, I would not want to see her suffer more and I would choose for her to just rest so my answer would be I would pull the plug.

A child is born with a mental or physical birth defect, and when I say born I mean carried the entire 9 months. Suppose we lived in a world where the parents had the choice to either keep or euthanize a baby in that situation, what would you do? Keep in mind all of the extra responsibilities that would come from raising a disabled child, if you could live life without questioning "why", but most importantly, could you live life knowing that the mentally/ physically disabled baby would never be able to experience life in a normal way? IF our world allowed for this choice, which would you choose

Everyone has the right to live and if it's only a minor defect I would keep the child. I am aware that there are lots of responsibilities but as a parent, I should have been prepared for this kind of situation. In reality though I do not want kids so I am not going to have this kind of problem.

You are about to undergo surgery. Before going under, your significant other (best friend, whatever) asks what to do if anything bad happens. You tell them to pull the plug in the worse case scenario and even sign the paperwork to do so. During surgery, the unimaginable happens and there is an 80% that you will remain in a coma for the rest of your life. Your doctor asks your significant other if they wish to pull the plug. To this, they ask for two weeks to see if your condition improves or declines. The two weeks arrive and they ask for more time. After a month has passed, your friend doesn't even come back to visit you and you remain in a coma. If a friend or someone you loved asked you to do this for them, could you? Or would you just runaway and avoid it?


Each of these questions are hypothetical. Place yourself in the situation the best you can and then justify your answers with your philosophical view of Euthanasia.

I have always been a pro life and against suicide but this is another situation where I am considered dead. In my family, we are very open minded to situations like this so I know for sure that either my mother or father will unplug the life support. I would rather die than live in that state.

 

[Foreigner]

My family and friends already know that they should find a way to end my life if I'm a vegetable. If it's something like brain damage where I'm no longer myself anymore, yet I'm still rational enough to somewhat understand what's going on, then I would end it myself.

Most people in permanent comas aren't in their bodies anymore so what's the point of keeping the body alive when they aren't there. My body is disposable. I'll just go to the next life, or wherever, once this body no longer functions to house me.

 

[Growth In Recovery]

Loving the answers so far ^.^

 

[rickolasnice]

[*]Your mother, who suffers from the advanced stages of Alzheimer's and does not know you are her son/daughter anymore, under goes minor surgery and is not coming out from the sedation. The doctor tells you that she may or may wake up. After one week of her being in a vegetative state, the doctor gives the choice of pulling the plug. Know this: In the past she asked you never pull the plug. However, you hesitate to answer because your mother was in a similar situation before but the Alzheimer's was not fully advanced and it goes against her verbal wish for herself. What do you do knowing that she is, for all intents and purposes, unconscious of the world around her even when awake? Allow her to suffer? Or give her peace while you have the option?

Is she suffering? If so; pull the plug.

[*]A child is born with a mental or physical birth defect, and when I say born I mean carried the entire 9 months. Suppose we lived in a world where the parents had the choice to either keep or euthanize a baby in that situation, what would you do? Keep in mind all of the extra responsibilities that would come from raising a disabled child, if you could live life without questioning "why", but most importantly, could you live life knowing that the mentally/ physically disabled baby would never be able to experience life in a normal way? IF our world allowed for this choice, which would you choose?

It's almost impossible to determine the kind of life the child would have. I don't think 'not being able to experience life in a normal way' is warrant to consider termination.. but living a life of suffering is a different matter, or indeed, causing someone else's life to suffer. I wouldn't judge anybody who decided to euthanize a new born baby who was likely to lead an unhappy life.

Probably gonna get some hate for this but I believe that a new born baby is barely a person. They have no memories, no wants or desires, no opinions, beliefs, etc..

[*]You are about to undergo surgery. Before going under, your significant other (best friend, whatever) asks what to do if anything bad happens. You tell them to pull the plug in the worse case scenario and even sign the paperwork to do so. During surgery, the unimaginable happens and there is an 80% that you will remain in a coma for the rest of your life. Your doctor asks your significant other if they wish to pull the plug. To this, they ask for two weeks to see if your condition improves or declines. The two weeks arrive and they ask for more time. After a month has passed, your friend doesn't even come back to visit you and you remain in a coma. If a friend or someone you loved asked you to do this for them, could you? Or would you just runaway and avoid it?

Most definitely. The reasons they are in the coma will determine how long I left it before pulling the plug.. Running away and avoiding it = fckin low.

My view on euthanasia is it's a victimless "crime". Should definitely be made legal. If someone wants to die, they should be allowed to die.. Simple as that really.. However if it's more of a suicide case, they should be given help first.. but if they still wanna die, then they should be allowed to die.

 

[lucifane]

Who isnt argyreia nervosa

 

[Shrooms00087]

1. Your mother, who suffers from the advanced stages of Alzheimer's and does not know you are her son/daughter anymore, under goes minor surgery and is not coming out from the sedation. The doctor tells you that she may or may wake up. After one week of her being in a vegetative state, the doctor gives the choice of pulling the plug. Know this: In the past she asked you never pull the plug. However, you hesitate to answer because your mother was in a similar situation before but the Alzheimer's was not fully advanced and it goes against her verbal wish for herself. What do you do knowing that she is, for all intents and purposes, unconscious of the world around her even when awake? Allow her to suffer? Or give her peace while you have the option?
   
   "Know this: In the past she asked you never pull the plug." Respect the wishes at all costs.
   
2. A child is born with a mental or physical birth defect, and when I say born I mean carried the entire 9 months. Suppose we lived in a world where the parents had the choice to either keep or euthanize a baby in that situation, what would you do? Keep in mind all of the extra responsibilities that would come from raising a disabled child, if you could live life without questioning "why", but most importantly, could you live life knowing that the mentally/ physically disabled baby would never be able to experience life in a normal way? IF our world allowed for this choice, which would you choose?
   
   This is a morbid hypothesis. I would keep the breathing child, "would never be able to experience life normally" They would experience it differently, sure, maybe. However you do not give birth to a universe and then destroy it simply because you anticipate the absolute worst.
   
3. You are about to undergo surgery. Before going under, your significant other (best friend, whatever) asks what to do if anything bad happens. You tell them to pull the plug in the worse case scenario and even sign the paperwork to do so. During surgery, the unimaginable happens and there is an 80% that you will remain in a coma for the rest of your life. Your doctor asks your significant other if they wish to pull the plug. To this, they ask for two weeks to see if your condition improves or declines. The two weeks arrive and they ask for more time. After a month has passed, your friend doesn't even come back to visit you and you remain in a coma. If a friend or someone you loved asked you to do this for them, could you? Or would you just runaway and avoid it?

If they had the strength to sign some sort of D.N.R. then I would do my duty in having the same strength and honor the wish.

 

[kapua]

When my mother got sick she was against a DNR and filled out the paperwork to keep her alive "by any means necessary." Towards the end of her illness she finally signed a DNR (after talking with a social worker). My mother died on her own. My sister believed our mother was coerced to sign the DNR.
I do not have an Advanced Directive right now. Only when I get significantly older will I including a DNR in my medical file. I have a 3 year old to look after and I want to be around for her.

 

[herbavore]

I am holding out hope that my generation of baby boomers will so overwhelm the systems meant to keep us alive that all of you millennials will finally vote for right to die laws at the federal level and that we will actually have a Dignitas-type model where we can go to end our bodies' lives when we deem it time to do so.

 

[lovepsychadelics]

I'd want to die vs being unable to feed myself, clean myself, speak, move etc. I'd be turned by poorly trained nurse aids in a care facility every few hours to prevent pressure sores. I'd probably have a PEG feed. I'd lay in my own excrement for hours until pad change time. I'd salivate on myself as I'd have no motor function at all. Does that sound like quality of life? Fuck no just kill me.
NFR motherfuckers.