House M.D.

After viewing this particular episode of “House” that centres around the issue of euthanasia, please list the various arguments (that you have observed being raised by any of the key characters) FOR as well as AGAINST euthanasia.

1. Should we legalise voluntary euthanasia? (vs compulsory euthanasia)
Yes, patients have the right to decide whether they live or not (whether they 'want' to suffer the pain etc. or just die). Voluntary euthanasia is when a patient asks for euthanasia because they do not want to live anymore (like Powell). Legalising it would give people the right to end their lives due to terminal illnesses or whatever. But Cameron doesn't support any form of euthanasia because she believes in something like, doctors don't kill people. Taking Powell off the breathing machine thing and maybe later he'll choke to death on the fluid in his lungs could also be considered a form of 'passive' euthanasia but basically Cameron is adamant about the doctors healing people bit. She also contradicts herself when she wants to respect the patient's wishes but doesn't want to help kill Powell even though he asks for it.

Issues concerning voluntary euthanasia is that terminally ill patients might have some form of depression and this might influence his decision of getting euthanised. Should voluntary euthanasia be extended to patients without terminal illness too? What if it gets abused and all that?

2. Does everyone have the right to die? (vs the right to live)
Don't know. Suicide is a crime like in Singapore, and dying will also affect the people around you emotionally (especially your loved ones) so it's sort of 'harming' them with undue grief and disruption to their lives. Maybe a person's right to die should not only be a solo decision but made with..consent of family members or something.

Technically if we have the right to live then we also should have the right to choose when to relinquish this right to live (voluntary euthanasia). Back to House MD, Chase did not express disbelief like the others did (about House doing what Powell requested) which probably surprised the rest. But Chase actually goes on to say that the other doctors he's practised with has had to give the morphine dose before, and he's not that squeamish about it either; he sort of believes in it. So he stays in the room to help House (only to find out later that it was a lie). Chase, according to one of politedissent's comments, has considered priesthood in the past and he is FOR euthanasia, but Foreman who left the room because he did not want to be part of that is an ex-convict. So..euthanasia might not actually be a religious thing afterall.

3. Should we assist suicide? (Is it legal? Is suicide legal? What’s the difference/implications?)
Only if the suicide is euthanasia for terminally ill patients perhaps. But so far it still is illegal in many parts of the world. Another thing is that there are quite a few different types of euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia is when the patient asks for morphine, compulsory euthanasia is killing someone against his wishes, and there is 'passive' euthanasia where patients are just taken off life support (like in Schiavo's case).

Lionel, Toan, Xiaoxiao, Andrea, Serene 09S06J pwnage.