Lifeline: A thesis focusing on euthanasia

Research Proposal

Presented to the Faculty of

San Beda College

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Mendiola, Manila City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Subject in English

Presented by:

Geane Cunanan

Patrick Lapat

John Zamora

Glenn Villaflor

Febuary 15, 2011

 CHAPTER 1

The Problem and It’s Background

Introduction:

Imagine yourself that you are in the war zone where there is heavy

explosion everywhere around, Structures are falling down apart, Dead

bodies lying around and scattered. The constant sounds of screaming is

ringing in your ears and you feel that it’s the like the end of the world. Living

like there is no tomorrow, the feeling of insanity of the things happening

around you and keeps going on and on. The worst part is that you have no

control of the situation and can never get away from it. All this pain, agony

and misery going on 24 hours of the day, 365 days a year, for the rest of

your life.

If you imagine that this kind of scenario is happening around in your

vital bodies living in pain and sufferings. Where every part of your organ is

crumbling and falling apart, the constant screaming is your own and it is

your sanity that’s slowly dissolving into the ether. Feeling of despair and

terrified on what’s happening around your body inside and outside. The

worst part of it you don’t have the control to stop the pain and keeps going

on and on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,

Suffering from a terminal illness, or being chronically sick or severely

disabled is no pretty picture - far from pleasant, and thankfully most of us

will never have to experience life like this. But, there are other people who
experience this kind of struggles they have living in pain and agony at this

present moment. These people are so much in misery in their living.

But there is a way to stop their wretchedness; it is called Euthanasia or

mercy killing. But what about Euthanasia or mercy killing is all about?

Euthanasia comes from the Greek words ‘eu’ meaning good, happy and

‘thanatos’ meaning death –so literally ‘good or happy death. It refers to the

practice of ending a life in a manner which relieves pain and suffering.

Conceptual Framework:

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE:
Statement of the Problem:

There are two major problems with euthanasia:

1. The resulting death is permanent in performing mercy killing

2. Those persons who intentionally assist with the ending of the patient’s life

are liable, under certain rules, to be charged with murdering the patient,

even if the patient themselves has given their unequivocal, independent

consent to the procedure.

Specific Problems:

We all live by a system of rules. Rules are to follow in our life to have an

order. When it comes to taking the life of another we have also rules to

follow these are rules:

1. Thou shall not kill. (The 6th commandment from the Christian Decalogue)

2. Do not take life, which Allah made sacred, (Qur'an 17.33)

3. Intentional killing of a human being by another human being is illegal

(Law)

These rules serve purpose of making the world a safer place, they make no

distinction between patients who want to die, patients who want to carry

on living and patient’s who are better off dead. These rules are frightening

patients who have no other hope of ending their suffering. If no-one is

-willing to help them, are we not condemning these patients to live a life of

pain and misery? Would we not be forcing these patients to endure what
amounts to constant physical and mental torture, against their will? Doesn’t

torturing people go against all manner of moral codes, not just legal, moral,

religious or cultural? And even if the patient does find someone willing to

take the risk in order to help them, doesn’t the worry of what might happen

to the helper after their death, just add to the patient’s worry and suffering?
Assumptions:

Operating euthanasia to the patient is a choice he/she would make, but

resulting death to the patient is permanent once. No one can reverse the

procedure and allow the patient to resume living again. Also they have the

choice to stop their sufferings they have.

Hypothesis:

Mercy killing has a process need to undergo in making life’s decision to

stop their misery and sufferings. We could say mercy killing is not the best

solution in one’s human being for making it a choice because God is the only

one has the authority to takes ones person life. Mercy killing or euthanasia is

still on the hands of the patient if they really wanted to undergo.

Importance of the Study:

This study will be used for the perspective of the chronically sick,

terminally ill or severely physically disabled patient it is their life on the line

and it is their decision whether to ask or not that we are discussing in this

thesis. Also this study will inform us what are the reasons why there are

people undergoes euthanasia or mercy killing.

Scope and Delimitation:

This thesis is not about legalized or not legalized euthanasia, but it is

more about who is the right person to ask to kill the patient. If it is indeed

ethical for a patient to even be thinking about euthanasia in the first place.

Because of all the legal and moral risks and uncertainties involved with

euthanasia, the motivation behind this thesis is to give an idea of the

thought process which a patient considering euthanasia may go though, and

to show that patients seriously considering getting help to end their lives are

not necessarily crazy to be thinking in that manner.

Definition of Terms:

Consent - permission

Euthanasia - the practice of ending a life in a manner which relieves pain

and suffering.

Liable – legally responsible

Wretchedness – misery, sadness

 CHAPTER 2
Review of Related Literature and Studies