Moral Distinction

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Moral Distinction
Ethics is a set of standards that dictate the way people should behave in the society. Therefore, everyone should adhere to these guidelines to be on the right path. On the other hand, morals are what an individual believes to be right. Thus, the moral distinction of giving someone the means to end their own life and ending it at their request depends on an individual’s definition of morals. Ethically, it is wrong to take life even if some else has requested, it is considered unethical by many religions. Most ethical systems forbid taking another person’s life or even facilitating it. However, most people claim that facilitating suicide is not wrong in some instances and that killing is a deliberate act, which is unacceptable. Nonetheless, both acts may be considered as unethical depending on the circumstances as they both result in death whether directly or indirectly.
In some cases such as euthanasia, the argument may differ since it is allowed by the law and may be ethically defensible. For instance, if someone is suffering from intractable pain due to an incurable disease, physicians may feel that terminating treatment would be a better option rather than letting a patient die in great pain (Harris 13). This gives rise to ethical concerns where it may be regarded as murder since life has been terminated. However, it may be termed as ethical since the doctor seeks consent before carrying out the act. It is also viewed as respect for a patient’s choice and autonomy, which is ethical.

On the other hand, legal and ethical systems forbid suicide and attempted suicide, as they regard it as a crime or sin.
Works Cited
Harris, John. “Consent and end of life decisions.” Journal of medical ethics 29.1 (2003): 10-15.