The question of whether euthanasia is right or wrong has been continuously debated for decades. The first article by Margaret Pabst Battin, who believes euthanasia is ethical, originally appeared as "Euthanasia," in Health Care Ethics: An Introduction and was printed by Temple University in 1987. The second article by Joyce Ann Schofield, who believes euthanasia is unethical, originally appeared as "Care of the Older Person: The Ethical Challenge to American Medicine." It was published by Issues in Law and Medicine and copyrighted in 1988. Both of these articles appear in one book entitled Euthanasia: Opposing Viewpoints, which is published by Greenhaven Press, Inc in 1989.
             There are various points of agreement and disagreement in the body of the two essays. Battin believes that the "opposition to euthanasia is in serious moral error-on grounds of mercy, autonomy, and justice." She continues to say that the relief of pain of a patient is the least disputed and of the highest priority of the physician. The physician has the duty not to cause further pain or suffering and the duty to end pain and suffering if it is occurring. Schofield believes that the duty of the physician is to preserve life and alleviate the suffering, but nowhere is the physician to intervene to lower the health standards of the patient or to shorten his life. Both authors are in agreement that one of the major roles of a doctor is to stop the pain of the patient. Battin believes that if the pain is extremely intense and it can't be tamed, then euthanasia is a positive measure. Schofield says that doctors should alleviate pain, but not to the extent of killing someone. "If the medical profession abandons this life principle, it will have changed its raison d'etre." The two authors are in disagreement with respect to what the role of the physician should be. Battin puts the patient above all, eve...