Liberty and Rights

Liberty and Rights

The main point of the article is the fact that the right to life should include individuals being given the right to terminate their own lives through a process known as euthanasia. However, while this concept is legally permitted in Belgium, the story is different in other countries. It is argued that as much as the constitution provides individuals with the right to the pursuit of happiness, life, and liberty, this right primarily sanction individuals own sovereignty. In this particular sovereignty, it is postulated should include the right to choose not to live in certain circumstances. The notable circumstance is when life is perceived to be unfavorable to ones flourishing and has lost its value to the affected person. However, Ronald Dworkin points out that the concept of the right to liberty has been misguided. This is because if liberty is about the freedom of individuals to choose, then it is about things they want and not things that they have a right to choose.

I do not agree with the article because life is sacred and should not be ended just because the circumstances do not favor our comfort. If one faces a prospect of no meaningful recovery from an illness, the problem could be solved spiritually. By ending somebody’s life on the grounds of euthanasia, we in the real sense are saying God does not exist or he cannot solve such problems. Individuals’ lives are not their own properties nor of the state, rather are they answerable to a sovereign being who decides their destiny. However, God also provides the freedom of choice and that is how an individual is sovereign when it comes to making their decisions. Nonetheless, these decisions should not conflict with the laws of the state.