Preview

Assisted Suicide In The Allegory Of The Cave By Plato

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
674 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Assisted Suicide In The Allegory Of The Cave By Plato
The Allegory of the Cave by Plato In the Allegory of the Cave, we learn from Plato’s story that the cave dwellers view of life is limited to what they can actually see. Their reality is what they can visualize from their limited environment. When one of them escapes he finds out that what they thought the world was like was not real. After discovering a new reality, he returns to the cave and tries to tell the others that they are confused about what the world is really like. The others are fearful of his truth and not interested in leaving the safety of what they know. When I think of this story the little print on your rear view mirror in the car comes to my mind. Objects in the mirror may be larger than they appear, is a good way to think about the world. Things are not always to be taken at face value. Using this method of thought, I have examined my opinions of several of the issues that we discussed in class. …show more content…
The scenario of the woman who had lived in a coma for 15 years brought out a lively discussion about death. When I consider my opinion on this topic, I have thought through everyone’s comments and my thoughts have reinforced my support of this woman’s right to die, however I don’t think is a very good example of assisted suicide. When I think of assisted suicide I think about someone with a terminal disease who is aware that they will never get better and they can make a conscious decision to end their life. Life becomes unbearable for someone with end stage cancer. The pain and the inability to perform any type of normal activity could drive someone to this decision. I believe that this is a very individual choice, much like what we discussed when we spoke of the Socratic Methods. I guess I can say that I have reinforced my initial internal barometer on this being someone’s right to make this decision and I should not judge

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Allegory of the cave is written as a dialogue between Plato’s brother Glaucon and Socrates. It tells the story of human beings living in a cave. They have been there since they were little. Unfortunately, this is not a normal kind of life we would think of. These people were all sitting on the ground, tied in chains. Their necks, their legs, were all fettered, and they were only able to see what was right in front of them. They could not move their heads. Far above them there was a fire. Also, between them and the fire a wall was built, above which the puppets were shown. The only thing those people were able to see was the shadow of those puppets and they mistakenly thought that this shadow was actually the reality.…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Susan Wolf, in writing about her own father's death, is facing a difficult and emotional issue that challenges her to consider her views on assisted suicide (Wolf, 2008). Assisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily brings about his or her own death. "Assistance" may mean providing one with the means to end one's own life. In the article, “Confronting Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia”, by Susan Wolf, Susan shares the difficult and painful death of her father.…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    There are times when life takes an unforeseen route, and one is faced with an obstacle or situation that was not expected. Many people are diagnosed with terminal diseases, have accidents and are left with severe impairments, and suffer horrendous complications from medical issues. One has the right, according to law, to make medical decisions about their care and treatment options. But should one have the right to end their life? Assisted, or voluntary euthanasia, is the direct administration of a lethal agent to end one’s life at the request of…

    • 1466 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    already;” (Plato 4). Spoken by Socrates in reference to the philosophy of life, this quote depicts the meaning of broadening our horizons in order to gain knowledge and escape the shackles that confine us in the form of deceit. This quote is portrayed in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” as the prisoners detained in the cave are deluded by their perception of reality, and the prisoner that escapes loses that distorted world and becomes enlightened. The cave is a representation of the hidden lies in which the prisoners are provided at the premises of their knowledge and are restrained from the truth to remain ignorant. Ultimately, one of the prisoners discovers that the world in…

    • 1633 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Allegory of the Cave is a dialog between Socrates and Gloucon in The Republic written by Plato. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Socrates depicts a long, dark cave with a small opening that allows a small amount of light to enter. Inside the cave there group of prisoners, who have been in the cave for their entire lives. The prisoners legs and necks are chained to the cave floor so they are unable to move and can only look forward at the cave wall. At the back of the cave there is a fire that they are never able to view. In between the prisoners and the fire there is a low wall with a path behind it, along which people carry pictures, puppets, and statues. These pictures, puppets and statues are all the prisoners are able to see, and the echoes of the puppeteers when they speak are all they are able to hear. Although the prisoners are chained they are still content because all they have ever known are the shadows. None of them have ever seen anything beyond the cave and have no desire to do so. However one prisoner wakes up to find that he is no longer chained to the floor, and is able to leave the cave. Once the prisoner is outside he realizes that the shadows are not real. The prisoner then decides to return to the cave, to free the other prisoners, however reentering the cave would make his eyes have to…

    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Allegory of the Cave by Plato questions truth, reality, and demonstrates how we are similar to the prisoners within the cave. Every person has a personal “cave” and only with knowledge and understanding can we escape from the captivity ignorance.…

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From the beginning of its existence, the sole purpose of the health care industry is to increase the quality of life. However, when a patient’s life is coming to an end, healthcare professionals strive to provide a comfortable death with minimal pain. With today’s doctors having new technology, medicines, and techniques, the ethics of assisted suicide has become a great debate between the public, the government, and health professionals. Dr. David Mayo and Daniel Callahan are both professionals in the healthcare industry and have varying viewpoints in regards to the effectiveness, position, and purpose of assisted suicide.…

    • 784 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Supporters of assisted suicide believe that this act benefit terminally ill patients by relieving their suffering. This is probably one of the reasons why Netherlands court determined that a physician is allowed to prevent severe and irreversible suffering, even if it reduces patient’s life (Bosshard et al, 2002). The act of assisted suicide or active euthanasia is allowed in Netherlands, Switzerland and Oregon under different conditions and legislations. The situation can be seen differently in places, where by moral and legal discourse; assisted suicide is interpreted as the freedom or right of the individual as in Switzerland and some states of US. From the ethical perspective, patient’s choice of suicide represents an expression of self- determination and while exercising self- determination people take responsibility of their lives and for the kind of person they become. They have a right to refuse the life- sustaining treatment if they don’t want to suffer anymore and according to law, physicians must respect their decisions to forgo life- sustaining treatment that are capable of making their end of life decisions. By refusing life- sustaining treatment, terminally ill people know that they are going to die soon and in order to avoid suffering or pain they ask physicians for assistance to end their…

    • 2855 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    A hotly debated issue regarding the quality of life for terminally ill patients revolves around the morality and legal implications of euthanasia, or physician assisted suicide which is defined as the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease, or in an irreversible coma. There are already a multitude of laws in place regulating physician assisted suicide in some states and countries, as well as laws preventing the practice. But despite these preventative laws physician assisted suicide remains an underground practice to relieve patient suffering. In lieu of the supposed moral issues associated with physician assisted suicide,…

    • 3211 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The purpose of this paper is to define the issue and legalities of assisted death and the key ethical arguments, including the social values and norms, encompassing this topic. Also included in this paper on voluntary/assisted suicide is the connection with nursing practice and the theories and/or principles that guide the foundation and fundamentals of the profession in this particular area. Assisted death is a term that encompasses both assisted suicide and also active euthanasia. This topic has been and most definitely will remain one of the most emotionally wrenching and contentious issues that many healthcare workers may face throughout the length of their professional careers. “Assisted suicide involves providing a patient with a means of ending his/her own life” (Ersek, 2004, p. 48). “Active euthanasia is when on person performs an act to end someone’s life” (Ersek, 2004, p. 48). Active euthanasia can further be categorized into voluntary, involuntary, and nonvoluntary. Due to the fact that nurses play a key role in the caring of patients at the end of their lives, nurses must be well versed on the issues of assisted suicide/euthanasia due to its legal and ethical implications. Without the knowledge and an adequate understanding of the inferences surrounding assisted death, nurses risk engaging in practices that violate both their professional and personal ethics and well as involve themselves in practices that are illegal (Ersek, 2004, p.47).…

    • 1212 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Assisted suicide is defined as a controversial medical and ethical issue based on the question of whether, in certain situations, medical practitioners should be allowed to help patients actively determine the time and circumstances of their death. An assisted suicide is usually a situation where a patient is terminally ill, and a doctor prescribes a lethal dose of medication for the patient to ingest when they choose. Another way this is done is when the doctor discontinues giving certain treatment, at request of the patient. The conflict of whether assisted suicide is right or wrong has many different branches in the aspects of ethical, social, and legal issues, often with two main arguments; on the supporting side, people say that everyone should have the right to decide the time, place, and circumstances of his/her death, while the opposing side of this issue state that assisted suicide infers that certain people’s lives are…

    • 1261 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Physician assisted suicide is a highly controversial bioethical issue that has been increasingly debated in recent years. Advocates of physician assisted suicide argue that it champions patient autonomy and reduces suffering while opposers suggest the benefits outweigh the risks and that there are other acceptable alternatives to the practice. This paper attempts to demonstrate the permissibility of physician assisted suicide as a regulated, medically reliable end-of-life option that can help end the suffering of individuals struggling with terminal illnesses. This will be achieved while still providing a comprehensive view of both opponents’ and supporters’ perspectives on the issue, specifically regarding the nature of the death that comes…

    • 1640 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In recent years, assisted suicide has become a rather controversial topic regarding whether or not a dying patient has the right to die with the assistance of a physician. While some are against it due to moral beliefs, others support it as a result of their respect for those suffering. However, physicians remain divided on the issue, being torn on the difference between relief from dying and murder. After analyzing the issue in depth, it is clear that terminally ill patients should be granted the right to assisted suicide in order to end their suffering, reduce financial burdens placed upon their families, and preserve the right of individuals to determine their own fate when facing death.…

    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Euthanasia the assisted killing of a terminal patient is a controversial topic that medical professionals cannot avoid. Many health professionals face the ethical dilemma of whether or not they should end a patient’s misery. Patient’s rights are always the top priority, doctors are taught to find every possible way to treat and cure the patient, but the possibility of the patient being irremediable to what extent is the health care professionals willing to go to give the patient their wishes?…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Assisted Dying Ethics

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Without understanding the compassion for assisted dying, it’s a challenge to get past the stigma. Opponents assert it’s unethical, but in reality, assisted dying is the basis to having a righteous ending. When we grant people the right to die, we promise them a dignified death. By offering a choice we give way to an escape from the pain, and the unnecessary suffering that would otherwise lead to the same fate. There’s more to the surface than just life and death. The mindset that goes behind it is what it means to have a dignified death.…

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays