Justification of Assisted Suicide
Is Assisted Suicide Ethically Justified?
Chriss N. Thomas
Philosophy of Ethics
Dr. John Schmitz
February 8, 2012
The choice a terminally ill patient makes should be available to them in the event they no longer want to suffer. According to Dame Jill Macleod Clark, who sits on the Council of Deans of Health, states “those who have cared for terminally ill patients, friends or family know their greatest fears and anxieties are about intractable sufferings, and their desire for a dignified and peaceful death” (2011). When patients who are terminally ill want to hear options the argument has been made that all options are not available because assisted suicide comes with scrutiny and consequences.
On the other hand opponents of assisted suicide do not believe this is the only way to secure a good health alternative. Opponents believe that it is important to make a patient feel comfortable and help them improve their quality of life not end life just because it is an option or that they may feel they are a burden to loved ones. Assisted suicide can be performed by a physician or a person who is willing to help a patient end their life. This paper will focus on physician assisted suicide (PAS), this has been a controversial issue in many countries and have many different opinions on the ethics behind assisted suicide. To further examine the data the utilitarian ethics approach will be used. It is important to remember that utilitarian ethics considers the consequences of actions.
Indentify the Problem: Assisted suicide is it ethical or unethical?
Is it right for a physician to assist a patient to kill themselves? This is the main focus of assisted suicide and the justification of the situation has been at debate for a long time. The problem is if a physician assists a patient with suicide how are they holding up the oath they took as a doctor.
Doctors are healers they are to help a person feel better, make them well, and give them treatment when necessary.
Chriss N. Thomas
Philosophy of Ethics
Dr. John Schmitz
February 8, 2012
The choice a terminally ill patient makes should be available to them in the event they no longer want to suffer. According to Dame Jill Macleod Clark, who sits on the Council of Deans of Health, states “those who have cared for terminally ill patients, friends or family know their greatest fears and anxieties are about intractable sufferings, and their desire for a dignified and peaceful death” (2011). When patients who are terminally ill want to hear options the argument has been made that all options are not available because assisted suicide comes with scrutiny and consequences.
On the other hand opponents of assisted suicide do not believe this is the only way to secure a good health alternative. Opponents believe that it is important to make a patient feel comfortable and help them improve their quality of life not end life just because it is an option or that they may feel they are a burden to loved ones. Assisted suicide can be performed by a physician or a person who is willing to help a patient end their life. This paper will focus on physician assisted suicide (PAS), this has been a controversial issue in many countries and have many different opinions on the ethics behind assisted suicide. To further examine the data the utilitarian ethics approach will be used. It is important to remember that utilitarian ethics considers the consequences of actions.
Indentify the Problem: Assisted suicide is it ethical or unethical?
Is it right for a physician to assist a patient to kill themselves? This is the main focus of assisted suicide and the justification of the situation has been at debate for a long time. The problem is if a physician assists a patient with suicide how are they holding up the oath they took as a doctor.
Doctors are healers they are to help a person feel better, make them well, and give them treatment when necessary.
References: Bostrom, B. A. (2011, Summer). Gary Blick v. Division of Criminal Justice. Issues in Law & Medicine, 27(1), 73+. Retrieved from Baker Academic One File Clark, D. J. M. (2011). The final freedom: Nursing Standard, 26(2), 26+. Retrieved from Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide - Law in other countries. (2011). Medical Law Cases - for Doctors, 4(4). Retrieved from Baker Academic One File Euthanasia | define euthanasia at dictionary.com. (2012). Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Retrieved January 28, 2012, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/euthanasia Fenigsen, R. (2011, Spring). Other people 's lives: reflections on medicine, ethics, and euthanasia. Issues in Law & Medicine, 26(3), 239+. Retrieved from Baker Academic One File Kendall-Raynor, P. (2011). The legal options open to nurses when patients are ready to die: guidance from the RCN sets out how nurses should respond when a patient raises the issue of assisted suicide. Nursing Standard, 26(8), 14+. Retrieved from Baker Academic One File Opinion 2.211 - physician-assisted suicide. (2012). American Medical Association. Retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/opinion2211.page Wright, S. (2011). Life on the precipice: beware the unexpected consequences of legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia. Nursing Standard, 25(36), 26+. Retrieved from Baker Academic One File