Assisted Suicide - Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility
Physician Assisted Suicide
Brandon Tucky
SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility
Carrie Quiza
April 27, 2012
Physician Assisted Suicide Physician assisted suicide has been an ethically intense subject to many people for decades. The U.S. sees this as an illegal and immoral way to end one’s life while many other countries find it is perfectly legal and moral. The determination of its true standing is one that will probably take many more decades to fully understand. Physician assisted suicide, or euthanasia has been a very serious debate for at least a decade now. It was brought to the main stage in 1998 with the arrest of Dr. Kevorkian, whom helped at least 100 terminally ill patients commit suicide. If this was actually morally and ethically wrong are very hard questions for some and a very easy for others. If someone is terminally ill or really just does not belong in this world, then who really gets to decide if they get to live or die. The American College of Physicians along with many political and religious groups all finds this to raise serious ethical and other concerns. The definition of assisted suicide is an action which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. Voluntarily is the key word in that definition. The definition of voluntarily is of one’s own accord or by free choice. If it is indeed free choice then the doctor or person helping you out is not killing but merely mercy killing or committing the act of euthanasia. When one takes their animal to be euthanized, neither the owner nor the vets is charged of murder or animal cruelty leading to the argument that if you can euthanize an animal then you can do so to a human. The first step in closing the legal gap for treating animals and humans at the end stages of life similarly is subscribing to a theory of legal rights that would allow us to do so. According to the Will Theory of legal rights discussed in the article
Brandon Tucky
SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility
Carrie Quiza
April 27, 2012
Physician Assisted Suicide Physician assisted suicide has been an ethically intense subject to many people for decades. The U.S. sees this as an illegal and immoral way to end one’s life while many other countries find it is perfectly legal and moral. The determination of its true standing is one that will probably take many more decades to fully understand. Physician assisted suicide, or euthanasia has been a very serious debate for at least a decade now. It was brought to the main stage in 1998 with the arrest of Dr. Kevorkian, whom helped at least 100 terminally ill patients commit suicide. If this was actually morally and ethically wrong are very hard questions for some and a very easy for others. If someone is terminally ill or really just does not belong in this world, then who really gets to decide if they get to live or die. The American College of Physicians along with many political and religious groups all finds this to raise serious ethical and other concerns. The definition of assisted suicide is an action which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. Voluntarily is the key word in that definition. The definition of voluntarily is of one’s own accord or by free choice. If it is indeed free choice then the doctor or person helping you out is not killing but merely mercy killing or committing the act of euthanasia. When one takes their animal to be euthanized, neither the owner nor the vets is charged of murder or animal cruelty leading to the argument that if you can euthanize an animal then you can do so to a human. The first step in closing the legal gap for treating animals and humans at the end stages of life similarly is subscribing to a theory of legal rights that would allow us to do so. According to the Will Theory of legal rights discussed in the article
References: Definitions taken from dictionary.com Kramer, Matthew H. "Do animals and dead people have legal rights?." Canadian Journal of Law and Jurisprudence. Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan. 2001): pp. 29-54. Childs (2007). Pulling the Plug: Ethicists Debate Ramirez Case Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=3325418&page=1 Oregon Health Authority (n.d.) Death with Dignity Act Retrieved from: http://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Pages/index.aspx James Vicini, "Court rules govt. can 't stop Oregon suicide law," Reuters News Agency, 2005-JAN-17, at: http://today.reuters.com/ Retrieved from: http://www.religioustolerance.org/euthanas.htm "Bishop Spong Q&A on Death with dignity," Agoramedia mailing, 2006-JAN-18 retrieved from: http://www.religioustolerance.org/euthanas.htm Cauthen (1998) Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia Retrieved from: http://www.frontiernet.net/~kenc/asuici.htm#CONCLUSION