Preview

Pro Euthanasia

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1029 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Pro Euthanasia
Throughout the twentieth century, major scientific and medical advances have greatly enhanced the life expectancy of the average person. However, there are many cases where doctors can preserve life artificially. The term euthanasia has recently been employed by some scientific men in advocating the reasonableness of relieving the sufferings of those afflicted with incurable disease bye administering to the anesthetics or narcotics in sufficient doses to prove fatal. But religion, law, and medical ethics alike condem all forms of self destruction. The controversial issue about this argument is that in these cases where the patient suffers from a terminal disease or remains in a "persistent vegetative state" or PVS from which they cannot voice their wishes for continuation or termination of life, the question becomes whether or not the patient has freedom to choose whether or not to prolong their life even though it may consist of pain and suffering. In answer to this contradictory argument, supporters of physician-assisted suicide, including, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, which is a defender of a right of an individual to receive physician assisted relief from suffering. Not only should patients be able to abstain from treatment, but also if they have a terminal or extremely painful condition, they should be able to use the assistance of a doctor in order die with as little pain as possible, that means to apply euthanasia.

Physician assisted suicide is generally recognized as illegal in association with the definition of homicide. For example in at least five of the assisted suicides, which Dr. Jack Kevorkian was involved in, all criminal charges were dismissed. Supporters against active suicide feel that it is the duty of physicians to help and heal patients as opposed to aiding their exit from this world. They also fear that the legalization of doctor assisted suicide may be abused by doctors who do not feel that there is any hope for the patient and convince

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Physician assisted suicide is a highly controversial issue that has many ethical concerns. There are many moral issues that should be considered when discussing physician-assisted suicide. Many people relate religion as a part of why physician assisted suicide is wrong and others state it violates the Hippocratic Oath. In this paper, we will discuss the moral dilemma of physician-assisted suicide. We will also examine the arguments against and in favor of physician assisted suicide and which view is closer to my own.…

    • 1087 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The author examines the moral and ethical dilemma of a physician who take part in euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. He distinguishes the difference between passive euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Anson notes, that passive euthanasia is more acceptable due to the similarities of the American Medical Association's Code of Medical Ethics guidelines for withholding or removing life-sustaining intervention. However, the article also implied contradictions in the Hippocratic Oath against active euthanasia. Moreover, Anson examines the ideas based on proponents' views for active euthanasia, which patients who utilize life support systems are suffering agonizing and "leading to an undignified death". Although the article differs…

    • 146 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The ending of one’s life, terminally ill or not, should not be done purposely by another man’s hands. If such procedures were considered acceptable, every ill person with no will to continue living would try to find ailments that deem assisted suicide. Jack Kevorkian, also known as “Dr. Death,” was a lifelong activist for physician-assisted suicide. Kevorkian was said to have assisted in 130 suicides of terminally ill patients during his life and is looked at as a sick and twisted killer to many, but as a brave, respected pathologist to others. To look back on his history and past activity, is extremely bizarre and unusual; there is everything from leaving pathology in the 70’s to make a movie, to advocating for the usage of medical experiments on criminals during execution. Assisted suicide violates the Fourteenth amendment, which prohibits government from depriving a person of life, liberty and property without ensuring fairness. The act is also by a general consensus, seen as morally and ethically taboo. However, if the patients asked Dr. Kevorkian to assist in their suicide, is he deserving of the criminal charges he has landed, or should he be seen as merely a doctor obeying his patients’ wishes? The facts that present themselves show that Dr. Kevorkian’s actions were arguably unjustified.…

    • 1776 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Physician-assisted deaths have pros and cons. Physicians are sworn to do no harm, and there are points in life where the quality is so diminished that to force one to live based on quantity is harmful. Patients have a right to live life on their terms, and the same should apply to death. If a physician is unable to aid the patient in this decision from a rational, informed place, that patient may feel obligated to find another means to reach the same end. The extensive process and requirements involved help to ensure that both the patient and the physician are making the best decision based on the circumstances. A large con of physician assisted suicide is the stigma that suicide carries. On the outside looking in, it is challenging to be empathetic to the person who is deciding to end their life or the physician who aids in that process. Without giving the topic thoughtful consideration, it is easy for an outsider to jump to a negative reaction and take a stance against physician assisted suicide. That being said, the rights of the patients and physicians to make that decision, protected by the laws of their state, should be respected no matter what opinion an onlooker may…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rapid and dramatic developments in medicine and technology have given us the power to save more lives than was ever possible in the past. Medicine has put at our disposal the means to cure or to reduce the suffering of people afflicted with diseases that were once fatal or painful. At the same time, however, medical technology has given us the power to sustain the lives (or, some would say, prolong the deaths) of patients whose physical and mental capabilities cannot be restored, whose degenerating conditions cannot be reversed, and whose pain cannot be eliminated. As medicine struggles to pull more and more people away from the edge of death, the plea that tortured, deteriorated lives be mercifully ended grows louder and more frequent. Californians are now being asked to support an initiative, entitled the Humane and Dignified Death Act, that would allow a physician to end the life of a terminally ill patient upon the request of the patient, pursuant to properly executed legal documents. Under present law, suicide is not a crime, but assisting in suicide is. Whether or not we as a society should pass laws sanctioning "assisted suicide" has generated intense moral controversy.…

    • 877 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Physicians and patients debate over whether or not physician assisted suicide is okay to do in any circumstances, because there are pros and cons to every side. One might say that if a physician assists in the suicide it may help someone not suffer through a slow painful death. Another person might argue that if a physician does assist even by just prescribing the medicine is morally wrong and against the oath the physician takes at the beginning of his or her career. Understanding some people are terminally ill and want to just die versus putting up the fight is a hard situation to understand, but some physicians do “understand”. Even though they understand does not mean that they will agree to assist in taking the pain away from someone. On the other hand a patient may want to live as long as possible and prosper every bit of their life even if it means being in a vegetative state.…

    • 1256 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    For decades, the public, government, and physicians have been debating over the “Death with Dignity Act” or “Physician-Assisted Suicide.” It started back in the Ancient Greek and Rome time. The debate originated around the Hippocratic Oath and the condemnation of the practice. With the upsurge of Christianity, many physicians continued to condemn the practice. Within the last two centuries the public has spurned many discussions about Physician-assisted suicide and Euthanasia from many different historic perspectives (Procon.org, 2012). Although this debate has been lengthy and many of the issues discussed over the centuries are repetitive, new ideas and concerns do emerge with the current debate. What do you think when you here assisted suicide? Would you want your family member to suffer with an illness that has put them in so much pain that they cannot function? Personally, I would not want to see my family member suffer in pain while they are dying with no cure.…

    • 2028 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Physician-Assisted Suicide

    • 2476 Words
    • 10 Pages

    How is physician-assisted suicide any different than regular suicide? Does the fact that a person is terminally ill make it right? Who gets to decide if it is right? These are questions people may ask themselves when deciding whether or not they think physician-assisted suicide is ethical. Whether it is requested or not, many would say it is unethical for a physician to deliberately cause death to a person. Physicians take an oath to first do no harm. Others may say that a person has the right to make his or her own decisions about his or her life. In this paper, I will explore each side of physician-assisted suicide and how it relates to virtue ethics, along with how I feel relativist would see the issue.…

    • 2476 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Physician assisted suicide is a widely spread controversial ethical issue. This paper is written in an effort to highlight some important points discussing whether assisted suicide should be legalized or not under certain circumstances. Various ethical and social factors that play key role in prohibiting and permitting the legalization of assisted suicide…

    • 2855 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Around the world, some people take it upon to themselves to help their friends and families. The help they think they are doing is actually harm. If a person tries to help their family or friend end their life, it is murder. No matter the circumstances, a person killing another person is murder. If murder is deemed unlawful, physician-assisted suicide should be, too. There is no difference in a family member and a doctor wanting to end a person’s suffering. Both of these people are taking a life. There are some people in this world that would try to become a doctor, or pose as one, to be able to kill people. If physician-assisted suicide is illegal, more than likely this would not happen and somehow go unnoticed. It would be considered fine to do such a…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 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

    The concept and practice of physician assisted suicide is a highly debated topic in today’s news. People often question the morals of the physicians who practice euthanasia and there are some who believe that they should not even be considered doctors. Euthanasia is the ending of someone's life through a doctor's help and is still illegal in most countries. One of the most well known advocates for the practice of euthanasia is Jack Kevorkian, who has also been referred to as Dr. Death. He was tried and convicted of second degree murder, however his practice gained a lot of support from the publicity of his trials. Although he is responsible for over 130 deaths, Kevorkian is a hero in today’s standards because of his involvement in the practice…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Euthanasia Pro

    • 348 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Euthanasia is refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering. Euthanasia is illegal in all states of the United States. Physician aid-in-dying (PAD), or assisted suicide, is legal in the states of Washington, Oregon, and Montana. The key difference between euthanasia and PAD is who administers the lethal dose of medication. Jack Kevorkian, American physician who gained international attention through his assistance in the suicides of more than 100 terminally ill patients. He carried out many experiments on people in jail on death row. He’d give them lethal injections, which earned him the name “Death Doctor”. He was later arrested multiple times for being in the “presence” at the time of many people’s deaths. When I was first told about this project I wasn’t sure how I felt about it and I wasn’t really sure what euthanasia was. After researching it I was still a little on the fence and talked to my mother about it and what her opinion was. One thing she brought up that had an effect on my decision was with the treatment of animals. Euthanasia is basically the same thing as when they put animals to sleep. Years ago we put two of our dogs down because they were ill and suffering. We were unable to bear watching them suffer everyday so that’s when we decided to put them down. How come that is legal but it’s not legal for humans? I would not be able to sit back and watch someone I truly cared about suffer in excruciating pain everyday and have to live like that. They should be able to have a will and a living will stated what they would want to do if their life every got to that state. As for me If I was in that position and had an incurable disease and was in miserable pain or in a vegetable state I would not want to continue to live and I wouldn’t want my children or family to see me in that…

    • 348 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays