Physician-Assisted Suicide: Ethical or Unethical?
I had to write a "simple paragraph" (HA!HA!HA!) on the following questions below:
Do you believe physician assisted suicide is ethical?
Why or why not?
Would your answer depend on whether the patient was related to you?
Why or why not?
(I'm not a very good "simple paragraph" writer. Plus, the topic of assisted suicide kinda sparked some kinda interest.)
Physician Assisted Suicide: Ethical or Unethical?
Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) generally refers to a practice in which the physician provides a patient with a lethal dose of medication, upon the patient’s request, which the patient intends to use to end his or her own life.
Physician-assisted suicide is a controversial issue that continues to be debated. Though society that has a strong interest in preserving life, that interest lessens when a person is terminally ill and has a strong desire to end life. I can not give a definite answer to whether or not I believe PAS is ethical or unethical. I have given this topic heavy thought, researched the pros and cons, surveyed more than 15 people (religious and non-religious) and formed only one statement: PAS should be allowed depending on the situation. For instance, if a patient is young and generally healthy but suffers depression and wishes to end their life, then I believe that PAS is unethical since there are alternatives such as clinics, counseling, and prescriptions to help resolve their suffering. But if the patient is 75 years old, terminally ill, given an indefinite length of time to live, and the only alternative is suffering, then I believe that PAS would be ethical.
Several people I have surveyed have argued that assisted suicide is morally wrong because it contradicts their religious beliefs and secular traditions against taking human life. Furthermore, PAS runs directly counter to the traditional duty of the physician to preserve life. For instance, the Hippocratic Oath states, “I will not administer poison to anyone where asked”, and “Be of benefit, or at least do no harm.” Others have argued that PAS is ethical because it is a rational choice for a person who is choosing to die to escape unbearable suffering. Furthermore, the physician’s duty to alleviate suffering may, at times, justify the act of providing assistance with suicide. These arguments rely a great deal on the notion of individual independence and the right of competent people to choose for themselves the course of their life, including how it will end.
If a patient was related to me and wanted a physician-assisted suicide, I would naturally be disappointed and perhaps even suggest alternatives. But if they were persistent and I understood their situation, then I would have to support their decision. But then again…….I have never been faced with this situation. This also is a question that I can not give a definite answer.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Your death will be peaceful and not at the hands of an assassin."
- Mexican fortune telling card
Do you believe physician assisted suicide is ethical?
Why or why not?
Would your answer depend on whether the patient was related to you?
Why or why not?
(I'm not a very good "simple paragraph" writer. Plus, the topic of assisted suicide kinda sparked some kinda interest.)
Physician Assisted Suicide: Ethical or Unethical?
Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) generally refers to a practice in which the physician provides a patient with a lethal dose of medication, upon the patient’s request, which the patient intends to use to end his or her own life.
Physician-assisted suicide is a controversial issue that continues to be debated. Though society that has a strong interest in preserving life, that interest lessens when a person is terminally ill and has a strong desire to end life. I can not give a definite answer to whether or not I believe PAS is ethical or unethical. I have given this topic heavy thought, researched the pros and cons, surveyed more than 15 people (religious and non-religious) and formed only one statement: PAS should be allowed depending on the situation. For instance, if a patient is young and generally healthy but suffers depression and wishes to end their life, then I believe that PAS is unethical since there are alternatives such as clinics, counseling, and prescriptions to help resolve their suffering. But if the patient is 75 years old, terminally ill, given an indefinite length of time to live, and the only alternative is suffering, then I believe that PAS would be ethical.
Several people I have surveyed have argued that assisted suicide is morally wrong because it contradicts their religious beliefs and secular traditions against taking human life. Furthermore, PAS runs directly counter to the traditional duty of the physician to preserve life. For instance, the Hippocratic Oath states, “I will not administer poison to anyone where asked”, and “Be of benefit, or at least do no harm.” Others have argued that PAS is ethical because it is a rational choice for a person who is choosing to die to escape unbearable suffering. Furthermore, the physician’s duty to alleviate suffering may, at times, justify the act of providing assistance with suicide. These arguments rely a great deal on the notion of individual independence and the right of competent people to choose for themselves the course of their life, including how it will end.
If a patient was related to me and wanted a physician-assisted suicide, I would naturally be disappointed and perhaps even suggest alternatives. But if they were persistent and I understood their situation, then I would have to support their decision. But then again…….I have never been faced with this situation. This also is a question that I can not give a definite answer.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Your death will be peaceful and not at the hands of an assassin."
- Mexican fortune telling card
posted by Heidi at 11:03 PM
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