Preview

Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia: a Slippery Slope Effect

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2815 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia: a Slippery Slope Effect
ASSISTED SUICIDE/EUTHANASIA: A Slippery Slope Effect
Melanie Hart
PHI200 Mind and Machine
Dr. Martha Stillman
June 19, 2011

There are numerous pros and cons for Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia that can be argued many times over. The reasons for these arguments include less pain and suffering for the patient as well as their families, a person’s right to die with dignity, and lower health cost; to name a few. However, there are those that feel that legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia could lead Physicians down a slippery slope. So, that leads to the question of: Who has the right to make those determinations, and when are they morally correct? Because euthanasia has several definitions in which each form represents various moral view points, it is important to ensure that people have a full understanding of their meanings and the issues that can arise from the different forms. “Many proponents of euthanasia want more than hospice availability or more effective palliation” (Lillehammer 2002, pp.545-550). Keown contends that proponents of euthanasia feel that doctors, under certain circumstances, should control the decision of ensuring the patient has an easy and painless death. In this paper I will define both Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia; and present two sides of the argument of Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia causing or not causing a slippery slope, and conclude with my position on both. Euthanasia (VAE) is a Greek word which stands for good death and means to intentionally administer medicine or interventions that cause the death of a patient at their request (Runge, Royle, Slater, 2004). However, there are two forms of euthanasia; Active euthanasia and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia is when “lethal substances or forces are used to end the patient’s life; which also includes life-ending actions conducted by the patient or somebody else” (Nordqvist, 2010, pp.1, para. 4). There is also voluntary



References: Dyer, Kristi, M.D. 2006. Definition of Physician Assisted Suicide. Retrieved from http://www.endoflife.northwestern.edu./physician_assisted_suicide debate Hendin, Herbert, M.D. 1996. Lessons from the Dutch Experience. Retrieved from http://www.life.org.nz/euthanasia/abouteuthanasia/history-euthanasia 11

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Moral and ethical debates attempted to resolves controversial issues but never seem to end with everyone agreeing. Often these ethical and moral debates are complex and involve opinions persuaded by religion or customs and have legal implications to consider. Physician assisted death is one of these very complex and controversial issues that all people will never agree on. Many questions arise in the debate of physician assisted death such as patients’ rights, physicians controlling the right if someone lives or dies, a patience’s mental state, a family member’s rights, religious beliefs of the parties involved and the law. Philosophers attempt to explain the different theories that people will use to argue their belief systems in terms of logic and reasoning. For example, some people may take the position of a deontologist who would argue that it is our moral duty to support and sustain life therefore assisted suicide should not be allowed. Unfortunately, this very emotional thought provoking debate is not a “black and white issue,” as most ethical arguments are not. In the situation of physician assisted death I disagree with the deontologist point of view that it is immoral for a physician to assist a patient in suicide. I believe as some relativist due, that as long as the patient is fully capable of making this decision and the patient is in a constant state of agony, then the patient has the right to make the choice to live or die. A relativist believes that morals are only relative to that particular society and if physician assisted death was considered moral in that group then it would be considered a moral act. Neither theory is without flaws as some deontologist even share my point of view and some relativist can be very extreme in what they feel is relative to being morally right or wrong. The bottom line is that people will probably never completely agree on this subject.…

    • 2640 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and euthanasia is a widely debated and controversial topic in our society. It is believed that the principle of PAS and euthanasia portrays, “merciful acts that deliver terminally ill patients from painful and protracted death” (page 477, column 2). In the paper, “Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Tragic View,” John D. Arras discusses the subject and states that while he agrees with patients making decisions, implementing laws supporting PAS and euthanasia is a huge threat to our social order. However, John D. Arras also concludes that he does not disapprove with the possibility of having a legislative policy in favor of PAS/euthanasia, only if there is “sufficient evidence of reliability of various safeguards” (page 477, column 2).…

    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Physician assisted suicide is a highly controversial ethical dilemma that is receiving a lot of press in society recently. The issue is an emotional debate whether a terminally ill or disabled person has the right to end their existence with the support of their physician, which affects not just the patient, but their families and health care providers. Physician assisted suicide has legal ramifications as well. One argument in favor of Physician assisted suicide alludes to that the patient has the right to end their life with dignity. An opposing argument is if a physician participates in assisted suicide this goes against the “American Medical Association (AMA) Code of Ethics”. A physician and nurse are respected within the community to…

    • 1996 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Physicians assisted suicide can be defined as the voluntary termination of one's own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician (Snyder 2001). In order to truly explore the ethical dilemma of physicians assisted suicide we must first understand and grasp the base meaning of the term, as well as let go of any prior misconceptions we may have surrounding the topic. The process of physician-assisted suicide is different than you might imagine. Before I had researched this topic I had the inaccurate impression that physician assisted suicide was a procedure similar to that which you would imagine for an animal being put down or euthanized. As many of us unfamiliar with the topic might believe,…

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 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

    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
  • Powerful Essays

    Euthanasia Ethical Dilemma

    • 2102 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Euthanasia is a social issue in today’s world because not only does it affect the lives of those who are terminally ill and/or comatose, and the physicians who have been entrusted with their care, but it also affects the patient’s ability to have control over their own life, whether they are aware of this decision or not, which is one of the reasons why euthanasia has become such a controversial issue around the globe. Caddell and Newton (1995) define euthanasia as “any treatment initiated by a physician with the intent of hastening the death of another human being who is terminally ill and in severe pain or distress with the motive of relieving that person from great suffering” (p. 1,672). Even though the concept of great…

    • 2102 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful 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

    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

    For an unaffected, healthy individual, with death painted as a villain by his subconscious, it is easy to raise a gavel against the legalization of assisted suicide. It is easy for this individual to deny the right to end one’s suffering by citing a variety of aged, insignificant arguments like ancient oaths and biased religious teachings, all in defense of the instinct of his subconscious. However, the debate over assisted suicide is greater than this, and must be considered much more deliberately and meticulously. When one considers justice, autonomy, compassion, and all other necessary factors in the modern assisted suicide debate, it is clear that the practice of physician-assisted suicide is merciful and necessary, and must be a provided right to suffering individuals near the…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Person's Right to Die

    • 953 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Physicians continue to face this ethical dilemma today. The American Medical Association said in one legal brief, ''For over 2,000 years, the predominant responsibility of the physician has not been to preserve life at all costs but to serve the patient's needs while respecting the patient's autonomy and dignity,'' Concurrently, the AMA opposes physician-assisted suicide. The Hippocratic oath still states: ''To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug, or give advice which may cause his death.'' This moral reasoning of physicians is at the Conventional Level, in which the right behavior is living up to the expectations of family or nation, and conformity to personal expectations and social order.…

    • 953 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good 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

    Choosing the time to die is a very sensitive and controversial topic of around the world and as people suffering from terminal illness make the hard choices to seek an end to their suffering, governments debate the legality, ethics, and morality of physician-assisted suicide. As thousands of people around the world suffer from terminal illnesses, it is important to explore options that allow people to make the choice to die on their terms and physician-assisted suicide is one option for people looking to end their lives on their terms with dignity.…

    • 1575 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
  • Powerful Essays

    activist who tried to legalize assisted suicide under the argument that everyone deserves a humane death. There had been much debate on the issue,…

    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics