Euthanasia
Euthanasia
Relection Paper Assignment
Ethics: Philosopy 2306
Kerbirn Rush
Priscilla Rubio
May 7, 2009
Euthanasia (from the Greek ευθανασία meaning "well death": ευ-, eu- (well or good) + θάνατος, thanatos (death)) refers to the practice of ending a life in a painless manner.1 Euthanasia may be conducted with or without consent. Involuntary euthanasia is conducted when another individual makes a decision for a person that is uncapable of doing so. Voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide have been the focus of great controversy in recent years, especially amongst families of the euthanized patients and their lawyers. The outcome of euthanizing a patient is a great debate that will in the end profoundly affect family relationships, the interaction between doctors and patients and ideas of basic ethical behavior. It a subject with so much at stake depending on the end conclusion. “The decision can be made based on what the incapacitated individual would have wanted, or it could be made on substituted judgment of what the decision maker would want were he or she in the incapacitated person's place, or finally, the decision could be made by assessing objectively whether euthanasia is the most beneficial course of treatment. In any case, euthanasia by proxy consent is highly controversial, especially because multiple proxies may claim the authority to decide for the patient and may or may not have explicit consent from the patient to make that decision.”2 In our case study we have a young man in his early twenties. He and his father were unfortunately standing too close to a gas pipeline the exploded, which left him severely burned over 90 percent of his body, which also resulted in lost of his vision and hearing. Lying there in misery, a passerby saw him in such despair that he called emergency services and refused to assist him in dying. Upon arrival to the Emergency Room, I evaluate his status and immediately start to
Relection Paper Assignment
Ethics: Philosopy 2306
Kerbirn Rush
Priscilla Rubio
May 7, 2009
Euthanasia (from the Greek ευθανασία meaning "well death": ευ-, eu- (well or good) + θάνατος, thanatos (death)) refers to the practice of ending a life in a painless manner.1 Euthanasia may be conducted with or without consent. Involuntary euthanasia is conducted when another individual makes a decision for a person that is uncapable of doing so. Voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide have been the focus of great controversy in recent years, especially amongst families of the euthanized patients and their lawyers. The outcome of euthanizing a patient is a great debate that will in the end profoundly affect family relationships, the interaction between doctors and patients and ideas of basic ethical behavior. It a subject with so much at stake depending on the end conclusion. “The decision can be made based on what the incapacitated individual would have wanted, or it could be made on substituted judgment of what the decision maker would want were he or she in the incapacitated person's place, or finally, the decision could be made by assessing objectively whether euthanasia is the most beneficial course of treatment. In any case, euthanasia by proxy consent is highly controversial, especially because multiple proxies may claim the authority to decide for the patient and may or may not have explicit consent from the patient to make that decision.”2 In our case study we have a young man in his early twenties. He and his father were unfortunately standing too close to a gas pipeline the exploded, which left him severely burned over 90 percent of his body, which also resulted in lost of his vision and hearing. Lying there in misery, a passerby saw him in such despair that he called emergency services and refused to assist him in dying. Upon arrival to the Emergency Room, I evaluate his status and immediately start to