Philosophy: Amputate Limbs?

The Truth About Reflection “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”, a well-known statement that outlines that beauty is relative to what an individual believes is beautiful. In my paper, I will explore the positive rights of ownership that individuals have to their bodies in the case of desired amputations which should not be hindered by physicians, and then strengthen my claim by comparing the situation to how cosmetic surgery is an accepted surgery where individuals are practicing their positive rights. I will explore the motives for which the patients wish to be amputated, explain how these individuals are rational and autonomous, compare these conditions to those of cosmetic surgery, and lastly explain my response to said objections. First, before I begin my argument, I will outline the motives of the patients who wish to remove their otherwise seemingly healthy limbs. Tim Bayne and Neil Levy explain how there could be various motives for amputating limbs. Amongst those listed are the, “mismatch between the wannabe’s (desired amputation) experience of their body and the actual structure of their body…as they experience it..known as Body Integrity Identity Disorder, or BIID”, and because “the individual believes , incorrectly, that part of their body is diseased or exceedingly ugly” .I find these claims that BIID is a real serious experience, plausible, because for example, if an individual had suffered a stroke and from that experience had acquired BIID, after this traumatic experience he or she should have the right to give himself the feeling of being whole, and in control of his body when one of his limbs is immovable. Strokes are terrible experiences for patience, however the aftermath of the stroke, given that the patient had loss function in a limb could be even worse to experience. Given the option to feel complete, in which all limbs are in sync, would be a fulfilling experience, which would help the patient feel fully functional if desired