Physician Assisted Suicide Pros and Cons Essay Example
Physician Assisted Suicide Pros and Cons
Patricia Cole
SOC 120
Erin Schouten
January 28, 2013
The question is should incurable patients be able to commit physician assisted suicide, and depending on which group you talk to the pros or cons they both have well developed arguments as to which is right and which one is wrong. Even though physician assisted suicide may help patients with debilitating conditions that medicine cannot manage, I am against it because suicide even for the terminally ill is wrong and with the appropriate care like palliative treatment it is an unnecessary act. The theory that I believe to be the foundation of my beliefs is the deontological and the argument for the sanctity of life. It is the simplest moral outlook on suicide. The sanctity of life holds that it is wrong because human life is sacred. Though this position is mainly associated with the church or religious realm, Ronald Darrkin (1993) points out that atheists may also find appeal to this claim as well. According to the “sanctity of life” the human life is very precious and valuable and demanding respect from others and reverence for oneself. Suicide is so wrong because it violates our moral duty in honoring the value of life. The position of physician assisted suicide is a view of the deontological theory and the sanctity of life. It would go against the Hippocratic Oath that a doctor takes when they receive their medical degree. This oath was created so that patients would be assured that their physician is there for their best interest and mean them no harm in any way. It could even open up the door for noncritical patient suicide. One example would be patients that want to die for emotional or psychological reasons. They may try to convince their doctors to help end their life. The American Medical Association has been very outspoken and influential on the topic of physician assisted suicide and has stated “that participation is fundamentally
Patricia Cole
SOC 120
Erin Schouten
January 28, 2013
The question is should incurable patients be able to commit physician assisted suicide, and depending on which group you talk to the pros or cons they both have well developed arguments as to which is right and which one is wrong. Even though physician assisted suicide may help patients with debilitating conditions that medicine cannot manage, I am against it because suicide even for the terminally ill is wrong and with the appropriate care like palliative treatment it is an unnecessary act. The theory that I believe to be the foundation of my beliefs is the deontological and the argument for the sanctity of life. It is the simplest moral outlook on suicide. The sanctity of life holds that it is wrong because human life is sacred. Though this position is mainly associated with the church or religious realm, Ronald Darrkin (1993) points out that atheists may also find appeal to this claim as well. According to the “sanctity of life” the human life is very precious and valuable and demanding respect from others and reverence for oneself. Suicide is so wrong because it violates our moral duty in honoring the value of life. The position of physician assisted suicide is a view of the deontological theory and the sanctity of life. It would go against the Hippocratic Oath that a doctor takes when they receive their medical degree. This oath was created so that patients would be assured that their physician is there for their best interest and mean them no harm in any way. It could even open up the door for noncritical patient suicide. One example would be patients that want to die for emotional or psychological reasons. They may try to convince their doctors to help end their life. The American Medical Association has been very outspoken and influential on the topic of physician assisted suicide and has stated “that participation is fundamentally