Physician Assisted Suicide Essays (Examples)

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Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Kantian View
Thanks to modern developments in medical technology, people in advanced countries today live longer and stay healthy until they are relatively older. The technology, however, also allows some people to hasten their death and make it relatively pain-free. As a result, many patients suffering from unbearable pain of certain incurable illnesses from time to time ask their physicians to help them commit suicide. Any physician who is asked to do this is under an ethical dilemma. On the one hand, the physician is asked to help relieve one from pain and suffering. On the other hand, by helping a patient commit suicide the physician is assisting someone to commit murder even if it is the case of self-murder. This ethical case known as Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS) is a controversial topic in the United States and elsewhere. Since it is an ethical issue, one way of resolving….

Physician-Assisted Suicide
Should it be permissible for one to take his life?

Previously and now in many cultures, suicide has been considered as a best option in some certain situations of life. For example, in flashback we see Cato the Younger took away his life instead of living under Caesar. For stoics, suicide was a preferred and rational act and there was nothing immoral in suicide instead it was a best option (Long 1986, 206). On the other hand, In Christianity suicide is considered as an immoral act which defies God's will by being socially harmful and opposing the laws of nature (Edwards 2000). This outlook, to consider Hume' approach, disregards the fact that indenting suicide as an act that is possible, it is in no way countering God's will or nature (Hume 1986). However, the idea of permitting one to take away his life has negative impacts on public policy ethics….

Physician-assisted suicide is a humane approach to dying and should be adopted legally in all states. Anyone who is terminally ill should have the right to choose how they die, specifically since they face death every day. Physician-assisted suicide is no more harmful than other methods of patient care that address patients needs, rights and desires. Given the fact that most terminally ill patients have a limited life to live, it is the duty of doctors and health care providers to see their rights and wishes are granted, even if those wishes include a hastened journey toward death. For many patients death is a far more optimistic outcome than living a life of pain and suffering.
The Argument

A growing body of health care workers, doctors and physicians currently support physician-assisted suicide as a compassionate and caring method to deliver ones last rights. Woodman (2000) points out that many health care workers….

Physician-Assisted Suicide, And Active Euthanasia
In Favor of the Moral Permissibility of Active Physician-Assisted Suicide

According to Mappes and DeGrazia, Brock's support for voluntary active euthanasia is largely based on two ethical values that he regards fundamental (402). The values in this case include the well-being of an individual and individual autonomy or self-determination. Self-determination according to Brock has got to do with letting individuals chart their own destiny, that is, allowing individuals to make decisions for themselves (Mappes and DeGrazia 402). In Brock's opinion, the relevance of self-determination cannot be overstated. Self-determination allows an individual to become the author of his or her own destiny. However, for a person to be able to make sound decisions for himself, such an individual must possess either the competence or the capacity to make the decision in question. Thus in the opinion of Brock, euthanasia and its very scope could be limited in those….

In an article in the ritish journal Lancet, the doctor stated that he liked Helen right off the bat, and then issued this statement:
The thought of Helen dying so soon was almost too much to bear… on the other hand, I found even worse the thought of disappointing this family. If I backed out, they'd feel about me the way they had about their previous doctor, that I had strung them along, and in a way, insulted them (Hendin & Foley 2008, 1619).

This statement is shocking as neither hesitation nor a desire to not disappoint Helen's family should have been a factor in helping this woman take her life. This is a prime example of why people should not be allowed to help another in suicide -- physician or not. As humans, there are too many emotions ("Helen dying so soon was almost too much to bear") and abstract….

Perhaps the most reasonable objection to physician-assisted suicide relates to the subjective element of quality of life and the degree to which that perception (on the part of the patient) is susceptible to temporary influence, such as from clinical depression or temporary physical pain or disability. To overcome that objection, it would be necessary to outline objective principles and guidelines capable of allowing physician-assisted suicide in justifiable situations while also prohibiting potential misuses and abuses.
econciling the Issues:

On one hand, there does not seem to be any legitimate justification for preventing a sane, healthy, competent individual from choosing death over prolonged agony, particularly where the condition responsible for the patient's pain is already terminal. On the other hand, the decision to end one's life is irreversible and should not be permitted to be implemented as a result of temporary conditions or states of mind. Medical error exists in all areas….

Physician-Assisted Suicide
Every person has basic rights to their own health and well-being. However, during tough times when an individual is suffering dramatically, there are ethical concerns whether or not they should be allowed to commit suicide with no other options. Although this is a patients' right to autonomy, it becomes unethical for a physician to assist in such demands, as physicians have a moral obligation to perform with beneficence and thus go beyond simple non-maleficence.

The case presented here is a tough ethical dilemma. Essentially, Roberta W. has every right to practice her own autonomy and do what she wants with her own life. Because of the discomfort she has been experiencing, along with the burden she feels she is on her brother and sister-in-law, Roberta W. sees death as a viable option to end her suffering. With no option for surgery, Roberta wants something to help end her suffering. From….


At the very least, those that hold different opinions on physician-assisted suicide should agree that medical treatment must never be at odds with moral treatment. Even though medical treatment is specialized and often differs from the way human beings usually treat each other, medical treatment should never be placed in the position where it goes against the basic moral ideals of how human beings should treat each other.

As pointed out, there are many risks associated with the legalization and use of physician-assisted suicide. One of these risks has to do with the idea that persons who wish for assisted suicide might not be appropriately served by the legal system because of built-in prejudices and human error. In the end, it is obvious that American society has not yet figured out how to help those patients that desire assisted suicide without endangering those that do not. In essence, American society and….

Physician-Assisted Suicide
A Review of Relevant Literature and Popular Opinion

Physician-assisted suicide has become a hot topic of late and many people think it is about these physicians becoming killers. This is not true, however, despite the opinions that many hold. The main problem is that many feel that physician-assisted suicide will give doctors too much control over the deaths of their terminally ill patients. This is not the case, however, as physician-assisted suicide will actually give the terminally ill patients more control over their death, and therefore by extension, more control over their life. Not all physicians would be able to do this in good conscience but there are some, most notably Dr. Jack Kevorkian, that feel that they are capable of this type of practice in order to help the suffering of their patients.

Some patients actually request this because they cannot be helped by any modern means to get better….

(Foley, 54; Braddock and Tonnelli). This again, is an argument based more on conjecture rather than solid evidence. hile it is true that depression may accompany many serious and terminal diseases and there are anecdotes about patients who changed their minds about suicide after treatment; no credible studies are available about how often it happens or even if antidepressant treatment would make patients requesting death, change their minds. (Angell, 52)
Kathleen Foley, in her article "Competent Care for the Dying Instead of Physician-Assisted Suicide" observes that advances in modern medicine have made it possible to alleviate almost all kinds of pain and even when it is not possible to eliminate pain entirely; lessening it to a manageable level is almost always possible. She, therefore, feels that the problem is lack of proper pain management training for doctors and the solution is greater access to pain relieving medicine for everyone, rather….

Physician Assisted Suicide Arguments Both Sides Introduction: Why Is Physician-Assisted Death Controversial?
Physician-assisted suicide, or physician-assisted death, is now legal in four American states as well as in several countries including Canada and the Netherlands (Appelbaum. 2016). Generally, physician-assisted death applies to patients diagnosed with a terminal illness. The request to terminate the life prematurely is based on the patient’s tremendous suffering. In Canada, for example, “pphysicians whose patients disclose a wish to die must always be listening for underlying deep sorrow,” (Chochinov, 2016, p. 253). However, it can be difficult if not impossible to determine whether a patient’s expression of sorrow is temporary, influenced by physical pain or exacerbated by underlying mental illness. Physician-assisted suicide can also be framed as a moral issue, with some physicians claiming that assisting a patient to die goes against the tenets of the medical profession (American Medical Association, 2018). This paper uses two scholarly articles….

Physician-Assisted Suicide
PAGES 11 WORDS 3991

ight-to-Die Opinion
Order ID: ight-to-Die Opinion

Suicide is a very emotionally and morally charged subject to many people. The reason for the discord and divergence of opinions comes from the different perspectives and directions. Some of these motives and viewpoints are based on morality beliefs, religion or a combination of the two. Others are based more on humanity, empathy and the belief that suicide can be a solution to end misery and chronic pain. Some hold that taking one's own life is selfish, immoral and damaging to family and friends. Others hold that such a decision should reside with the individual in question alone. While there is no single answer that will placate all pundits, scholars and ethicists, the right to die should be allowed under the care of a physician and provided that the necessary conditions are met.

Analysis

Perhaps one of the more strident views about suicide emanates from the Christian church,….

Physician Assisted Suicide
PAGES 10 WORDS 3408

Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Right to Die Abstract
More and more patients in and end-of-life phase are expressing a desire for physician-assisted suicide (PAS) as an option that allows them to die with dignity and forego the pain and suffering associated with their disease and deteriorating condition. Yet in most states in the U.S., physician-assisted suicide remains illegal. The policy of this paper would be for lawmakers to be encouraged to pass a bill that makes PAS legal at the federal level. By having the right to die, patients can choose to end suffering in a way sanctioned by society and law with the help of providers who view it as an ethically sound approach to quality care.
Policy Problem
Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is an issue that touches on quality of life factors. PAS is a process by which a physician makes available to the patient the means for the patient to terminate his or….

right to terminate artificial life-Support system a practical condition on the successful practice of medicine?
Terminating artificial life support is often viewed as being qualitatively and ethically different from physician-assisted suicide or aid-in-dying. Withholding treatment is sometimes referred to as passive euthanasia (Steinbock, 2015). When in a fully cognizant, possibly healthy state of mind a patient had provided express written directives that artificial life support be withdrawn under certain specific conditions (also known as an advance directive), physicians may withdraw the life support if those conditions had been met.

Unfortunately, most cases of patients on life support are less clear-cut. The right to terminate artificial life support should not be one taken lightly, as insurers could too easily abuse their power by mandating the termination of life support in some situations in order to save money. On the other hand, terminating artificial life-support makes sense in cases like that of Terry….

That is, in understanding an issue or phenomenon, it is vital for the observer or the sociologist to put it into context in order to create the right "picture" of what is happening. For example, the structural functionalist perspective of criminology posits that crime occurs because of deviant behavior, and that deviance is but an inevitable part of the society. From this perspective, crime is the counterpart of society's function -- that is, a dysfunction that acts as a force or structure that balances the structure and order of human society. It is through the conflict between society's functions and dysfunctions that social change is stimulated, helping society develop. In the case of crime, it is an essential dysfunction in the society in order to help induce social change through the development of policies and laws that aim to maintain and observe the peace and order of human society.
Crime….

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3 Pages
Essay

Business - Ethics

Physician-Assisted Suicide The Kantian View Thanks to

Words: 1189
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Essay

Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Kantian View Thanks to modern developments in medical technology, people in advanced countries today live longer and stay healthy until they are relatively older. The technology, however,…

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4 Pages
Essay

Death and Dying  (general)

Physician-Assisted Suicide Should it Be Permissible for

Words: 1398
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Essay

Physician-Assisted Suicide Should it be permissible for one to take his life? Previously and now in many cultures, suicide has been considered as a best option in some certain situations of…

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4 Pages
Term Paper

Healthcare

Physician-Assisted Suicide Is a Humane Approach to

Words: 1160
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Physician-assisted suicide is a humane approach to dying and should be adopted legally in all states. Anyone who is terminally ill should have the right to choose how they…

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3 Pages
Essay

Death and Dying  (general)

Physician Assisted Suicide and Active Euthanasia

Words: 902
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Essay

Physician-Assisted Suicide, And Active Euthanasia In Favor of the Moral Permissibility of Active Physician-Assisted Suicide According to Mappes and DeGrazia, Brock's support for voluntary active euthanasia is largely based on two…

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10 Pages
Essay

Death and Dying  (general)

Physician-Assisted Suicide Physicians-Assisted Suicides The

Words: 3218
Length: 10 Pages
Type: Essay

In an article in the ritish journal Lancet, the doctor stated that he liked Helen right off the bat, and then issued this statement: The thought of Helen dying…

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3 Pages
Essay

Death and Dying  (general)

Physician-Assisted Suicide and Ethical Issues

Words: 924
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Essay

Perhaps the most reasonable objection to physician-assisted suicide relates to the subjective element of quality of life and the degree to which that perception (on the part of…

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2 Pages
Case Study

Health - Nursing

Physician Assisted Suicide and Legal Issues

Words: 635
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Case Study

Physician-Assisted Suicide Every person has basic rights to their own health and well-being. However, during tough times when an individual is suffering dramatically, there are ethical concerns whether or not…

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5 Pages
Term Paper

Death and Dying  (general)

Physician-Assisted Suicide for the Most

Words: 1535
Length: 5 Pages
Type: Term Paper

At the very least, those that hold different opinions on physician-assisted suicide should agree that medical treatment must never be at odds with moral treatment. Even though medical treatment…

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8 Pages
Term Paper

Death and Dying  (general)

Physician-Assisted Suicide a Review of Relevant Literature

Words: 3042
Length: 8 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Physician-Assisted Suicide A Review of Relevant Literature and Popular Opinion Physician-assisted suicide has become a hot topic of late and many people think it is about these physicians becoming killers. This…

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4 Pages
Term Paper

Death and Dying  (general)

Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia the

Words: 1441
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Term Paper

(Foley, 54; Braddock and Tonnelli). This again, is an argument based more on conjecture rather than solid evidence. hile it is true that depression may accompany many serious…

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3 Pages
Essay

Ethics / Morality

Physician Assisted Suicide

Words: 952
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Essay

Physician Assisted Suicide Arguments Both Sides Introduction: Why Is Physician-Assisted Death Controversial? Physician-assisted suicide, or physician-assisted death, is now legal in four American states as well as in several countries including…

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11 Pages
Research Paper

Family and Marriage

Physician-Assisted Suicide

Words: 3991
Length: 11 Pages
Type: Research Paper

ight-to-Die Opinion Order ID: ight-to-Die Opinion Suicide is a very emotionally and morally charged subject to many people. The reason for the discord and divergence of opinions comes from the different…

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10 Pages
Essay

Nursing

Physician Assisted Suicide

Words: 3408
Length: 10 Pages
Type: Essay

Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Right to Die Abstract More and more patients in and end-of-life phase are expressing a desire for physician-assisted suicide (PAS) as an option that allows them to die…

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3 Pages
Essay

Law - Constitutional Law

Physician Assisted Suicide Ethics

Words: 1081
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Essay

right to terminate artificial life-Support system a practical condition on the successful practice of medicine? Terminating artificial life support is often viewed as being qualitatively and ethically different from…

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3 Pages
Term Paper

Criminal Justice

Criminology Physician-Assisted Suicide Is an

Words: 870
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Term Paper

That is, in understanding an issue or phenomenon, it is vital for the observer or the sociologist to put it into context in order to create the right…

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