Biomedical Ethics Case Study

PAGES
4
WORDS
1250
Cite

Biomedical Ethics: Euthanasia Mercy killing continues to elicit debates on the moral and ethical aspects involved in conducting the act. Mercy killing, which is also called euthanasia, is a practice that medical professionals consider to assist the terminally ill patients (Huxtable 21). Terminal illnesses do not have a cure, or such conditions that have terminal consequence are irreversible. For instance, the case of Paul Mills, who was terminally ill due to cancer of the esophagus, is an illustration of euthanasia. The doctor involved, Dr. Nancy Morrison arrived at the conclusion after the patient agreed to have the practice performed on him. Euthanasia is currently a discussion subject in the legal context as governments and medical organizations seek to establish legal regulations and definitions of the practice. However, the moral and social ethical values are the focus of many who have diverse views of the impacts of euthanasia.

Arguments against euthanasia

The case of Paul Mills ignited mixed reactions after his death led to the arrest of Morrison. The scenario began with the observation that the patient was extremely sick, and chances of recovery were minimal (Robb 12). This fuelled the thought of exercising euthanasia by the family. The family, after making their considerations, agreed to the patient undergoing euthanasia. The nurses started by removing the active life support. However, it happened that the case was not as severe as they imagined; hence, the patient reacted violently before passing out. This means that, the actual intention of the practice, which is to end life of the individual without causing more harm and suffering. The purpose of conducting euthanasia is to terminate the life of the person, by showing mercy while alleviating the suffering. However, I request to differ based on the following arguments. According to the case of Paul, it is clear that the removal of the life support machine, instead of assisting him to die without suffering, it caused more suffering to him. The use of

...

Therefore, in the view of the situation, it is clear that euthanasia is morally unacceptable as it is equivalent to torture and eventual murder of the person.
Secondly, according to all societal beliefs and practices, the process of taking the life of a person, whether with or without their consent, is equivalent to the crime of murder. No person has the authority to take their life as it is not their own. For instance, a child belongs to the society and not the parent alone. Therefore, taking the life of an individual is equivalent of taking a person who belongs to the society from them. This person could be the next leader or influential person in the country if they recover from the sickness. Besides, according to most societal beliefs, there is a God who heals His people. Thus, the practice of euthanasia is equivalent of comparing the persons who make the decision to God who gives life (Diaconescu 16). Life is a precious commodity every entity should have the liberty to experience it to the last bit without undergoing suffering, and torture as it happens with euthanasia. Therefore, it is morally wrong to execute murder on a person in the name of saving them from the suffering they are undergoing. Additionally, there are other modes of alienating pain and suffering from the individual other that conducting euthanasia on the person. Such include practices such as terminal sedation for palliative care. Thus, conducting euthanasia on a person is not the last measure available to end the suffering of a person.

In relation to the case against Dr. Nancy Morrison, the case did not go through as she got indictment. However, the moral argument outside the court is evidence enough to show…

Sources Used in Documents:

Works cited

Diaconescu, Amelia Mihaela. "Euthanasia." Contemporary Readings in Law and Social

Justice 4.2 (2012): 474-83. ProQuest.Web. 30 Sep. 2013.

Huxtable, Richard. Euthanasia, Ethics, and the Law: From Conflict to Compromise-Abingdon,

Oxon: Routledge-Cavendish, 2007. Print.


Cite this Document:

"Biomedical Ethics" (2013, September 30) Retrieved April 25, 2024, from
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/biomedical-ethics-123469

"Biomedical Ethics" 30 September 2013. Web.25 April. 2024. <
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/biomedical-ethics-123469>

"Biomedical Ethics", 30 September 2013, Accessed.25 April. 2024,
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/biomedical-ethics-123469

Related Documents
Biomedical Ethics
PAGES 2 WORDS 685

Biomedical Ethics -- Reflection of "I Am Sam" The treatment of vulnerable population in situations of legal rights is an ever-growing dilemma. In the movie "I Am Sam," Sam is a mentally disabled father seen as unfit to care for his daughter. Because of social workers observations, the courts removed the daughter from his care. Individuals with mental disabilities, like Sam, suffer daily with basic right infringements. People are quick to

Biomedical Ethics
PAGES 4 WORDS 1254

Biomedical Ethics The Case of Scott Starson In 1999, Scott Starson was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital in Ontario after he had been found not criminally responsible for two counts of uttering death threats. Starson had a history of psychiatric disorders, and had recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Starson recognized his disorder and voluntarily underwent psychotherapy, but he refused any medication for the condition. Starson, a gifted theoretical physicist, believed

Biomedical Ethics
PAGES 3 WORDS 1041

Biomedical Ethics The case of Dr. Nancy Morrison and Mr. Mills is an important one, as it forces the legal system to tackle the question of Euthanasia and end of life care. The important questions raised by this case are what is the extent of a doctor's responsibilities towards a patient that is in pain and dying, can a doctor make a judgment call and end a patient's life prematurely; can

Ethics Biomedical Ethics Ethics in the medical profession is a topic that has gained in complexity in the past three decades. As patients are able to get more information about medical procedures, as billing becomes more complex, as new healthcare reform takes place, nurses are forced to gain an understanding of more issues with regard to biomedical ethics. The book "Intervention and Reflection: Basic Issues in Medical Ethics" by Munson and Munson

To make sure that the prisoner's viewpoint is observed, review boards must consist of at least one inmate or inmate representative when examining such research (Kluge, 2010). Children In researches dealing with kids, government laws require that guardians or parents to give authorization. In most cases, the child may assent whenever possible. Parent's authorization is one factor of the "special protections" provided to this vulnerable segment. The need to obtain assent

Biomedical Ethics
PAGES 5 WORDS 1599

Child Limit Laws Biomedical Ethics The debate regarding the right of having children against the importance of national family planning has raged for years. In the late 1960s, many strongly believed that a decline in fertility rates would slow population growth, especially in developing countries and thus reduce poverty. This was the popular view at the time but in the 1980s, there emerged a fresh thinking about the right to bear children.