physician assisted suicide arguments both sides

Assignment 1: Is physician-assisted suicide morally acceptable when a person is suffering from a painful, incurable, terminal condition?  Premise 1: Physician-assisted suicide is not morally acceptable under any circumstances. According to the American Medical Association (2018), “permitting physicians to engage in assisted suicide would ultimately cause more harm than good,” (p. 1). The reasoning behind the AMA’s position is threefold. First, the AMA (2018) claims that physician-assisted suicide is “incompatible with the physician’s role as healer,” (p. 1).

Second, the AMA points out that there are too many ways the process can be abused. As alternatives to physician-assisted suicide, the AMA recommends improving access to pain relief and emotional support to patients with terminal illnesses. Another reason for opposing physician-assisted suicide is the rapid pace at which medicine advances. If a person has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, there is still a possibility—however slim—that either a cure or an ameliorative process might be discovered during the course of the person’s life.

Moreover, the person should be considered as part of a broader social network. Friends and family members deserve the opportunity to remain with their loved one for as long as possible, providing holistic care. Because the goal of medicine is to heal and treat, not to terminate life, physicians cannot ethically engage in physician-assisted suicide. Premise 2: Physician-assisted suicide is not only morally acceptable when a person is suffering from a painful, incurable, terminal condition; it is also the compassionate and ethical choice.

Physician-assisted suicide can be considered an ethical part of medical care, so long as it is done under strict and specific conditions. Moreover, physician-assisted suicide respects patient autonomy, which is a fundamental tenet in bioethics (American Medical Association, 2018). In other words, it is unethical to force a patient to continue suffering unnecessarily when death is certainly inevitable based on expert medical opinion.

In cases where there is a terminal illness that entails suffering, “death could sometimes be in a persons best interests and a lesser evil than other bad things that might happen to her,” (Kamm, n.d., p. 1). Physician-assisted suicide is the ethical choice because it preserves patient autonomy, alleviates suffering, and promotes the principles of holistic care. Death is inevitable. To prolong life at all costs is not the goal of medicine or healing.

In fact, healing often entails the cultivation of mental or emotional acceptance to confront mortality. Attitudes towards death vary from culture to culture and person to person. A physician’s personal feelings regarding death need not be imposed on patients: doing so would constitute medical paternalism and would violate the principles of respect and autonomy. Physician-assisted suicide is also an elective choice, not something that is imposed upon a patient.

When the patient expresses interest in physician-assisted suicide, that patient has the right to explore this option but should do so with the expert counseling of the entire medical team. Assessment of the Arguments Looking at both sides of the physician-assisted suicide debate helps prevent ambiguity and promotes understanding. Both sides of the issue have valid cases. Physicians are trained to preserve life and promote the body’s healing. They are in many cases trained to fight death, not court it.

Therefore, it is understandable why many physicians might oppose allowing their patients to die even if death is immanent. On the other hand, it is easy to see why many people are in favor of autonomy and the right to die with dignity. Understanding challenging ethical issues from multiple points of view could promote a better life, ensuring that arguments are made with respect and logic rather than emotions. References American Medical Association (2018). Physician-assisted suicide. https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/physician-assisted-suicide Breslow, J.M. (2012). The shadow side of assisted suicide.

PBS Frontline. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-shadow-side-of-assisted-suicide/ Kamm, F.M. (n.d.). Physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, and intending death. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781317795322/chapters/10.4324%2F9781315811369-4 Assignment 2 I have seen how even the smallest, most petty issue can become a verbal battle. Proving who is right becomes more important than the actual issue at stake. This type of approach to communication serves no greater purpose and promotes strife and disharmony rather than peace.

While it is important to remain true to our principles, it is far preferable to keep an open mind and understand the underlying biases and assumptions we have about our beliefs. The world would be a better place if all people would take the time to listen to alternative points of view, and be willing to accept differences and disagreements. Treating arguments as a kind of war is counterproductive to.