Assisted suicide has been a controversial topic that has been debated over for centuries. The earliest examples of this can be dated as far back as to Ancient Greece. However, most countries, or states are against such actions as they deem them to be either immoral or just harmful to society in general. A similar case to this that dates back centuries is seen in the Greek tragedy playwright, Sophocles’ Philoctetes. In it, an ill-fated man by the name of Heracles is mentioned to be suffering tremendously and wishes to die by the hands of another to ease his pain and end his life without any more suffering. However, no one wishes to do so except for a man named Philoctetes. This gave relief from further pain to Heracles, which is the point of assisted suicide in the first place. …show more content…
The stance of the act is dependent upon the Death with Dignity Act which was formulated by the state of Oregon, which was also the first state to allow physician assisted suicide. Oregon, along with 4 other states all allow assisted suicide on the terms that they go through a series of confirmation acts that solidify their initial desire to expire. This includes numerous sessions with a therapist, a meeting with a religious figure (if any) and multiple instances in which the patient that is suffering agrees to the carrying out of the assisted suicide. If all these precautionary measures are taken, then I see no reason why assisted suicide should be illegal as it leaves it up to the right mind of the one who is suffering to decide their own fate, not on the hands of their family or their physicians who believe