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Physician Assisted Suicide Is Ethical Essay

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“The question of whether or not euthanasia is ethical revolves around the meaning of human existence. Those who favor euthanasia argue that human life only has meaning when the individual is free from unendurable physical and mental suffering” (“Preface to ‘Is Euthanasia Ethical?’” 1). Physician-assisted suicide is a practice that was first introduced by Dr.Jack Kevorkian in June of 1990 (“Chronology of Dr.Jack Kevorkian’s Life”, 1), in which a patient is either injected with life-ending drugs or given a carbon monoxide mask to place over their mouth and nose in order to end his or her life (Jackson 3).While this practice may sound harsh and unethical, it is the exact opposite; assisted suicide grants terminally-ill patients the option to end their suffering early and to avoid the loss of meaning to their life (“Preface to ‘Is Euthanasia Ethical?’”, 1). When a person is faced with the possibility of suffering through a dehumanizing and humiliating death, they should always be given the option of legally undergoing physician-assisted suicide; this option benefits both the patient and their family by allowing the patient a chance to end their life in a euphoric state, eliminating the costs of long term care, and to allow a morally acceptable …show more content…

The oath clearly states, “I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan” (Pickert 1). The Hippocratic Oath is an oath taken by doctors of the moral rules and guidelines to being a physician; and although most modern doctors no longer take the same oath that was performed in the fourth century , it is still held in high regard for how a doctor should act morally (Tyson 1). In the doctoral community, the need for the oath is questioned due to its’ age and relevance to medicine

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Ethically, how does one support the legalization of euthanasia? The idea of committing suicide, assisted or not, has been debated by both governments and religious spearheads since the 1900s, with the focus on whether assisted suicide or euthanasia should be considered a crime in the eyes of God and the state. The article "Assisted Suicide - Between the Right to Life, the Obligation to Live and Social Acceptance" poses the question: "If there is a right to live, is there also a right to die?" This showcases the idea of ethics behind suicide. Humanity, as a whole, values life as one of the most sacred principles of existence.

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Should assisted suicides be allowed for terminally ill patients? In my perspective, I believe they should be allowed for a few different reasons. Many people worry that legalizing doctor assisted suicide is irrational and violates the life-saving tradition of medicine. However, physician-assisted suicide should be legalized because it offers terminally ill people an opportunity for a peaceful death by recognizing the inadequacies of current medical practice in their treatment. First off, how do you think a patient would feel if they have been in a hospital bed for many months suffering a battle they know they can’t defeat?

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In the United States 5 out of the 50 states have legalized physician assisted suicide (CNN). Legalizing PAS will be beneficial to the terminally ill and their families. It will also give the terminally ill a chance to die on their own. Religion and moral standards have stopped the legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide, but legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide would help the suffering end for the terminally ill, they would be able to make the choice on when and how their life ends, and PAS lowers healthcare costs for the patient.

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Psychologists need to be careful when diagnosing depression because symptoms such as loss of appetite, sleep disturbance and cognitive issues can be symptoms of their illness and not depression. Psychologists need to get to know the person and the illness they are suffering from to make an accurate diagnosis. If the client passes the evaluation they are one step closer to their goal of assisted suicide. Terminally ill patients are more likely to be subjected to depression due to pain and sadness around them.

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Physician assisted suicide and/or Euthanasia is very controversial involving the topic of ethics. In ethics, when determining what is deemed substantially right or wrong, there is tremendous difficulty in finding a true black or white. To better explain, “physician assisted suicide is defined as the deliberate termination of a patient’s life by administering a lethal drug through a direct or indirect help from a physician” (Youngman, 2013). Throughout the text, what will be examined is assisted suicide influenced by the German philosopher, Immanuel Kant. Since almost every ethical issue arises when a matter concerning two remarkably different possibilities conflict with one another, the theory of Immanuel Kant may be able to find a definitive solution to this concerning ethical issue pertaining to euthanasia and/or physician assisted suicide.

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Physician assisted suicide has been an intensely debated problem for years but if used properly, could be an effective way to help those who are suffering at the end of their life. Countless people have been advocating for physician assisted suicide for years and the most famous advocate for assisted suicide was Dr. Jack Kevorkian. He was a pathologist but received the nickname Dr. Death after it was estimated that between 1990 and 1999 he assisted 130 terminally ill individuals in their assisted suicides (“Jack Kevorkian”). Dr. Kevorkian is considered a crusader for physician

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A very controversial topic lately is that of euthanasia. Physician assisted suicide is a very debatable ethical issue because people have different morals. I argue that in some cases it is ethical and others it is not. I believe that if someone is going to die, that there is absolutely no cure available that if they want to die via physician assisted suicide that is their choice. One of the main reasons that people chose to die via PAS is because they are in pain and don’t want their families to see them miserable.

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