Assisted Suicide, Morally Wrong or Your Right - 2852 Words

Assisted Suicide, Morally Wrong or Your Right? Is assisted suicide your right as a human; is it moral or ethical? First we must look at what is assisted suicide. Assisted suicide is a common term that most people know of, suicide that is facilitated by another person. (Dictionary.com) However, there are three terms that are sometimes used interchangeable when discussing assisted suicide; physician assisted suicide, assisted suicide and euthanasia. Physician assisted suicide is when a physician intentionally gives the patient the method of suicide, such as pills. Assisted suicide involves a layperson or a non-physician who is equipping the patient with the means to kill themselves. Euthanasia is when the person is directly killed by†¦show more content†¦How will a course of treatment affect the quality of happiness or misery in each person’s life? Traditional utilitarian justifications against killing do not seem to apply to voluntary euthanasia. Peter Singer stated that â€Å"The classical utilitarian objection does not apply to killing that takes place only with the genuine consent of the person killed. That people are killed under these conditions would have no tendency to spread fear or insecurity, since we have no cause to be fearful of being killed with our own genuine consent. If we do not wish to be killed, we simply do not consent. In fact, the argument from fear points in favor of voluntary euthanasia, for if voluntary euthanasia is not permitted we may, with good cause, be fearful that our deaths will be unnecessarily drawn out and distressing. In the Netherlands, a nationwide study commissioned by the government found that Many patients want an assurance that their doctor will assist them to die should suffering become unbearable. Often, having received this assurance, no persistent request for euthanasia eventuated. The availability of euthanasia brought comfort without euthanasia having to be provided.† (Taking Life: Humans) To truly evaluate assisted suicide form a utilitarian perspective, we must consider the argument that, what if suddenly there becomes a cure for the patient’s disease? Just because this is a possible outcome, does not negate the viability of euthanasia. John Stuart Mill stated thatShow MoreRelatedThe Legal And Ethical Issues Involving Physician Assisted Suicide1134 Words   |  5 Pageswith Dignity Act a constitutional right for a competent, terminally ill patient. Under what conditions is physician assisted suicide morally acceptable, is the question at hand and did these states make the right decision on such a slippery slope debate. This paper will go on to explain one side of this very touchy debate, it will also consider objections from the other side, and ultimately defend the position physician assisted suicide is wrong not only morally but also, ethically. My argumentRead MoreThe Thoughts Of Assisted Suicide1582 Words   |  7 PagesThe thoughts of assisted suicide are very mixed. Some people believe that it is a great way to put terminally-ill patients out of the their pain and suffering. They see it as a way for a person to die with dignity after suffering from a painful disease. Others think it is beyond morally wrong for a doctor to intentionally end a patient’s life. They feel that a doctor should not have unnecessary deaths riding, on their shoulders the rest of their career. Assisted suicide goes way beyond the beliefsRead MoreExplanation Of Physician Assisted Suicide1262 Words   |  6 PagesPhysician assisted suicide has been legal in Oregon since November 1997. Over 750 people have taken advantage of this law since it was passed. Many people think there is something wrong with such this and it should be outlawed. I will argue that there is no moral basis for the outlaw of such a practice. Explanation of physician assisted suicide Physician assisted suicide occurs when an ill patient consults a doctor and decides that they would like to end their life. Typically, the patient is prescribedRead More Dr. Harold Glucksberg vs. The State of Washington Essays980 Words   |  4 Pagesrational reason to commit suicide. In the 1994 case of Glucksberg v. Washington (Otherwise acknowledged as Compassion In Dying v. The State Of Washington), Harold Glucksberg, alongside the right-to-die organization Compassion In Dying, filed a suit in opposition to the state of Washington for three fatally ill patients he treated. Dr. Glucksberg and Compassion in Dying set their case saying that the ban against doctor-assisted suicide was violating the right patients right of due process and placedRead MoreThe Debate Over Physician Assisted Suicide951 Words   |  4 Pagestoday’s society, suicide, and more controversially, physician assisted suicide, is a hotly debated topic amongst both every day citizens and members of the medical community. The controversial nature of the subject opens up the conversation to scrutinizing the ethics involved. Who can draw the line between morality and immorality on such a delicate subject, between lessening the suffering of a loved one and murder? Is there a moral dissimilarity between letting someone die under your care and killingRead MoreAssisted Suicide Essay1507 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Assisted Suicide (Euthanasia) There probably isn’t one person that can say that they haven’t watched somebody they love in some way suffer from and ultimately die from some sort of unfortunate disease. Assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in the United States. Physician assisted suicide is defined as suicide committed by a terminally ill person with help from another person. This subject causes many controversies of ethical and moral issues. Some of these issues are that it violatesRead MoreThe Rights Of Physician Assisted Suicide1347 Words   |  6 PagesThe Right to Die By: Antony Makhlouf Antony Makhlouf PHR 102-006 Contemporary Moral Issues Final Paper The Right to Die Physician-assisted suicide, also known as euthanasia, has been a hot topic as of late. If you do not know what this is, physician-assisted suicide is the taking of ones life. This usually occurs when a patient is in a irreversible state, and must live through a tube. With multiple cases occurring in the past, current and the more to occur the in the future, this looksRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide : The Canadian Euthanasia Debate1689 Words   |  7 Pages Physician Assisted Suicide: The Canadian Euthanasia Debate Imagine laying in bed; your eyes are open and you cannot move. Your brain is working but cannot tell your body how to function. We as a society have a right and a moral obligation to legalize physician-assisted suicide. The legalizing euthanasia grants terminally ill patients; the right to die without withdrawing from life support. Also giving the right for patients to die on their own terms. Euthanasia is a publically supposed issue thatRead MoreAssisted Suicide Should Be Legal2030 Words   |  9 Pagesarguing is whether or not assisted suicide should be legalized. In order for people to truly argue and decide whether assisted suicide should be legal they must know the definition. Many people mix up the definition of assisted suicide with euthanasia. There are both arguments for assisted suicide and against it. When arguing for and against assisted suicide the big argument seems to be whether it is morally right or morally wrong. The question of whether assisted suicide should be l egal questionRead MoreDying with Dignity960 Words   |  4 Pageshumane and helpful, other people argue that euthanasia is morally wrong, and inhumane. Euthanasia should be legalize in the United States because it gives an alternative for people who suffer every day due to a terminal illness, but it should be the last resort a patient should take. People who are against euthanasia claim that it is unethical and morally wrong to take someone’s life away. According to the article â€Å"Active Euthanasia Is Never Morally Justified,† euthanasia is a nice word that replaces