Assisted Suicide and Moral Principles

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the basic moral principles that require one to respect the choice of a patient in end-of-life issues and that physician assisted suicide should be a legal option for terminally ill patients. The paper highlights that the principal objection to physician-assisted suicide stems from traditional religious and moral values that consider human life sacrosanct. The paper notes further that the distinction between passive euthanasia and active euthanasia is largely arbitrary. The paper concludes that religious beliefs regarding the sanctity of human life are still reflected in secular laws prohibiting physician-assisted suicide, but no terminally ill patient should be prevented from choosing euthanasia, particularly where the purpose is to avoid prolonged suffering, a painful death, or profound disability.

Outline:
Introduction
Argument
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"However, today, the increased life expectancy resulting from advances in medical science have raised the issue because so many patients now survive well beyond what they perceive to be the end of a life worth living. In many cases, patients suffering from debilitating and painful diseases face the prospect of continual pain and death by slow suffocation or gradual paralysis because legislators have prohibited physician-assisted suicide for any reason. Similarly, this prohibition often applies even to the removal of artificial life support systems of permanently comatose patients whose express wish was to avoid artificial life support."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Drickamer, M. A., M. A. Lee, Ganzini, L. (1997) Practical Issues in Physician- Assisted Suicide; Annals of Internal Medicine Online. Retrieved May 23, 2008 from the Annals of Internal Medicine website, at: http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/126/2/146
• Hager, M., Falkowski, L., et al (2008) Report of the Task Force on Assisted Suicide to the 122nd convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. Retrieved May 23, 2008 from the Diocese of Newark website, at: http://www.dioceseofnewark.org/report.html
• Public Agenda (2008) Right to Die: Overview. Retrieved May 23, 2008 from the Public Agenda website, at: http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/overview.cfm?issue_type=right2die
• PBS (1999) Frontline - The Kevorkian Verdict: Chronology of Dr. Jack Kevorkian's Life and Assisted Suicide Campaign. Retrieved May 23, 2008 from the PBS/Frontline website, at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kevorkian/chronology.html
• Vollmar, V. J. (2007) Recent Developments in Physician-Assisted Death. Retrieved May 23, 2008 from the Williamette College of Law website, at: http://www.willamette.edu/wucl/pdf/pas/2007-05.pdf

More papers on Assisted Suicide and Moral Principles:

• Persuasive Essay # 83660 : "Active and Passive Euthanasia"
• Persuasive Essay # 149289 : "Physician-Assisted Suicide and Ethical Issues"
• Argumentative Essay # 46064 : "Assisted Suicide and Terminally Ill Patients"

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