Physician Assisted Suicide

Paper Summary:

The paper asserts that physician assisted suicide is a humane act that helps terminally ill patients bring an end to their pain and suffering by hastening their death, when all other efforts to do so have been exhausted. The paper contends that all arguments against physician assisted suicide do not carry sufficient weight to justify its continuing illegality. The paper is of the belief that changing values of human society and advances in medical science have greatly extended human life-spans, thus making it imperative that relatively benign forms of euthanasia such as patient assisted suicide may be allowed. The paper includes appended sources.

From the Paper:

"The debate about Euthanasia is an ancient one but it has acquired a new relevance in recent times as advances in medical science have greatly extended human life-spans and it is now possible to sustain life for indefinite periods through artificial means. A closely related issue is whether it is ethical for physicians to assist in their patients' suicide in order to relieve their pain and suffering. Seemingly weighty arguments have been advanced both for and against the issue, but the debate still remains unresolved. A closer scrutiny of the pro and con arguments, however, reveals that the case against physician-assisted suicide does not carry sufficient weight and it is, in fact, a humane act which should be allowed in all civilized societies."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Angell, Marcia. "The Supreme Court and Physician-Assisted Suicide -- The Ultimate Right." The New England Journal of Medicine. 336:1. January 2, 1997: 50-53
• Braddock, Clarence H. and Mark R. Tonelli. "Physician-Assisted Suicide." Ethics in Medicine: University of Washington School of Medicine. 2001. April 27, 2007. <http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/pas.html
• Foley, Kathleen M. "Competent care for the Dying Instead of Physician-Assisted Suicide." The New England Journal of Medicine. 336:1. January 2, 1997: 53-58
• Hillyard, Daniel, and John Dombrink. Dying Right: The Death with Dignity Movement. London: Routledge, 2001.
• Rogatz, Peter. "The Positive Virtues of Physician-Assisted Suicide: Physician-Assisted Suicide Is among the Most Hotly Debated Bioethical Issues of Our Time." The Humanist Nov.-Dec. 2001: 31+.

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