Abstract This paper looks at the medical, legal, and ethical aspects of the euthanasia debate. The writer offers a number of scenarios and analyzes the best possible outcome for the patient, offering alternatives to euthanasia, as well.
Contents
Introduction
Euthanasia and the Different types
Passive and Active Euthanasia
Voluntary and Involuntary Euthanasia
Euthanasia (the appropriate Solution)
Dependency Vs Autonomy
Euthanasia (Not a Right Solution)
Palliative Care
Euthanasia (Medical perspective)
Euthanasia a Legal perspective
The Danger in Legalizing
Conclusion
From the Paper "Euthanasia is a combination of two Greek words Eu (easy, painless or happy) and "thanatos" meaning death. So the essential meaning of the term Euthanasia is painfree and happy end to life. So Euthanasia is the term for the act of delivering the suffering patient from his troubles by putting him to death. In other words it is nothing but physician assisted suicide (PAS). [Michigan Technological University]. There are basically two different forms of Euthanasia namely Active or Passive Euthanasia and Voluntary or involuntary Euthanasia."
Tags: death, illness, hopital, palliative, terminal, doctor, family
A study of the development of international terrorism and counter terrorism, both in general and specifically, since the events of September 11th, 2001.
Abstract This paper focuses on the way counter terrorism and terrorism have changed since 9/11 and the growing role of the U.S. It also looks at the development of 'modern' terrorism and the possible consequences of the continuing War on Terror. It debates whetherr or not September 11th, 2001 can be seen as a day that changed the face of terrorism. It also discusses how since the invasion of Afghanistan, terrorist attacks have become more numerous and high profile although their basic purpose remains the same, to gain attention. It puts forward the view that what has changed about terrorism since 9/11 is the amount of media attention it now controls.
From the Paper "As well as presenting a recent point of reference for terrorist activity, the conflicts in Palestine and Northern Ireland also show two different ways of dealing with the problem, certain aspects of which have been adopted by the United States. In the case of Britain and Northern Ireland, the conflict is one of territory and security for those who want British rule. In Palestine and Israel however, the situation is based purely on territory. This difference in the foundation for the terrorist action seems to have dictated the way in which terrorism has been dealt with. Because of the presence of British citizens in Northern Ireland, and the small section of society that is involved in the unrest , it has been British policy in recent years to try and settle the situation through political sanctions and increased security measures to prevent terrorism."
Abstract This paper looks at the U.S.A Patriot Act, passed by Congress, which gives U.S. authorities and law agencies the powers to conduct surveillance, immigration checks, banking checks, etc., in order to locate and eliminate any suspected terrorist threat. In particular, it examines the controversy stating that the Act infringes on the rights of privacy of the individuals within the states.
From the Paper "There are various arguments against the Act. Many US citizens are concerned about the extent to which the FBI could encroach into their lives because past experiences have time and again proved that the FBI do not follow ethical measures when investigating the whereabouts of a suspect. The officials at the FBI are elated at the new set of rules that remove bureaucratic intervention in their work and which permits them lesser hassles to operate in the USA. Incidents in the recent past have shown that the FBI has harassed its victims merely based on suspicion, or have committed offences that can never be justified by a sane mind. If the FBI could commit such blunders in better times, it is anybody's guess as to how much they could intrude into the common citizen's life after the implementation of the act."
Abstract This paper argues that the lack of a clear law regarding euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide continues to result in confusion and more suffering. It goes on to argue that many debates regarding euthanasia fail to recognize a social component to the practice. Furthermore, because of tremendous societal costs, the paper argues that government at the national, state, and local levels should take a strong stand to keep euthanasia illegal.
From the Paper "The high-profile case of Terri Schiavo has once again focused attention on the issue of euthanasia. Schiavo, who has been in a vegetative state for the past 13 years, brings a face to the legal question of when can a third party decide the fate of patients who cannot decide for themselves. According to Schiavo's husband, Terri would not want to live in her present state. Schiavo's parents, however, disagree. The parents have managed to convince Florida governor Jeb Bush to issue a stay, preventing Terri's husband from having her feeding tube removed (Stern and Goddard)."
Abstract This paper provides a short examination of the ethical problems surrounding the controversial issue of human cloning. It explains that therapeutic human cloning is quite necessary to increase our knowledge of the human body, and it can aid in creating new medical breakthroughs in the future. The ethics of human cloning are certainly contentious, but ultimately, human cloning can only add to our understanding of ourselves and lead to longer lives in the future.
From the Paper "This is not to disregard the ethical implications of creating genetic human duplicates, of course, there are numerous ethical issues facing human cloning. The fundamental ethics of human birth and continuation are at stake here, and even those who condone human cloning recognize the need to keep cloning from becoming a way for parents to choose the sex or intelligence of their child the way they choose produce at the local supermarket. The ethics of cloning indicate that cloning should be used for research and medical purposes only, and should not extend to the cloning of human children for particular parents. One scientific expert states, "As we have noted, the decisive difference between therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning is the fact that the former never intends to lead to the birth of a cloned human being" (Bedford-Strohm)."
Abstract This paper argues that capital punishment cannot be equaled to murder or considered unjust. As an effective method of instilling the fear of committing crimes, capital punishment must be awarded against the worst and barbarous criminals acts. The paper presents the views that, in the interest of the greater well-being of society, it is permissible to award the death penalty in such situations.
From the Paper "Spiritualists argue that inflicting death can never be justified as a rightful act. Some crimes are so severe that it is essential in the interest of the society to enforce strict punishments not only to instill the fear of committing such horrific crimes but also as a retributive measure. As professor John McAdams says, "If we execute murderers and there is in fact no deterrent effect, we have killed a bunch of murderers. If we fail to execute murderers, and doing so would in fact have deterred other murders, we have allowed the killing of a bunch of innocent victims. I would much rather risk the former. This, to me, is not a tough call." [Justice For All]. Heinous crimes such as murders are not tolerable in a society and they need to be effectively dealt with. A discussion of capital punishment from the utilitarian as well as the deontological moral theories would help us understand the issue better."
Abstract This paper explains that the issues of ethical conduct, such as retribution, economics, and deterrence, surround the application of capital punishment. The author points out that the idea of retribution, based on the 'golden rule', with one act meriting an equal act of response, is widely used to support the death penalty. The paper states that factoring in the economic costs related to the death sentence can be ethically weighed with reference to Kant's universal law.
From the Paper "Capital punishment has been in use for many years in America, with exception of 1972 to 1976 when it was deemed unconstitutional as cruel and unusual punishment. Over the years capital punishment has been in effect, the fundamentals have not progressed; it is still operating on the original theory in which it was implemented. Based on the historical trends, the current process will not be anymore or less effective at prevention in the future. This is partly due to punishment being a reactionary event, the penalty of death may contribute to the consistency of deviant society, but one would reason that without progression of the process it will not contribute to the evolution of society. As the penalty of death is deemed the maximum punishment possible, the opportunity for advancement exists in preemptive events based on direct and indirect knowledge acquired from the offenders."
Abstract This paper stresses that the United States is the only Western democracy that still applies the death penalty and, therefore, still adopts Hammurabi's law, written in 1780 B.C. The author argues that the death penalty is so expensive because it is part of a complex legal structure, and the maintenance of these institutions and its legal impositions are very costly. The paper concludes that society needs to consider that criminals should be treated as mentally-ill individuals who need therapy and psychological reform; therefore, they must be given a chance to regret their actions.
From the Paper "Inherited from the English common law, which traces its origins back to the thirteenth century, Anglo-American jurisprudence has incorporated many of its punishment practices and judgement criteria. ?In England, until 1820, more than 200 crimes were punishable by death,? . The primary reason the public demands capital punishment is that people are stirred by the desire of vengeance. It is the first reaction to the moral outrage elicited particularly offensive conducts. It is the urge that there must be retribution for the life that has been taken and the suffering a criminal has inflicted to his or her victim. However, retribution is not the objective of criminal law, it is correction. Just as a felon commits an injustice taking a human life away on the streets, we also commit one by taking his or her life away in a death chamber. It makes no difference where and for what reasons, "injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere", as Martin Luther King wisely said."
Abstract This paper discusses the highly controversial issue of abortion, beginning with a look at the famous case that made abortion legal and the moral and legal questions that make the subject so controversial. The paper presents arguments on both sides of the debate and concludes with the author's own opinion and how she was influenced by the research done for this paper.
From the Paper "The expulsion of a fetus from the uterus before it can survive on its own. This is how Merriam-Webster?'s Collegiate ?? Dictionary defines abortion. From the beginning of its legality, abortion has been a hotly debated subject. In 1973 the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that a woman?'s right to privacy gives her the right, free from state interference, to terminate a pregnancy. In this ruling, Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun divided pregnancy into three stages. In the first stage, called a trimester, abortion was to be legal for any reason for the woman, whether the reason was medically or socially driven. In the second trimester, state?'s interest in the health of the mother gave it the right to regulate abortions. In the third trimester, at the time of viability, the state?'s interest in the potential for life would allow for them to only make legal abortions available for the life or health of the mother. This is where we derive the definition provided above for abortion."
Abstract This paper explains how stem cell research could be accomplished in at least two ways that should not raise the moral ire of politicians, religious groups, or the public in general. The writer states that the first is through the use of adult stem cells, avoiding the terrible risks of tissue rejection. The second potential direction for stem cell research involves extracting a few cells in the early stages of an embryo's development without destroying that embryo.
From the Paper "Revolution is in the air. While the digital revolution is transforming our view of the universe, the biotech revolution has the potential to alter the universe itself. The parallel with the invention of the printing press and the Renaissance is clear. (Blake, 2001). ?Gutenberg's and Caxton's inventions turned the world figuratively and intellectually upside down and heralded new patterns of human activity and organization that were inconceivable prior to the early 15th century.? (Blake, 2001, pg. 9). One of the great achievements of that era was the quick adaptation of this communications revolution to every aspect of human life. Today, "we are at the beginning of a new Renaissance".? (Blake, 2001, pg. 9). One of the more controversial elements of this new Renaissance is stem cell research. There is perhaps no field fraught with more possibility along with questions of morality and medical ethics. (Hickey, 2001)."
Abstract This paper explains the reasons why the U.S.A. Patriot Act is so controversial. The paper points out that the Act increases surveillance and investigative powers without instigating a system of checks and balances to safeguard civil liberties. Also discussed is the controversy surrounding the haste with which the Act was passed. Furthermore, this paper explains the implications that the lack of protection for civil liberties and the hasty response to 9/11 have for American citizens.
From the Paper "The September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States had severe and immediate consequences. One of the most far-reaching of these is probably the ease with which terrorists were able to plan and carry out the attacks. This brought the government's attention certain shortcomings in the security measures in place at the time. The USA PATRIOT Act is one of the controversial results of the government's panicky response to the 9/11 attacks. It might be seen as an unobjective and emotional response to a time of crisis. Indeed, the increasing negative responses to the Act appears to substantiate the notion that the Act was passed in haste, without the opportunity for sufficient debate and in-depth thought."
Abstract Since the possibility of human cloning was first introduced by the successful cloning of sheep in 1997, there have been arguments both for and against the entire idea. This paper explains that, while both sides of the debate have valid points, from the benefits to humanity to the fear of Nazi-like genetic elimination of "undesirables", the arguments fail to produce clear and concise reasons for either point of view. This paper presents both sides of the cloning debate and attempts to show that, although there are definite moral and ethical issues that need to be addressed, the process of cloning has the potential to be beneficial to all humanity.
From the Paper "In 1997, Scottish scientists at Roslin Institute successfully cloned the sheep "Dolly", and began the debate over the ethical and moral principles surrounding the technology of cloning (Human Genome Project, "Cloning Fact Sheet"). The basic definition of cloning, recognized by most scientists, is the duplication of biological material. In the case of "Dolly", the scientists used the nuclei of various types of sheep cells, and implanted them into an unfertilized egg. The eggs were then planted into a live sheep, and successfully delivered through natural birth. The result was an exact genetic copy of the sheep that produced the original nuclei (Beardsley, 1)."
This paper argues that the scales of justice need to be tipped in favor of capital punishment in order for civilized societies to be able to uphold the values of justice, human life, and the rights of the innocent.
Abstract This paper explains that capital punishment serves to protect innocent human life through acting as a deterrent to crime as evidenced by the decline in the number of murders as the number of executions increased between 1990 and 2000 in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. The author points out that, although many opponents of the death penalty argue that the death penalty is too expensive and that it costs more than simply giving convicts life; currently, the added expense of executing people is not the result of the justice system, but an effect of unnecessary delays in the federal courts. The paper concludes that capital punishment is necessary because, as long as there is crime and violence, citizens need to be assured that they can go about their daily lives free of worry and fear.
From the Paper "Paroled prisoners are not the only problem for there have been several cases of dangerous prisoners escaping from even high security prisons: "Michael Rodriguez, sentenced to life for murder joined six lesser criminals in overpowering prison employees in Connolly, Texas". Police say the "Malevolent Seven" robbed an Oshman's sporting goods store?then shot... police officer Aubrey Hawkins 11 times and drove over his corpse.? The preceding example is just one incident among many. In another case, even a 5,000 volt electric fence did not succeed in keeping in three murderers, all lifers, from escaping a high-security prison in St. Clair Springs, Ala. ?Along with three fellow inmates, they lifted the fence with a broom handle and slithered to freedom.? This example and the earlier cited cases of Arthur Shawcross and Michael Rodriguez should surely suffice in illustrating the danger of merely relying on imprisonment as a method of protecting society from known criminals. More important, it once again raises the question of whether society should concern itself more with the rights of innocent citizens or the rights, if arguably any, of criminals. Surely, society's first concern should be with the prevention of injustice by ensuring the safety and security of its citizens. In fact, this is the fundamental duty of government."
Abstract This paper discusses positive aspects of physician-assisted suicide, as well as negative views on the topic. The researcher supports both sides with various peer-reviewed journal articles. In the conclusion, the opinion of the researcher is discussed in a favor of legalizing physician-assisted suicide with restraint.
From the Paper "In 1997 the United States Supreme Court made a ruling that indicated that there was no constitutional right for an individual to have physician-assisted suicide (Snyder & Sulmasy, 2001). The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, however, did make a ruling that individuals have the right to choose when and how they wish to die (Snyder & Sulmasy, 2001). Because of this, competent and terminally ill individuals who wished for a lethal dose of prescription medication found that they had a right to this because it was unconstitutional to ban them for choosing this particular type of life-ending measure."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the arguments opposed to and in favor of nuclear proliferation, noting the politics and philosophies behind both sides. After summarizing the arguments, the paper then concludes that, ironically, the very factors and sentiments that encourage nuclear proliferation are the same as those that discourage its proliferation.
From the Paper "Ever since the first atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world has been polarized into two different groups: one that supports nuclear proliferation, and another that vehemently campaigns against the piling up of nuclear material in the world. Both groups have their own arguments to justify their stand. While those who oppose nuclear weapons argue that nuclear proliferation endangers the very existence of the world and international peace, the supporters of nuclear weapons argue that nuclear weapons are required as a deterrent force. The American policy of minimum deterrence echoes this sentiment. However, considering the fact that the world reached dangerously close to an all out nuclear war way back in the eighties during the cold war years, points to the fact that the policy of minimum deterrence can, in the hands of hot-headed heads of states, become a very dangerous tool for political manipulation."
Tags: fear, all-out, war, us, ussr, peak, tensions, cold, war, deterrent, policy, strategy, national, security
