Introduction
Meaning
Physician assisted suicide is a kind of euthanasia where the physicians provide the deeply suffering patients with the lethal drug dose to end their life on their will, where the patient is the one who administers the drug within himself and no the physician (Brock). The physician is thus an assistant in their ordeal of committing suicide due to excessive pain of terminal illness or the fear of future painful death due to their medical condition. Physician assisted suicide and euthanasia should be legalized and frameworks be made to assist the practice whereby patients are given autonomy over their body and can relish a dignified death rather than a painful one.
Importance
The topic is very important since there have been so many arguments for and against it given to the sensitivity of the topic and traditional moral beliefs on which it was condemned in the past but now several arguments have come forth finding counter arguments for the problems initially stated using the ethical frameworks and values.
Problems with Physician Assisted Suicide
Immoral Act
First and foremost, the act is considered immoral according to various traditionalist views since it involves killing an innocent person (Arras). It violates the moral principle as it takes away the life of an innocent person at the hands of another. This group strongly oppose the idea as it goes against their inherent moral beliefs and justifications. The roots of these perception lies within the religious jurisdiction as suicide is already considered wrong in most religions where the body’s sole domination lies within the God, and not the person himself (Arras).
Euthanasia and PAS are the deliberate killing of an innocent person and not depriving them off their treatment in the case of terminal illness, which is not considered sometimes wrong as it is practiced in United States where the patients chances of survival are less and to relieve them of the suffering, doctors sometimes withhold or withdraw treatments to save the patients from pointless financial and physiological burden (Battin). So even at times, allowing them to die is not considered that immoral than helping them to die as it involves the deliberate fastening of the process of death considered wrong and immoral in majority viewpoints. So even if it is physician assisted, which means that the lethal dose is not directly administered by the physician, it is immoral because it is assisting something sinful and wrong within the traditional and religious boundaries.
Act being done by Physician
Another opposition stems not from the ideology of euthanasia but with the person assisting the act which is physician. As physicians should be involved in saving their patients life and not in an act which takes away their life, the act of physician assisted suicide or physician committing the killing himself, is considered wrong (Arras). In Germany the doctors are condemned to cause or assist a patient’s suicide intent, however anyone outside is, by law, not withheld from committing the act (Battin). So a family member, a friend can assist a person in his suicide attempt to save them from the acute pain of their physical or physiological pain. Furthermore, there has been a private organization that serves the purpose with proper documentation and paperwork for the act (Battin). These opposing group has a problem with the performer of the act for the performance and not the act itself.
Slippery Slope
The third kind of opposing argument comes for the frameworks and problems that might occur as a consequence of legalizing euthanasia and the physician assisted suicide (Arras). These people don’t have the problem with it being immoral, they consider it morally right and understand the suffering and pain caused by the chronic illness to these patients where prolonging their lives is just pointless and adds to their suffering, however, they have a problem with legalizing it and the consequences like potential abuse of such framework (Arras). After legalization, how can the pain be justified of being eradicated due to death and the doctors misusing it for their own gains. This view is considered a ‘slippery slope’ (Arras) as these people consider that the legalization would bear negative consequences and risky ordeal. Also this slippery slope also dives into non-voluntary euthanasia where the patient is psychologically incompetent to make that choice for himself, causing social risks of the act (Brock). There are several negative and positive consequences identified by different authors of legalizing it, weighing the good and bad consequences to understand whether it is morally right to consider legalizing it.
Critiques and Arguments for the Physician Assisted Suicide
Philosophical Arguments
The philosophical arguments in favor of PAS and euthanasia consists of two different point of views. Firstly, the argument is based on autonomy whereby everyone has the right over their bodies and decisions related to their body which includes life, death etc. (Arras). This first argument rules out the major concern of immorality of the act as it is the patient’s choice and his capability of bearing the pain which is the major player here. So, the killing of the innocent is not against his will, he intends to be killed and the assisters are just fulfilling his request which is very humane.
Secondly, the philosophical argument goes around the idea that it is not a harsh act undertaken by the physician but instead it is an act of mercy for them (Arras) as they are relived from the current as well as future excruciating pain due to their illness. It is important to understand that the people with illness like cancer, AIDs which are not treatable, not only adds to the financial burden to the family, who could utilize this saving for better purposes but also extends the painful time period of the patient which he’s unable to endure and wants a relief, making it his duty to end his life (Hardwig).
Main Values that Support Euthanasia
The two main values for the sustainment of the patient’s life that support PAS and Euthanasia are self-determination and individual well-being (Brock). Self-determination revolves around giving people the right to live their life according to their own beliefs and values which they deem are necessary to lead a prosperous life which gives them the autonomy to decide for their treatment and sustainment of life in their own way where they can choose euthanasia if it contradicts their good living and surviving (Brock).
On the other hand, individual well-being revolves around people benefitting from survival and making choices to live in a way that benefits their well-being, so in euthanasia, they consider their life of no benefit to them making their very own survival a burden to them (Brock). Both these values support the instances of PAS and euthanasia and serves as a counter argument for religious views of rights over one’s own body.
Allowing to die V/S Killing
The problem with the physician in causing or assisting with the suicide is again baseless as these physicians are the first-hand dealers of the kind of pain their patients go through. Allowing the patients to die by withholding their treatment is worse than fastening their process of death as it lets the patient die in dignity and relives them from the future severe suffering as well as the financial and emotional constraint of the family. So morally justifying that the physicians didn’t kill but halted the treatment process due to the patient’s and patient’s family’s consent is ironic. This practice has been undertaken in United States where ‘terminal sedatives’ to cause the patient to be unconscious to relive their pain and withholding or withdrawing their treatment is considered legal but reliving them completely of their suffering is not legalized (Battin), again ironically inducing more suffering to the patient and the family than actually performing euthanasia. So physicians already involve in cases to allow them to die, which compromises on their individual well-being which is more painful then hastening the process which goes with both the values and is morally right as an act of mercy.
Legal Frameworks
Having concerns for the consequences and the process of something undertaken is justified but not undertaking it just because it has risks of abuse attached is very flawed within itself. The risks and negative consequences can be mitigated through proper legal adoption of the policy with detailed technicalities eradicating all the risk factors. Because this topic is of utmost concern and just because the legalization of PAS and euthanasia has risk attached, those patients can’t be left to deal with the pain and suffering on their own. The patients should be treated at all the levels of treatment to eradicate the pain and suffering of the individual till it not compromises their quality of life, like providing them with clinical treatments if it has a chance of making them healthier again (Arras) but if it is untreatable it is only rational to consider the patient’s request for its own survival and about his own life. Netherlands have also have proper frameworks of active voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide and there is no such abuse of negative consequences as euthanasia cases are very less in Netherlands, showing that it has an effective framework (Battin) as nobody has the duty to die if they can be saved (Ackerman), but if they voluntarily decide to end their suffering due to their terminal illness and the pain and suffering are inevitable their request to euthanasia should be concerned.
References
Ackerman, F. N. (n.d.). ‘For Now Have I My Death’: The ‘Duty To Die’ VS The Duty To Help The I’ll Stay Alive . Physician Assisted Death , pp. 493-501.
Arras, J. D. (n.d.). Physician Assisted Suicide: A Tragic View. Physician Assisted Death, pp. 455-461.
Battin, M. P. (n.d.). Euthanasia: The Way We Do It and The Way They Do It: End-Of-Life Practices In The Developed World. Physician Assisted Suicide, pp. 467-481.
Brock, D. W. (n.d.). Voluntary Active Euthanasia . Physician assisted Death.
Hardwig, J. (n.d.). Is There a Duty To Die? Physician Assisted Death, pp. 483-493.
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!
