Assisted Suicide

1341 Words3 Pages

Recommended: Ethical theories in euthanasia

1. The slippery slope argument for assisted suicide is a straightforward one to see and prove. In essence, it says that if assisted suicide is allowed without any principled lines or divisions, then we must allow for assisted suicide is clearly bad cases like that of “a sixteen-year-old suffering from a severe case of unrequited love.” First we must acknowledge the assumption that the Supreme Court has made, which is, there are no principled lines they can draw between the different cases of assisted suicide. One can assume that this assumption is made just because the Supreme Court can’t come up with any principled lines in a way that allows them to legalize assisted suicide. Once we know the underlying assumption the Court has made, we can prove the validity of this slippery slope argument using modus tollens. Modus tollens says that if X then Y, and if not Y then not X. And by modus tollens we will prove that it is impermissible to allow for assisted suicide.

In our case X is allowing assisted suicide to patients without having principled lines between good and bad case reasoning, and Y is allowing assisted suicide in clearly bad case. For the first case (if X then Y), it is easy to see how it holds, as not having principled lines between good and bad cases allows for assisted suicide in bad cases, as X allows it. For the second case (if not Y then not X), we can see that if we don’t allow assisted suicide for the clearly bad case, we must not allow it for whatever reason (good or bad) as there are no principled lines that allow it in one case and not in the other. Therefore, we must not allow assisted suicide without having principled lines between good and bad case reasoning.

2. The Philosopher’s response to the above...

... middle of paper ...

...icide to the terminally ill. This argument gives us the conclusion that assisted suicide the principled line of being terminally ill shouldn’t be allowed as well, because of its moral implications (choosing it because it is cheaper). This is morally problematic as it is implying that a person has a baser value: a use value of a monetary value, and this is morally problematic, as we can’t put a lower value of life, as it then debases life. And a debasement of life is intuitionally wrong.

Works Cited

James, Susan Dolandson. Death Drugs Cause Uproar in Oregon. 6 August 2008. 2 May 2011 .

Debate: Assisted suicide. 2011 4-April. 2011 28-April .

The Ethical Dilemma of Assisted Suicide
2261 Words | 5 Pages
Assisted suicide is becoming increasingly more common. Arguing the topic is extremely hard because it means the the life or death of a human being. Today, assisted suicide is legal in multiple countries, but only a few states in the US support this. Therefore, creates a struggle for any person wanting to go through this process. Being this is a broad topic, most people are torn between one side, I personally believe there should be a compromise in between the middle. For instance, not just someone going through a troublesome time in their life should have the ability to up and kill himself. That in my perspective is taking an easy way out for something that is worth a tremendous amount. However, the few people with a deadly illness or cancer that can no longer fight the pain or perhaps unresponsive should be given that option. Just because we have the ability to be euthanized does
Read More
Assisted Suicide: Blurring the Moral Lines Between Right and Wrong
739 Words | 2 Pages
In the end, morals are the only argument surrounding the subject of assisted suicide. There is no real way of determining what is right and what is wrong. It all comes down to your own morals and beliefs regarding human life. Each of us is given our own life and throughout it, we all make our own decisions regarding our wellbeing. We can choose to smoke cigarettes, consume alcohol, speed in cars, and put our lives in danger every day. This is our right as human beings. We chose to live our lives the way we want to live them, why should we not be able to choose how we die?
Read More
Euthanasia Essay: Assisted Suicide
925 Words | 2 Pages
I have brought forward considerations that counter Callahan's reasoning against three types of arguments that support euthanasia: the right to self-determination, the insignificant difference between killing and letting a person die by removing their life-support, and euthanasia's good consequences outweighing the harmful consequences are all positive, relevant and valid factors in the moral evaluation of euthanasia. Callahan's objections against these reasons do not hold.
Read More
Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide
1128 Words | 3 Pages
In current society, legalizing physician assisted suicide is a prevalent argument. In 1997, the Supreme Court recognized no federal constitutional right to physician assisted suicide (Harned 1) , which defines suicide as one receiving help from a physician by means of a lethal dosage (Pearson 1), leaving it up to state legislatures to legalize such practice if desired. Only Oregon and Washington have since legalized physician assisted suicide. People seeking assisted suicide often experience slanted judgments and are generally not mentally healthy. Legalization of this practice would enable people to fall victim to coercion by friends and family to commit suicide. Also, asking for death is unfair to a doctor’s personal dogma. Some argue that society should honor the freedom of one’s choice to take his own life with the assistance of a physician; however, given the reasoning provided, it is in society’s best interest that physician assisted suicide remain illegal. Physician assisted suicide should not be legalized because suicidal people experience distorted judgments resulting in not being mentally equipped to make such a decision, people who feel they are a burden to their family may choose death as a result, and physicians should not have to go against their personal doctrines and promises.
Read More
Patient Assisted Suicide
1881 Words | 4 Pages
One of the greatest dangers facing chronic and terminally ill patients is the grey area regarding PAS. In the Netherlands, there are strict criteria for the practice of PAS. Despite such stringencies, the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (1992) found 28% of the PAS cases in the Netherlands did not meet the criteria. The evidence suggests some of the patient’s lives may have ended prematurely or involuntarily. This problem can be addressed via advance directives. These directives would be written by competent individuals explaining their decision to be aided in dying when they are no longer capable of making medical decisions. These interpretations are largely defined by ones morals, understanding of ethics, individual attitudes, religious and cultural values.
Read More
Assisted Suicide, A Better Way to Go
581 Words | 2 Pages
may not want to live the rest of their short life with all the pain and
Read More
Downfalls of Assisted Suicide
680 Words | 2 Pages
In essence, Death with Dignity is a misnomer. To imply that suicide is a dignified death is sickening and should be discouraged in society. The main argument supporters use to justify the act of assisted suicide is that the patients are in an unbearable amount of pain- so much pain that their life isn’t worth living. To counter that, every life is worth living. Many people who utilize Death with Dignity fear the possible loss of function of their limbs, or becoming incontinent, or being in pain until the last second of their life. Because of this, a common misconception has been used as further justification for assisted suicide. This misconception is there is a certain amount of grace in choosing when to die; however, there is more grace in accepting what is to come. Though supporters assert that Death with Dignity is not suicide, it is. Suicide is to kill oneself intentionally, which is precisely the action that Oregon physicians encourage. In conjunction, physicians who write prescriptions for the lethal medicine are killers because they provide the means of death. With all suicides, there is an infinite amount of possibilities th...
Read More
Human Beings Have a Right to Die
3634 Words | 8 Pages
Do people have the right to die? Is there, in fact, a right to die? Assisted suicide is a controversial topic in the public eye today. Individuals choose their side of the controversy based on a number of variables ranging from their religious views and moral standings to political factors. Several aspects of this issue have been examined in books, TV shows, movies, magazine articles, and other means of bringing the subject to the attention of the public. However, perhaps the best way to look at this issue in the hopes of understanding the motives behind those involved is from the perspective of those concerned: the terminally ill and the disabled.
Read More
Right to Die: An Examination of Euthanasia
2090 Words | 5 Pages
The person has waived their right to life by consenting to suicide, there is no fear that would be caused if only those who are terminally ill and consent are killed, and the grief is inevitable anyways as death is imminent. They go on further to make an analogy with starving children [1]. This analogy does not hold, as the reason that assisted suicide is pursued is to relieve suffering, and is unrelated to the “value” that human life has. Finally, they argue that allowing assisted suicide will cause people to be pressured into committing suicide [1].
Read More
Assisted Suicide
583 Words | 2 Pages
People are probaly confused at the fact that society approving people to be euthanized. Obviously, if it was stated in a letter to the editor in the Detroit Free Press entitled, “Death, Dignity.” The writer is simply saying it’s okay to end lives. It also states that John Engler, our state government, is supporting two important projects that assist in these suicides. Engler is trying to establish Michigan to be a national leader in death with dignity (Death, Dignity). That doesn’t sound like dying with dignity to me. I think assisted suicide is wrong and we should take an account that killing yourself isn’t dignified.
Read More
The Right to Physician Assisted Suicide
1874 Words | 4 Pages
The right to assisted suicide is a significant topic that concerns people all over the United States. The debates go back and forth about whether a dying patient has the right to die with the assistance of a physician. Some are against it because of religious and moral reasons. Others are for it because of their compassion and respect for the dying. Physicians are also divided on the issue. They differ where they place the line that separates relief from dying--and killing. For many the main concern with assisted suicide lies with the competence of the terminally ill. Many terminally ill patients who are in the final stages of their lives have requested doctors to aid them in exercising active euthanasia. It is sad to realize that these people are in great agony and that to them the only hope of bringing that agony to a halt is through assisted suicide.When people see the word euthanasia, they see the meaning of the word in two different lights. Euthanasia for some carries a negative connotation; it is the same as murder. For others, however, euthanasia is the act of putting someone to death painlessly, or allowing a person suffering from an incurable and painful disease or condition to die by withholding extreme medical measures. But after studying both sides of the issue, a compassionate individual must conclude that competent terminal patients should be given the right to assisted suicide in order to end their suffering, reduce the damaging financial effects of hospital care on their families, and preserve the individual right of people to determine their own fate.
Read More
Argumentative Essay On Assisted Suicide
1062 Words | 3 Pages
The authors of “Assisted Suicide: A Right or a Wrong?" say that allowing people to assist in killing and destroying lives, along with devaluing human life, in a society that swears to protect and preserve all life, violates the fundamental moral society has to respect all human life. Once we devalue life, and say a certain quality of life isn’t worth living for a person, where will it stop? If assisted suicide is allowed for the terminally ill, society will start to accept and even presume that those with terminally ill conditions should end their life. The start of this divide assisted suicide can create is exemplified by Ben Mattlin. Mattlin has an incurable disease called spinal muscular atrophy. He was not expected to live into adulthood, yet has survived and now has two children of his own. “I could easily convince anyone that suicide is a rational option for me...and that scares me. Why shouldn’t I have the same barriers protecting me from moments of suicidal fantasies as everyone else has?” (Mattlin). This stresses the danger, as a society, that is posed to those with terminal conditions who want to live. Assisted suicide though seems to almost encourage ill people to end their lives. This is emphasized in the article “Assisted Suicide: A Right or a Wrong?", explaining that if assisted suicide is legalized on the basis of compassion and mercy that society could start assisting “and
Read More
The Slippery Slope of Euthanasia
1061 Words | 3 Pages
Legalization of euthanasia would also place us on a ‘slippery slope’. The ‘slippery slope’ argument, proposed by Walker [2], stated that if euthanasia is legalized, more immoral actions would be permitted and those actions might not be able to keep under control. One example is that involuntary euthanasia would start to happen after the euthanasia has been legalized. The Netherlands has legalized the euthanasia twelve years ago. This law at first...
Read More
Medical Ethics
776 Words | 2 Pages
If physician-assisted suicide is legally permitted yet restricted to the terminally ill adult with full decision-making capacity, it will certainly raise legal concerns about discrimination. PAS will probably broaden to include incompetent, non-consenting, and non–terminally ill persons. The final extreme of the slippery slope argument is that PAS will be abused, run amok and ultimately become involuntary euthanasia. Physician-assisted suicide refers to the physician acting indirectly in the death of the patient -- providing the means for death.
Read More
Assisted Suicide Should Not be Legalized
1627 Words | 4 Pages
One of the main reasons assisted suicide should not be considered for legalization is the fact that it reduces the value of a human life. If this act becomes legal, many people who are sick are going to begin believing that because they are ill, their life is not worth living anymore. This alone i...
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

Assisted Suicide

The Ethical Dilemma of Assisted Suicide