Physician Assisted Suicide Argumentative Essay

Physician assisted suicide or euthanasia should be a right granted to all citizens who are suffering from a degenerative, painful, or fatal condition that would cause them to be unable to enjoy their lives as healthy people do. Although there are certainly several debates against this viewpoint on assisted suicide, it is not up to ethicists to make decisions that infringe upon the rights of the ill and infirm. As it stands, there is a solid argument in favor of human euthanasia or physician assisted suicide. Patients have a right to make their own decisions to preserve free choice and human dignity. This right includes the right to choose assisted suicide. Having access to physician-assisted suicide allows the patient to maintain control over his or her situation and to end life in an ethical and merciful manner.

There are multiple definitions within both the medical and legal communities about assisted suicide but in general, the most contentious debate is when a suicide is assisted by a physician as opposed to a private citizen or family member. Even though the benefits of assisted suicide for the terminal individual are incredibly significant, the debate is not free from questions about the responsibilities of the medical community as well as those offered up by ethicists and more importantly, religious

There have been thousands of argumentative essays on both sides and those who approve of physician-assisted suicide are more likely to support their ideas with comments about individual freedom and dying with dignity as a release from great pain while those on the other side use more ethereal and spiritual arguments. In general, it seems more reasonable to base our decisions about this practice on more empirical matters such as the right of the individual in deciding not to suffer rather more philosophical questions about religious doctrine and