Physician Assisted Suicide: A Compassionate Mean to End Suffering

Although physician assisted suicide may result in the fulfillment of another’s choice, be considered a compassionate mean to end suffering, or even be considered a right, I believe it is not morally acceptable. In the act of physician assisted suicide, a patient voluntarily requests his or her doctor to assist in providing the means needed for self killing. In most cases of physician assisted suicide, patients who request this type of assistance are terminally ill and mentally competent (i.e. have sufficient understanding of an individual’s own situation and purpose and consequences of any action). Those who have committed the action of physician assisted suicide or condone the act may believe that one has the right to end their own life, the right of autonomy (the right or condition of self governing), the right to a dignified death, believe that others have a duty to minimize suffering, or believe it (physician assisted suicide) to be a compassionate act, or a combination of these things. However, since this act violates the intrinsic value of human life, it is not morally acceptable.

Associate Director of Pro-Life Activities at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Richard Doerflinger takes into account different arguments concerning physician assisted suicide in his article “Assisted Suicide: Pro Choice or Anti-Life?”. Doerflinger states that there is an argument in favor of assisted suicide that acceptance of it entails a respect for another’s autonomy, and this same argument does not lack respect “for the inherent worth of human life.” Furthermore, other advocates of assisted suicide have ties with the notion of a certain quality of life. Doerflinger mentions attorney Robert Risley, who believes that “a life...

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...idered before resorting to the immoral act of physician assisted suicide. Although people may resort to physician assisted suicide out of a seemingly compassionate attempt to end another person’s suffering, or to respect another person’s autonomy or wishes, it is contradictory once violating human life. Those who resort to physician assisted suicide should instead turn to others in assisting himself or herself to have a supportive, positive, comforting, loving, and peaceful experience as possible when at the end of life.

Works Cited

Doerflinger, Richard. “Assisted Suicide. Pro-Choice or Anti-Life?” 28 March 2012. The Hastings Center Report. Vol. 19, No. 1, 16-19.

Skoble, Aeon. "Learn Liberty | Positive Rights vs. Negative Rights." Learn Liberty. N.p., 29 June 2011. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .