preview

Euthanasia: An Ethical Dilema Essay

Good Essays

Introduction:
Medical advances over the past hundred years have extend the life expectancy astronomically. Medicine provides hope that in the event of an “accident” we can be sure everything will be done to preserve our life, and that the healthcare community will exhaust all possibilities and resources in trying to accomplish this goal. Healthcare also give the reassurance of palliative care to ensure the remaining time on Earth is a painless as possible. However, there are those moments when medicine cannot achieve the goals it sets out to. There are times when the pain is still too much handle. It is during these times in which an individual should be able to decide if they wish to continue on. Physician assisted suicide, while …show more content…

It is important to note at the same time the physician must “do good” by ensuring euthanasia is the patient’s decision and the patient’s decision alone. Another aspect of this theory that can be applied to euthanasia is the respect for the person’s ability to act in his or her own best interests. It seems a lot like murder when you think of administering a lethal drug; however, the patient has a right to make decisions about their health and how their end of life is carried out. Patients put their trust and faith in medicine and the health care providers that prace medicine. They trust that the physicians have their best interest in mind and have the knowledge to treat them. These aspects also play another role in the principalism theory—in that physicians have the ethical responsibility to be faithful and truthful to their patients at all time. Physicians should have the opportunity to explain to their patients that there is an option to end their pain and suffering should they wish. While the medical field provides hope to cure diseases and preserve the quality of life when neither of these two can be accomplished the medical filed should also offer the patient an end to anguish.
Applying theory, Pros/ Cons: The decision to legalize euthanasia comes with a lot of grey area and is often referred to as a slippery slope. There are many positives to legalizing euthanasia such as a patients right to die. “ The right of a competent,

Get Access