The Hemlock Society Informative Essay

The Hemlock trees in north Georgia and up and down the east coast are in danger of being totally wiped out due to a rapidly spreading infestation of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. This is a small invasive aphid-like insect from Asia with no local natural predator.

The history of euthanasia can be traced back to the classical antiquity times when many Greek and Roman philosophers considered suicide a “good death” and an appropriate response to a variety of circumstances (Dowbiggin 7). During that period, people would kill themselves through various means such as fasting, drinking poison, and hanging themselves. Unexplained pain due to certain diagnosis caused a spike in suicide which allowed the given

Prior to the fifteenth century, early civilizations upheld the right of citizens to kill themselves rather than endlessly suffer. According to Friend (2011, p. 110), upon request, physicians often provided poison to their patients. Doctors of the Hippocratic School oft challenged the practice and acceptance of euthanasia, but

Physician-assisted suicide: Death with dignity addresses morality and ethics involved with physician-assisted suicide or PAS. History of euthanasia is given, dating back to ancient civilizations. PAS models in other countries besides the United States are explained in detail. The author addresses

When talking about doctors, death and incurable diseases, one of the most controversial topic that comes up is Physician assisted suicide. Webster’s dictionary define it as, “suicide by a patient facilitated by means or information (as a drug prescription or indication of the lethal dosage) provided by a physician who is aware of how the patient intends to use such means or information.” Most of us have experienced the pain of seeing our loved ones dying in a hospital since doctors and modern medicine can only help us so much. Physician assisted suicide not only helps alleviates the never ending pain, but patient also dies with dignity. On the other hand, people who oppose it, have strong religious and ethical beliefs. They think that Physician assisted suicide demeans the human value and violates doctor’s Hippocratic Oath. After researching a lot about this topic, I decided that taking a moderate stance would be the best option because even though I agree that PAS (Physician assisted suicide) goes against medical ethics and religious beliefs I also believe that sometimes PAS is the best option available for people who are fatally sick and want to die with dignity and peace. In this paper I will discuss the history of physician assisted suicide, why is it important to have this option available and how should we limit PAS to make a compromise with people who are against it.

Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) has long been recognized as a major producer of timber along with providing habitat and browse for numerous animal species such as deer (Cervidae spp.) and elk (Cervus canadensis) (Packee 1990). Western hemlock is known to grow like a weed throughout most of its range which makes it an important species for esthetic backgrounds for many national parks in the United States and Canada. Western hemlock as a long range along the Pacific coast; extending along the Coastal Ranges from central California all the way up to the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. This covers a distance around 2,000 miles making it a dominant species within British Columbia and in Alaska along the coastal zones. Western hemlock is also found inland occupying the upper eastern slopes of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington and has been found in the northern Rocky Mountains west of

As humans, we have the right to life. In Canada, in section 7 of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canadians can expect “life, liberty and security of the person.” This means not only to simply exist, but have a minimum quality and value in each of our lives. Dying is the last important, intimate, and personal moment, and this process of dying is part of life. Whether death is a good or bad thing is not the question, as it is obviously inevitable, but as people have the right to attempt to make every event in their life pleasant, so they should have the right to make their dying as pleasant as possible. If this process is already very painful and unpleasant, people should have the right to shorten the unpleasantness. In February of this year, judges declared that the right to life does not mean individuals “cannot ‘waive’ their right to life.” Attempting suicide is not illegal in Canada, but the issue here is for those whose physical handicaps prevent them from doing so, and to allow access to a safe, regulated and painless form of suicide. It is a very difficult, sensitive and much-debated subject which seeks to balance the value of life with personal autonomy. In this essay, I will argue that the philosophical case for pro-euthanasia is more complete than those arguments against it due to the

The issues of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) are both emotional and controversial. Some argue PAS is ethically permissible for a dying person who has chosen to escape unbearable suffering at the end of life; it is the physician’s duty to alleviate the patient’s suffering and justifies aid-in-dying. These arguments rely on the respect for individual autonomy. “Individual autonomy is an idea that is generally understood to refer to the capacity to be one's own person, to live one's life according to reasons and motives that are taken as one's own and not the product of manipulative or distorting external forces.” (STANDFORD REF)

Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is the voluntary choice to end one’s life through self-administering a lethal substance with the assistance of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The concept of physician-assisted suicide roots back in history during the early ancient Greek and Roman times, before the coming of Christianity, where they actually tolerated infanticide, euthanasia, and suicide (Dowbiggin, 2003, p. 2). Throughout the classical period, many people supported voluntary death because for them it was better than having to live with terminal pain, and physicians often honored their patients’ requests (Dowbiggin, 2003, p. 2). Of course, they didn’t have the medical advances that we do now so, at the time, it seemed like a reasonable

----- Requests for doctors to end the lives of suffering patients have always existed. But, people need to understand that other than death, positive alternatives exist to end the suffering of patients. For example, medication to elevate pain, continues to

”To seek to ease pain is natural” (Silverburg, 16). Since the beginning of time mankind has struggle with disease, wound, and death; thus men try to find relief in those pain kindle the flame towards medication. Countless civilization tries their hand at medication, China and Greece both sought to find way in ending disease and sickness, however most people at the time believed disease and pain are cause by gods or other mythological being and superstition. This concept of thinking remained unchanged until 460 B.C.E in Athens Greece when Hippocrates came in and introduces the notion of modern medicine and treatment. Hippocrates broke many groundbreaking achievement in regarding medicine such as the brain controlling thoughts and emotion but what he was remember for is taking out the superstition aspect in medicine and treatment by many people and taking a scientific and logical approach (Downey, 2).

The main question I will address in my paper is should a doctor have the right to help a patient end their life if that is the patient’s desire? There are two main answers to this question that strongly oppose each other. The first is, no, a doctor should not be permitted to assist in a patients “suicide” because it violates the fundamental tenet of medicine and doing so is incompatible with a doctor’s role as a healer. In general, “killing” is morally wrong and it goes against the doctor’s duty. A deontological argument against PAS is that “killing is never allowed because life is sacred or sometimes only allowed when another life can be saved” (Muller 186). Another argument against PAS is that “if once the practice of PAS in competent

Today, voluntary euthanasia is getting closer to being legalized in more than just one state in the United States. “‘Voluntary’ euthanasia means that the act of putting the person to death is the end result of the person’s own free will” (Bender 19). “ Voluntary euthanasia is an area worthy of our serious consideration, since it would allow patients who have exhausted all other reasonable options to choose death rather than continue suffering” (Bender 19). The question of whether or not voluntary euthanasia should be legalized is a major debate that has been around for years. Because the issue of whether people should have the right to choose how they want to live or die is so complex. With the advances in technology today we have made

The deliberate act of ending another 's life, given his or her consent, is formally referred to as euthanasia. At present, euthanasia is one of the most controversial social-ethical issues that we face, in that it deals with a sensitive subject matter where there is much uncertainty as to what position one ought to take. Deliberately killing another person is presumed by most rational people as a fundamental evil act. However, when that person gives his or her consent to do so, this seems to give rise to an exceptional case. This can be illustrated in the most common case of euthanasia, where the person who is willing to die suffers from an illness that causes great pain, and will result in his or her demise in the not-so-distant future.

Euthanasia is defined as, "The act or practice of putting to death painlessly a person suffering from an incurable disease." Euthanasia can be traced back as far back as the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. It was sometimes allowed in these civilizations to help others die. Voluntary euthanasia was approved in these ancient societies. Today, the practice of euthanasia causes great controversy. Both pro-life groups and right-to-die groups present arguments for their different sides. Pro-life groups make arguments and present fears against euthanasia. I contend that the case for the right to die is the stronger argument.