It suggests that the values that one inherits through the experience of dying and dearth are without merit, and do not serve to better humanity. It reduces the human body that holds life to a commodity, and the decision of whether or not the body's continued living is profitable to the bottom line.
There are many questions that arise when we talk about death in terms of being better for society as a whole. Questions such as to what extent would a solider feel compelled to fight for the lives of his fellow countrymen if the society in which he lives makes decisions about the value of life being measured by wealth? To what extent would a stranger reach out to save the life of another person if economics becomes the measurement by which a person's right to live is decided?
PAS is a moral turning point of mankind, and one in which mankind ceases to be connected to the humanity within them. It would become rational, although not ethical, to allow the children of third world countries to starve the way that Terri Schiavo did, because of the economic cost of providing them food and healthcare. Certainly assisted suicide would be a solution to many of the world's problems; but would it be an ethical solution? The answer is, of course, no, it would not be an ethical solution.
Medical practitioners have now found the ways to create life without the intimacy and emotional element of human relationships. Taking the intimacy and emotional commitment that creates life out of the life formula has perpetuated the lack of emotion and intimacy in the dying and death process.
As painful as death is to the individual suffering it, it is equally as emotionally painful to the family and loved ones who experience that process with the individual patient. Yet there are new and important lessons learned from the experience, and an awakening of new emotions and feelings that are conducive to humanity, benevolence, kindness, sharing, and giving; many of the things that bind us as a society. If we relegate death to the courts and along socio-economic lines,...
At a first glance, the main assumption of utilitarianism that preaches the greatest good for the greatest number seems the right decision. According to Maguire (cited in Gula, 1991), however, physical life is not the greatest or absolute value and death is not the absolute evil. There are other values that transcend physical life, such as personal integrity, human dignity, and the freedom to determine the direction of one's
Today's laws consider human life the highest of all rights. Hence also the ethical difficulty relating to abortion. Although abortion might be the utilitarian course of action; the mother does not have the finances to support a baby: there is no husband; the baby will not have access to his or her basic rights as a person, the ethical viewpoint of many fundamentalists is that it simply cannot be
If a person is incapacitated, the family should be allowed to make whatever decision they feel will cause the least harm. All such decisions should be underlined with full consultation with legal and medical professionals. I believe the best solution is therefore to firstly adhere to the four principles mentioned above. These principles should be underlined by legislation, and include ethically challenging issues such as euthanasia. To prevent indiscretionary approaches
I believe that the most important factor which supports the argument according to which euthanasia should be your legal right is represented by the individual's right and freedom to choose. And by this I mean that all people ought to be allowed the right to this sort of decision and not only the ones who are terminally ill. For example, people in an advanced state of Alzheimer or people who
Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, as what the most common definition says, is the (medical) process of killing somebody in a merciful manner and is aimed at putting an end to that person's pain and suffering. The claimed justification for euthanasia first takes the moral high ground of compassion. When a truer form of compassion is found in palliative care, the ground shifts to an appeal to human rights, especially to the
Euthanasia The author of this report has been asked to answer a few brief questions and take a position on the subject of euthanasia. The first question will be a definition and distinction between active euthanasia and passive euthanasia. The question of ethical issues for each type will be raised. The laws in each state regarding euthanasia will be covered. Finally, there will be a position taken by the author of
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