EuthanasiaDeath with DignityBy Michael A LanePHIL200/D002/Spring 2016

IntroductionThis presentation will explore euthanasia and the right to die with dignity through the context of three different ethical theories from government or other entities making it illegal to the patients autonomous right to choose euthanasia to modern day applied ethics.

EuthanasiaEuthanasia and PluralismEuthanasia and Mills - LibertyEuthanasia and Applied Ethics

Euthanasia and PluralismAs we look at the ethical debate for euthanasia we have to look at who is making the decision to allow euthanasia, is it the patient? Is it the government?Even though it should be the right of the patient to make this decision it is often times made by the government in laws that make it illegal.As we look at this decision making process we find that the government is often influenced by its members personal views on the subject along with outside influences from organizations, religions and political action committees.

Euthanasia and Pluralism cont.Should the government be allowed to make a blanket decision on a subject like euthanasia or should it be left to the individual and his/her personal beliefs? Yes I do think that the government should have some say in the decision in in that there needs to be specific guidelines setup for the decision and review making process so that if the decision to proceed with euthanasia is being made that it is done in an ethical way and with the patients best interest.I feel that this like abortion is going to be debated for many years to come.

Euthanasia and Mills - LibertyAs we look at euthanasia in the context of Mills thoughts on liberty we can see that Mill feels that the patient has an autonomous right and the liberty to choose euthanasia provided it does not harm others.When you look at this you can see that if a patient is choosing to end their life it is an act of selflessness on their part to end not only their own suffering but the suffering of others around them. So as we look at this the patient should have the right to make this decision without a government entity telling them they cannot do it.

Euthanasia and Mill cont.With Mills thoughts on individual liberty you can see where it should be the individuals right to choose euthanasia over continued suffering and added financial hardships for both themselves and the people around them.

Euthanasia and Applied EthicsWhen we look at the medical field we tend to look at applied ethics which are ethics that are derived from our societal involvement that usually comes from moral concerns.Euthanasia like abortion has become one of these societal issues that has moral concerns attached to it.We have become a society that has made great medical advances especially in the last fifty years but with these advances comes the moral and ethical decision as to when to stop treatment of the patient.

Euthanasia and Applied Ethics cont.Do we continue treatment of the patient because we have the technology or ability to until they finally succumb to their illness or injury?Or do we allow the patient to make the decision to end their life with dignity and thus ending their suffering and the suffering of those around them?

Euthanasia and Applied Ethics cont.Just because a physician has the ability through medical advances to keep a patient alive does not mean that they should always do it. They need to look at what the quality of life is that the patient currently has and what would their quality of life be if they are kept alive. Are the going to be able to have a quality life? Are they going to be in constant pain? Are they going to be relegated to living in a care facility or being dependent on others for the rest of their life?When you look at these questions especially for people that have terminal diseases the answer is almost always going to be no we should not keep them alive and have them and the people around them suffer. We should allow them the opportunity to make the decision to Die With Dignity.

Euthanasia and Applied Ethics cont.It is my personal opinion that we should allow terminally ill or patients that have debilitating diseases that cause their quality of life to be a poor one the ability to choose euthanasia. Why should we force these people to continue to suffer in a way that they have no quality of life. As someone who has watched people die from cancer, ALS and AIDS or be in a vegetative coma with no chance of recovery, I would not want that for myself and would want to have the ability to Die With Dignity and end my life in a peaceful supported way.

Works CitedPaterson, Craig, Mr. Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia. Abingdon, GB: Ashgate, 2012. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 24 July 2016.

Keown, John. Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy : An Argument Against Legalisation. Cambridge, GB: Cambridge University Press, 2002. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 24 July 2016.

(John Stuart Mill - On Liberty - YouTube)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWZrHUvhXcw 2016-07-24 14:57:54

http://time.com/3503000/behind-the-picture-the-photo-that-changed-the-face-of-aids/

Jose, Jim, and Kcasey McLoughlin. "John Stuart Mill and the Contagious Diseases Acts: Whose Law? Whose Liberty? Whose Greater Good?"Law and History Review, vol. 34, no. 2, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2016..doi:10.1017/S0738248016000080.

(Ethics Online Text Textbook)http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/pecorip/SCCCWEB/ETEXTS/ETHICS/ Chapter 14

Diaconescu, A. M. (2012). Euthanasia.Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice,4(2), 474-483. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1400159032?accountid=8289

Thank You For Watching