Suicide Case

Physician assisted suicide has arguably been one of the most controversial subject matters in the legal system. Various points of view have made it a very debatable topic on trying to determine morally whether or not it is an ethical choice performed by physicians, and the patient in question. Suicide is a very difficult decision for someone who is severely ailing to make, but they are taking into consideration all of the financial, emotional, painful, and physical strain it puts on not only themselves, but also their loved ones. Therefore, why is physician assisted suicide such a major dispute in the medical field, and what problems does it bring to the forefront? How does ethical egoism conflict with the rights of not only the patient, but also the physician? What are my personal views on physician-assisted suicide, which side do I comply with, and what are the rights of a terminally ill patient, and the assisting physician?

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines deontology as the theory or study of moral obligation (2011, Merriam-Webster.com). Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who studied and taught philosophy and anthropology. Kant's theory of ethics is considered deontology and is disseminated into two major components. Kant contends that for society to act morally immediately, they need to act from duty. Kant also argued that society's consequences for their actions do not make them right or wrong, but are determined by the motives that they have when they are carrying out their actions (2010, Hernandez). I agree with Kant's theory and it coincides perfectly with the reason why patients seek physician-assisted suicide as an option. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines assisted suicide as the suicide of a patient, usually somebody who is terminally ill, that is aided by a caregiver or especially a physician, by the expressed wish and consent of the patient (2011, Merriam-Webster.com). Ethically and morally, society has a problem with suicide in any form, because of religious beliefs that people uphold. The religious community views suicide as a moral sin, because the person is taking away the gift of life that God, or the higher power they believe in, bestowed upon them. People who have faith in a higher power believe that for someone to commit suicide, it is an act done against Christ. As someone who grew up in the church, I believe that regardless of what life may bring, suicide is never an option. Suicide to me is a cop out from dealing with daily life issues. Even though this is very true in the religious community, the patient is thinking about the effect it will have on their families, so to them there is no right or wrong reason. They feel as though they are doing the right thing by ridding their families of the emotional, financial, and physical burden.

The patient that is contemplating physician-assisted suicide considers all aspects when they are trying to come to a conclusion of what they should do. Primarily they are thinking about the effects their choice will have on their family, emotionally, physically, and financially. The patient will feel as though they are a burden on their family, and do not want to depend on them for survival. They are thinking about the emotional strain it will put on their family members as they watch their loved one become a shell of their form self. The medical cost to help keep the patient alive and help ease the pain that they live through daily, is so costly that they cannot afford to keep taking it. They are constantly in pain; they become dependent on medication, and might have to reside with a family member instead of on their own. The patient looks at physician-assisted suicide as a form of