Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1648 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/05/27 Category Law Essay Level High school Tags: Assisted Suicide Essay Euthanasia Essay Did you like this example? Introduction Physician Assisted Suicide has been one of the most controversial subjects for years. Stemming all the way back to 1997, when the state of Oregon became the first state to legalize it. Physician Assisted Suicide is known as euthanasia and has raised many different questions throughout time. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide" essay for you Create order One of the biggest questions raised however is this; Is euthanasia ethically acceptable? Suicide in its self is considered wrong in ethical views, for one must honor the value of a human life. One must think about the terminally ill patients that are suffering though. Even if it might hurt other people, but it puts the patient at rest, is it ethically acceptable for a patient to receive physician assisted suicide? If one fully analyzes euthanasia using the ethical theory of utilitarianism, then one would conclude that John Mill would solve the dilemma by asking if this act would result in happiness free of pain. What is Euthanasia? Euthanasia is defined as the humane and painless killing of a patient that is suffering from a life ending and painful disease. Currently legal in only eight U.S. jurisdictions, it is a highly controversial topic. Euthanasia is only legal for the patient however. A physician may prescribe the lethal drugs, but there are no circumstances under which they are able to administer the drugs themselves. The steps to administer the medication are not sweet and simple though. There are various parameters that a patient must meet before a doctor is allowed to prescribe the life ending medication. The first rule that must be met is that the patient must be an adult. Two independent physicians must then verify the patientrs terminal diagnosis. Both of them must be fully convinced that the patient has no hope of getting any better. A written request must then be signed by the patient in front of two witnesses. This request attests that the patient is in a healthy mental state and that they are d oing this voluntarily. If there is any question about the mental state of the patient, then the physician may require the patient to be counseled. Once all of these parameters have been met, then the physician will prescribe the drug. As stated above, the physician in no case is allowed to administer the drug, but he/she prescribes it and the patient picks it up from the pharmacy. None of 1the laws on physician assisted suicide state which drug the doctor prescribes, but according to the article FAQs Physician-Hastened Death, most doctors prescribe an oral dosage of a barbiturate (FAQS-Physician-Hastened Death, par 14). Barbiturates are a drug that are used as depressants of the central nervous system (Barbiturates Drug Profile, par. 3). The brain controls the central nervous system, it tells the lungs to breath and tells the heart to beat. When it is suppressed a little it can be beneficial by lowering anxiety and making a person more relaxed. If it is suppressed too far, which is what happens with barbiturate, the whole system begins to shut down. The patient soon becomes unconscious and shortly after the heart stops beating and the lungs stop breathing, resulting in death. The Dilemma As stated by Michael Cholbi, Suicide is wrong because it violates our moral duty to honor the value of a human life (Cholbi, par. 25). Viewing life in the terms of Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill was one of the most influential philosophers of the 19th century. Millrs core belief is that a person should try to reach happiness. He defines happiness as this, a person should do what brings them pleasure without any pain. By this he means that a person should do what pleases them without bringing pain to others. In the view of assisted suicide this view can be a little two-sided. When a terminally ill person wishes to end their life, on their terms and in the place they wish to be, it could bring happiness and a sense of satisfaction to them, However, the people around them, friends and family, might be affected. Many of them may wish to keep their dying loved one in their life for as long as possible. Many patients that are terminally ill however discuss assisted suicide with their lo ved ones before they make the decision. The people closest to them would know from personal experience how much pain that they are in, they would know how much suffering they go through every day. Death isnt something anyone can post-pone. Everyday people die, suddenly and unexpected, and then there are the cases where it is slow and painfully expected. However, can it ever be considered morally correct to end a human life? Now the question every person has to ask themselves is this; if it was known that death was ahead, and there was nothing more the doctors could do to save this life, with immense amounts of pain, would suffering with no more energy and hope left to fight be worth it? Each person will have their own independent views on the morality of physician assisted suicide, but how would it be viewed in utilitarianism? Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that determines whether an action is right or wrong solely on the consequences of the actions. It does not simply focus on one personrs interests, but instead it looks at how an action might affect the people around them, close friends and family. So if an action is going to hurt the people that are closest to that person then the action would be considered morally wrong, however, if the action had no affect on others or it had a positive affect on others then it would be considered morally correct. In the terms of physician assisted suicide, it could go either way on whether it is right or wrong considering the conditions of the situation. Many factors could make physician assisted suicide, in the views of utilitarianism, morally correct. If a patient was all alone for instance, no family or friends, no one that could be hurt by their death, then it would be considered morally ok. By the patient taking the drug and ending their life, with no one there that could be affected or hurt, there are no reasons that it would be wrong. Sure, there is the part of suicide is wrong because a person isnt valuing a human life, but if the human life is deteriorating and coming to an end as is, then where is the problem? Another way that assisted suicide could be considered morally ok is if the patient actually sits down and talks with their family and friends. So many people are terminally ill and suffering day to day waiting for the end to come. This isnt a life anyone would want to live, and when considering it, its not a life you would want a loved one suffering through. If the patient were to discuss their wish with their loved ones and give them time to prepare and understand then it could be considered ok. Death is going to hurt people no matter what, it hurts when someone that youre so close with is no longer in your life. It also hurts seeing someone youre so close with suffer day in and day out. If the patient and the loved ones were to agree that it was best for physician assisted suicide to occur, then there wouldnt be a moral problem in the view of utilitarianism. Physician Assisted Suicide can be considered morally wrong in the views of utilitarianism as well. Its one of those if/then situations. If the patient were to go about physician assisted suicide without the family or friendrs knowledge, thatrs where a morality problem would come in. A patient that legally ends their own life, with only the knowledge of the doctors, while leaving the loved ones completely in the dark, would have performed a morally unjust act. The family and friends would be even more hurt with this type of death than with a natural death. As said before death hurts no matter what, but with the chance to say goodbye and make peace it wouldnt be as bad. In the above case where the patient talked with the family the situation was different. The family and friends were given time to prepare, they agreed to losing the patient earlier than expected, but they knew, and they were ready. In a case where friends and family didnt know until after the fact, so much more pain and suffering would be experienced. Taking it upon their self to end their life, without giving the people that would be affect most a chance to prepare, and hurting them so much more, would make physician assisted suicide extremely wrong in the views of morality and utilitarianism. A sense of happiness may have occurred for the patient, but so much more pain would have been experience by those closest to them. Conclusion Every life is considered to be sacred, a value that one should hold above all others. Everyday people die, and everyday people are born, but everyday there are also people that suffer from a terminal illness. Getting access to physician assisted suicide is no easy act, and not just any person can do it. A life is always sacred and should always be valued, but the purpose and happiness in that life should also be taken into consideration. Utilitarianism is an if/then theory when it comes to moral values. If the action results in happiness free of pain it is morally correct, if it results in happiness but pain to others it is morally wrong. In the case of assisted suicide, it is a complex subject with so many different variables that can affect the moral value of the act. Every decision one makes and the results which occur decide whether this act is morally ok in Utilitarianism.

Social Development Is The Backbone Of Learning - 1885 Words

Introduction As humans, the range of emotions we feel daily can be anywhere from two to twenty. These â€Å"feelings† that we have are normally a reflection of our environment or our temporary surroundings. But are they all true emotions or just our reaction to how we feel about something? The term emotion is nothing near black and white. Many Psychologists tend to define it by a combination of cognition, physiology, feelings, and actions (Kalat, 2014, 2011, pg. 385). By saying this, it is hard to pin point where emotion generates apart from the physiological aspect of a human. We can track how people are influenced in their early lives and see how this plays out into adulthood. You can also see how as a child, the affects ofAuthor and Psychologist, Lev Vygotsky has theorized that social development is the backbone of learning so to speak. He believed that you learned by your surroundings before you learned anything from a typical classroom setting. I believe that along with this theory, e motion and personality tend to form from a human’s surroundings rather than being taught one on one how to feel or act, especially from a young age. Throughout this paper I plan on discussing how Vygotsky’s theories intertwine with the development of emotion in human beings, how emotions can develop from the way a child is nourished from infancy, how surroundings affect the outcome of normalcy in a adult from adolescence and in what ways the subject of massive redundancy, i.e. the brain, worksShow MoreRelated##t, Piaget And Vygotsky, Repactivism And Constructivists731 Words   |  3 PagesWhile the backbone of cognitivism may come from the work of Jean Piaget, Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are constructivists. Constructivism is based on the premise of subjectivism or relativism. Truth is not absolute; it is relative because it is commonly created or shared within a community. 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The Cons of Marijuana Usage Free Essays

The legalization of marijuana is one of the most highly debated about subjects facing Americans today. Advocates of legalization use two major arguments in their effort to have marijuana legalized. First, which is by far the biggest argument is that marijuana has a significant medical use. We will write a custom essay sample on The Cons of Marijuana Usage or any similar topic only for you Order Now The second argument is that marijuana does not cause harm to those that smoke it. Both of these arguments can be easily discounted by the numerous studies that have been done on the effects of marijuana both medicinal and recreational. In the following paragraphs we will explore the hard facts of marijuana that will discount the validity of the previously mentioned arguments as well as some common fallacies. I will focus first on the medical fallacy. There currently exists a great debate concerning smoking marijuana as a medicine. Many well-intentioned leaders and members of the public have been led misled by the well-financed and organized pro-drug legalization lobby into believing there is merit to their argument that smoking marijuana is a safe and effective medicine. A review of the scientific research, expert medical testimony, and government agency findings shows this to be erroneous. There is no justification for using marijuana as a medicine. The movement to legitimize smoking marijuana as a medicine is not encouraged by the Federal Food and Drug Administration, health and medical associations, or medical experts; but instead by groups such as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and the Drug Policy Foundation (DPF). These organizations have little medical expertise and favor various forms of legalizing illicit drugs. The studies cited by the marijuana advocates have been found to be unscientific, poorly researched, and involved pharmaceutical THC, not marijuana. An advocate that claimed he was an expert, testified at the 1987 federal hearings to reschedule marijuana, was in fact a wellness counselor at a health spa who admitted under oath to using every illegal mind-altering drug he ever studied. Another â€Å"expert† admitted he had not kept up with new medical or scientific information on marijuana for over 18 years. Another doctor claimed there was voluminous medical research on the effectiveness of marijuana but under oath, when asked to cite the number of the studies, he replied, â€Å"I would doubt very few. † The fact is that there is not one reliable scientific study that shows smoking marijuana to be a safe and effective drug. The majority of the marijuana advocates’ â€Å"evidence† comes from unscientific, non-scrutinized or analyzed anecdotal statements from people with a variety of illnesses. It is unknown whether these individuals used marijuana prior to their illness or are using marijuana in combination with other medicines. It is also unknown whether they have had recent medical examinations, are justifying their use of marijuana, experiencing a placebo effect, or experiencing the intoxicating effect of smoking marijuana. The main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana (THC) is already legally available in pharmaceutical capsule form by prescription from medical doctors. This drug, Marinol, is less often prescribed because of the potential adverse effects, and there are more effective new medicines currently available. Marinol differs from the crude plant marijuana because it consists of one pure, well-studied, FDA-approved pharmaceutical in stable known dosages. Marijuana is an unstable mixture of over 400 chemicals including many toxic psychoactive chemicals, which are largely unstudied and appear in uncontrolled strengths. The manufacturers of Marinol, Roxane Laboratories Incorporated, do not agree with the pro-marijuana advocates that THC is safe and harmless. In the Physician’s Desk Reference, a good portion of the description of Marinol includes warnings about the adverse effects. Seriously, doesn t common sense dictate that it is not good medical practice to allow a substance to be used as a medicine if that product is ingested by smoking, not FDA-approved, made up of hundreds of different chemicals, and self-prescribed and administered by the patient. The federal government, over the last 20 years involving a number of administrations from both political parties, has determined that smoking marijuana has no redeeming medicinal value, and is in fact harmful to health. These governmental agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, and the U. S. Public Health Service. Their latest finding, as recently as 1994, was affirmed in a decision by the U. S. Court of Appeals in Washington, DC Since the pro-marijuana lobby has been unsuccessful in dealing with the federal government, they have targeted state and local governments to legitimize smoking marijuana as a medicine. A careful examination of their legislative and/or ballot proposals reveals they are written to effectively neutralize the enforcement of most marijuana laws. Crude, intoxicating marijuana under their proposals would be easier to obtain and use than even the most harmless, low-level prescription drug. Major medical and health organizations, as well as the vast majority of nationally recognized expert medical doctors, scientists and researchers, have not accepted smoking marijuana as a safe and effective medicine. These organizations include: the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, National Sclerosis Association, the American Glaucoma Association, American Academy of Ophthalmology, National Eye Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Dental Research, and the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases. There are thousands of studies available documenting the harmful physical and psychological effects of smoking marijuana. The harmful consequences include but are not limited to premature cancer, addiction, coordination and perception impairment, a number of mental disorders including depression, hostility and increased aggressiveness, general apathy, memory loss, reproductive disabilities, impairment to the immune system, numerous airway injuries, and other general problems associated with intoxication. So far I have shown why marijuana should be disregarded as medicinal now I intend to discount some more common fallacies that marijuana advocates like to throw around as well as the argument that marijuana causes no harm to the smoker. First, advocates for marijuana like to say laws against alcohol and drugs don t work so why have them. They often use prohibition in the early 1900 s as an example. Even though prohibition was unpopular and only in effect for about fourteen years, it did impact the use of alcohol. Alcohol use, alcohol-related deaths, and admissions to hospitals for other alcohol related illnesses were all reduced approximately 50 percent. Also, contrary to what you hear, there’s no evidence of a big increase in crime. That probably makes for good gangster movies, but little else. Prohibition was rescinded because alcohol historically had been part of our lives, and the majority didn t support prohibition. Drugs, on the other hand, have not been part of our everyday lives, and over 80 percent of Americans favor drug prohibition A second fallacy is that legalizing marijuana would reduce the number of crimes and would free up prison space for more violent offenders. First of all there are 12 million arrests made annually out of which 1 million are for drug violations, of these only 12 percent are sentenced to prison. Most of the criminals that are locked up already have rap sheets a mile long for different crimes anyways. Now if we legalize marijuana the arrests would stop because of the change in the criminal code but the criminals wouldn t change their behavior and become law-abiding citizens. They will continue to commit crimes to pay rent, buy cars, go to concerts, buy clothes, eat, and buy legal drugs. Thirdly, most advocates like to use the Netherlands as an example of marijuana being legalized and not having any problems. The Netherlands has begun experiencing a variety of problems including a rise in crime, welfare, unemployment, and addicts from other countries migrating there to indulge their drug appetites. A fourth common fallacy is that if we legalize marijuana we would save at least 20 billion dollars annually that is now used towards law enforcement. What this fallacy assumes is that there would be no governmental costs associated with distribution, regulation, and control of legal drugs. Using alcohol as a model, we know these costs can be substantial. Knowing government, there is very little they do that is cost effective. In 1965, when we started Medicare, Congress projected that it would cost this country $12 billion by 1990. The actual costs that year were $110 billion. In 1968 food stamps cost $173 million annually, and now, less than 30 years later, the price tag is $24 billion. And, finally the greatest fallacy that marijuana does not harm the user. The fact remains that marijuana and hashish are intoxicating substances that make the user high. The degree of mental and physical impairment depends on the amount and strength of marijuana smoked. There is a substantial difference between the 2 to 5 percent THC weed of the ’70s and the 10 to 20 percent THC in today’s weed. There is a definite reason why the higher grade is more desirable and expensive, and that’s simply because it gives the user a more powerful high. Studies show marijuana can and often does cause apathy, diminishes mental capacity, causes difficulty in concentrating, decline in performance, and lost motivation. Thousands of studies also show marijuana use adversely affects the brain, reproduction process, immune system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and remains in the body for extended periods of time. In addition, marijuana use often impairs normal thought processes, distorts reality, reduces self-control, and releases inhibitions, all of which increase the chance of harmful and criminal behavior. Many times the user is unaware he or she is being affected unless told by others. A Stanford Medical School study showed pilots to be impaired 24 hours after smoking one joint, even though they felt they were functioning normally. In conclusion, the bottom line is, whenever persons are under the influence, they pose a threat to themselves and others. We don’t need more intoxicated people on our streets, at public events, or driving on our highways. Traffic fatality studies clearly demonstrate a disproportionate number of deaths caused by drivers under the influence of marijuana. Why would we want to make a substance like that legal, inexpensive and readily available to satisfy he desires of a few who already choose to violate our laws? Haven’t the advocates learned anything from our experience with drunkenness? How to cite The Cons of Marijuana Usage, Essay examples

West Germany and the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia free essay sample

A description of West German attempts to open political and economic relations with Eastern Europe brought about by the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. This paper deals with the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. The author examines the historical relationship between West Germany and the former Soviet Union from the Cold War period. The paper discusses the opening of economic ties between West Germany and the rest of Western Europe. From the paper: The war in Vietnam greatly increased US government spending on weapons and other supplies, the demand for which American industry could not fully meet. To fill the rest of the orders, the US turned to the other Western industrialized countries, in many cases West Germany and Japan. This increased spending helped jumpstart the economies of these countries, moving both West Germany and Japan from debtor to creditor nations as they achieved large trade surpluses. As it grew more powerful economically, West Germany took a more independent path politically. We will write a custom essay sample on West Germany and the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page