Euthanasia Synthesis.docx

TO TAKE TAKE AWA AWAY Y A LIFE OR NOT

To To Take Take Away Away a Life or Not Francisco Canel George Wasington !ni"ersity

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TO TAKE AWAY A LIFE OR NOT

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Te largest to$ics a%ecting in&i"i&'als on a glo(al scale are ty$ically seen across ea&lines of e"ery )a*or news so'rce an& s$'r )assi"e &e(ates an& o$inionate& arg')ents+ ,owe"er- one of te )ost contro"ersial to$ics facing te ealt in&'stry is not (eing gi"en s'.cient attention+ E'tanasia an& /ysician0Assiste& 'ici&e 2/A3- is a growing concern for $ysicians across te glo(e an& not eno'g $artici$ants are assisting in te searc to co)e to a concl'sion on te to$ic+ Te $letora of factors to (e taken into consi&eration wile a&&ressing te iss'e nee& to (e &ownsi4e&- an& te only $ro$er way to &o so is tro'g in0&e$t researc an& analysis on a global scale. Tro'g religion- $ain s'sce$ti(ility- an& societal ini(itions- &octors a"e (een working to co)e '$ wit a $ro$er way to &eci$er a $atient5s re6'est or nee& for e'tanasia or /A+

Etics a"e (eco)e te $rotagonist- aea& of )e&ical an& law iss'es- in &octors an& go"ern)ents st'&ies of e'tanasia+ 'r$risingly eno'g- st'&ies a"e sown tat te tree )a*or religions 2Orto&o7Catolic- an& Isla)ic3- sare te sa)e "iew on te s'(*ect of e'tanasia+ Te e)(o&i)ent of teir o$$osition is to $reser"e te gift an& oliness of life+ Tis is "iewe& in all )a*or religions as te )ost i)$ortant e)$asis of te &e(ate+ Alto'g it )ay see) (roa&- te Isla)ic states a"e taken te (iggest lea& in re$ri)an&ing e'tanasia+ Witin tese- teir legislations state e'tanasia to (e consi&ere&


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e6'ally $'nisa(le to tat of co))itting )'r&er+ Tis carge of )'r&er "aries tro'go't co'ntries- ranging fro) lenient for)s of )'r&er consi&ere& as or&inary )'r&er- to $otential 9rst0&egree )'r&er+ T's- tese in&i"i&'als &o not e"en atte)$t to *'stify te nee& or $ossi(ility of s'c $roce&'re+ :o4i&ar :ano"ic an& ;el*ko T'ran*anin con&'cte& a st'&y of << ='sli) $ysicians tat res'lte& in >?@ of te) (elie"ing tat e'tanasia an& /A is a "iolation of ')an &ignity an& tey wo'l& not (e willing to $ro"i&e $atients wit te o$$ort'nity 2:ano"ic an& T'ran*anin- #1B3+

Te )a*ority of te co'ntries- wic "iew e'tanasia5s $'nis)ent to (e te sa)e as )'r&er- are of Isla)ic (eliefs+ Ne"erteless- Western E'ro$ean co'ntries- foc'sing on :enel'7 co'ntries 2Neterlan&s- :elgi') an& L'7e)(o'rg3- fall on te o$$osite si&e of te s$ectr')+ Tey (elie"e tat te )atter so'l& (e an&le& s'(*ecti"e to te $atient5s a(ility to )eet a certain criterion+ Tere are s$eci9c legal r'les an& )e&ical $roce&'res tat e7ist in tese co'ntries- tat ser"e as a (enc)ark in &eci&ing te o'tco)e an& "ia(ility of e'tanasia an& /A+ Wile it re)ains tr'e tat it is $ossi(le for e'tanasia to occ'r- e"ery case is an&le& )e&ically an& legally in or&er to &eter)ine if te $roce&'re was $ro$erly i)$le)ente&+ A $ysician )'st )eet all te re6'ire)ents $resent in te legal syste)in or&er to *'stify te $roce&'re an& not (e re$ri)an&e&+ In (rief- te


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$er)ission of e'tanasia is grante& wen te following criteria are )et re6'est originates fro) te $atient- intolera(le $ain is $resent an& no way to (e facilitate&- $atient is aware of teir con&ition- wen tere are no oter )e&ical alternati"es- a colleag'e is cons'lte& after $ro$er secon&ary e7a)ination- an& tat it is $erfor)e& wit necessary care+ Only once tese are all $ro$erly *'sti9e&- is a $ysician $erfor)ing 'n&er te legal g'i&elines an& $racticing a$$ro$riately 2:ano"ic an& T'ran*anin- #1B3+ Wile religion $lays a (ig role in te )orality of te iss'e- tere are &ee$er factors nee&ing to (e a&&resse& tat can greatly a%ect te &ecision to $rocee& wit e'tanasia an& /A+ In te article Assisted Dying- a'tor Ray Tallis $resents "ia(le *'sti9cations s$'rring fro) te

$atients $oint0of0"iew+ Tese factors are i))eas'ra(le tro'g )e&ical or legal st'&ies- owe"er- create one of te (iggest arg')ents+ /atients wo are e7$ose& to te $ossi(ility of tese $roce&'res a"e a n')(ere& ti)eline left in teir life+ Te i)$ortance of teir "iew on tis iss'e so'l& (e te forefront of te arg')ent+ /rofessor Ro( George con&'cte& a st'&y in Oregon- were e aske& 6'estions "ario's $atients wo a& an assiste& &eat in te year #1#+ ,is res'lts sowe& tat DB>@ of $eo$le wo a& an assiste& &eat in #1# sai& tey &i&n5t want to (e a ('r&en on fa)ily- frien&s- an& caregi"ers+ Also- >8@ were losing a'tono)y- ?>@ were (eing less a(le to engage in acti"ities )aking life en*oya(le- an& #@ wo a&


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lost &ignity 2Tallis- #1B3+ /era$s te )ost (one cilling state)ent )a&e was D '%ering5 is a ter) tat goes far (eyon& $ain control alone 2Tallis- #1B3+ Tis to$ic cannot (e an&le& solely on te (asis of )e&ical an& legal g'i&elines+ An iss'e in"ol"ing an in&i"i&'als life so'l& ne"er (e an&le& as a ro'tine $roce&'re- rater- tey so'l& (e "iewe& in&i"i&'ally an& in teir own way+

In concl'sion- religion- )e&ical $roce&'res- te law- an& etics can all $lay a role in &eci&ing te a(ility to $erfor) s'c an act+ Wit tat (eing sai&- one so'l& ne"er &iscar& eac in&i"i&'al5s $ersonal &esires+ Weiging factors tat arise far away fro) any for) of *'sti9cation- in&i"i&'als so'l& a"e a say in eac of teir cases+ Legal $rece&ence cannot *'stify te taking of ones life- 'nless tey are gi"en te o$$ort'nity to say wat they wo'l& like to &o+ Tere is no $ossi(le fra)ework to $ro$erly for)'late g'i&elines to follow- wen 'n&ergoing a sit'ation were e'tanasia is a $ossi(ility+ An in&i"i&'al is at will to )ake te &ecision te)sel"es- 'nless tey cannot+ ,owe"er- in te cases were tis is not $ossi(le- tere )'st (e so)e sort of &egree of ar)ony to set a$$ro$riate li)its+ Te &e(ate will not (e satis9e& 'nless tere are eno'g si)ilar caracteristics in eac case+ To en& a glo(al iss'e- tere )'st (e so)e sort of glo(al consens's+


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REFERENCE

:ano"ic- :oi&ar- an& ;el*ko T'ran*anin+ #1B+ JE'tanasia )'r&er or not a co)$arati"e a$$roac+J Iranian Journal Of Public Health B8no+ 1 181H018#8+ Health Policy Reference Center - E:COhost

E)an'el E- aniels ER- Fairclo'g L- Clarri&ge :R+ Te $ractice of e'tanasia an& $ysician0assiste& s'ici&e in te !nite& tates a&erence to $ro$ose& safeg'ar&s an& e%ects on

TO TAKE AWAY A LIFE OR NOT $ysicians+ JAMA.1>>?M#?2H3<0<18+ &oi1+11*a)a+#?+H+<+

Tallis- Ray+ #1B+ JAssiste& &ying is not te sa)e as e'tanasia+J BMJ (Clinical Research d.! 8B?- g8<8#+MD"I# Co$%lete-

E:COhost

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Euthanasia Synthesis.docx

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