Physicians Assitsed Suicide

Title Page: “Euthanasia/PAS”

HUM401

Introduction

Physician assisted suicide (PAS) is a topic most have an opinion about but few really think long and hard about it until it affects them or a loved one directly. The news will cover a story once in a while about someone charged with murder but they are claiming it was a mercy killing, or a terminally ill patient is in the headlines begging for an end to their suffering. It is not a pleasant topic and it is easier to ignore it rather than try to face it. Opponents of PAS say it is wrong to kill another person, so assisting them in committing suicide is not only illegal but immoral. They think that if it were to be legalized it would allow more people to be unwillingly killed. Proponents of PAS think that not only is helping someone that is terminal end their life if that is what they choose, but it is the ethical thing to do. I will discuss my argument in favor of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide based on the ethical theory of Utilitarianism.

Identify the Problem

In the body of this paper I will give a scenario of a terminally ill person who wishes to end their suffering and is in need of a humane way to do this. I will list the issues that a person who wishes to help this person faces, legally, morally, and ethically. This is an important issue because it seems to be something that needs to be addressed. Most people don’t really take a serious look at the issue until they are directly affected by it and maybe have a friend or a loved one dealing with it (or have to write a paper on it). It seems to be one of those “taboo” issues politicians and most people just want to go away rather than address it. In a current court case “Morris vs. New Mexico” even the definition of physician assisted suicide is being questioned. This issue is far from being resolved if the courts are still tied up with cases trying to define what PAS exactly means. In Colorado anyone who intentionally causes or...