Religion and Bioethics Physician Assisted Suicide, a...

The article I read examined the link between bioethics and religion in regards to Physician-Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia. Specifically, it made an obvious point of defining the distinction between killing and letting one die. In addition, it focused on the link between Faith and Reason, the development of tradition throughout history, modern statements on this ethical dilemma, and then drew conclusions based upon these analyses. These are all significant points to consider when attempting to determine the morality of physician-assisted suicide/euthanasia. In order to fully understand the â€Å"euthanasia debate,† it is crucial to look at our two main theoretical camps: deontological or â€Å"Kantian† ethics, and teleological or â€Å"utilitarian†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦That is, that everyone affected is to be considered equally. This feature alone makes it possible for actions to be declared moral based upon their consequences without taking motives into question. The best way to illustrate this key difference between deontological and teleological theories is by examining Philippa Foot’s trolley problem. Overall, this illustration attempts to clarify under what circumstances it would be morally just for one person to violate the rights of another for the purpose of benefiting the group. In doing so it helps one essentially justify harming someone in order to benefit the group/larger number of persons. It is able to do this by assigning equal utility to those involved. In doing so, this shows the practical nature of Utilitarianism, and how it is â€Å"content heavy† – making very evident the right way to make decisions. Inevitably, the opposing side to this argument (deontologists) refute this way of thinking by arguing that it could very easily lead us to â€Å"repugnant conclusions;† which in theory could be used to justify almost any action if the consequences of the situation worked out just right. This idea could be applied effectively to both act utilitarianism (an act is right if it results in as much good as any available alternative) and rule utilitarianism (an act is right if it is required by a rule that is itself a member of a set ofShow MoreRelatedMedical Ethics: an Inclusice History2719 Words   |  11 Pagesfirst ethical thinking in medicine, but Islamic and Muslim traditions have left their footprints in Medical and Bioethics since before the medieval and early modern period. The first piece of literature ever dedicated to the field of medical ethics was written in the 9th Century by Ishaq bin Ali Rahawi and was titled Adab al-Tabib or Conduct of a Physician. Ali Rahawi reff ered to physicians as guardians of the soul and body. One of the features in medieval Muslim medicine that separated their practicesRead MorePhysician-Assisted Suicide and the Significance of the Kantian View2520 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿Physician-Assisted Suicide: Significance of the Kantian View Thanks to modern developments in medical technology, people in advanced countries today live longer and stay healthy until they are relatively older. The technology, however, also allows some people to hasten their death and make it relatively pain-free. As a result, many patients suffering from unbearable pain of certain incurable illnesses from time to time ask their physicians to help them commit suicide. Any physician who is askedRead More The Terri Schindler-Schiavo Case Essay5755 Words   |  24 Pageshighlights the tension that medical technological advances have created between the health care community and faith communities. 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In a most fundamentalRead MoreHsm 542 Week 12 Discussion Essay45410 Words   |  182 Pagesmight be when a physician does not follow accepted procedures and fails to account for surgical instruments used during a procedure. As a result, he leaves a metal clamp behind in the patient’s body and predictably, complications ensue that require additional surgical procedures. | | | | | Intentional Tort | Donnetta Shelton | 3/3/2013 12:34:57 PM | | | One of the most common intentional torts is battery. How this occurs in healthcare and becomes a problem is when religion is involved