What Are the Arguments against and in favor of Mercy Killing - Assignment Example

Research Log - Mercy Killing Research Question: What are the arguments against mercy killing. Entry # 1 Citation Seale, C. "Legalisation of Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide: Survey of Doctors Attitudes." Palliative Medicine. 23.3 (2009): 205-12. Print. Summary Seale conducted this research during the period of 2009 and the purpose of conducting this study was to identify the attitudes and beliefs of the physicians located in the region of United Kingdom regarding assisted suicide (mercy killing) and how these attitudes were different from the attitudes held by the citizens of the United Kingdom. In order to conduct this study, the researcher used the method of postal survey in which the author surveyed around 3,733 professionals from the field of medicine (Seale 206). Through this survey, the respondents provided both qualitative and quantitative responses. Around 176 doctors that provided responses that were qualitative in nature and their response to the suggestion of creation of a policy regarding assisted suicide seemed divided because around 31% of the respondents were in favor of such a policy, while 36% were against such a policy and around 33% choose to remain neutral regarding the suggestion (Seale 208). Those who were in favor of assisted suicide showed concerns regarding the use of assisted suicide in an abusive manner and believed that the physicians should have an option of opting out assisting a patient in committing suicide. Those who completely rejected assisted suicide even stated that if there is a need to relieve pain then treatments that can lead to betterment of the patient or extension of the patients life should be stopped and even believed that if providing a particular treatment to a person in pain results in decreasing the life of the patient, then even that treatment should be provided. Those who rejected assisted suicide were even of the idea that palliative care can be used as a method to help the ill patient who is suffering from immense pain. Those who were against mercy killing were even concerned about any kind of involvement of the physicians in the act of mercy killing. A total of 61% of the physicians were against the option of assisted suicide while those favoring represented 27% of the respondents (Seale 209). The researcher further adds that the physicians of United Kingdom have a conflicting view regarding assisted suicide when their views are compared with the views of general population. The researcher states that those against assisted suicide mainly comprised of physicians who had specialized in the area of caring for people who were on the death bed and the population which is against assisted suicide even had strong religious views. Relevance The research conducted by Seale is of immense relevance to my research and argument. The research confirms my current knowledge that religiosity has a major role to play in an individual’s attitude towards assisted suicide. The research expands my current knowledge in the area that there is a conflict between the attitudes of general population and physicians regarding the subject of mercy killing. The most interesting part of the research is that both the populations of the physicians who favor or are against assisted suicide are in favor of palliative care which means that they are in favor of treatment that can help reduce pain of the patient and can even reduce an individual’s life. The most disappointing part of the research was that physicians have a difference in opinion regarding a policy for the issue of assisted suicide. Research Question: What are the arguments in favor of mercy killing? Entry # 2 Citation Fischer, S, CA Huber, M Furter, L Imhof, Imhof R. Mahrer, C Schwarzenegger, SJ Ziegler, and G Bosshard. "Reasons Why People in Switzerland Seek Assisted Suicide: the View of Patients and Physicians." Swiss Medical Weekly. 139 (2009): 23-24. Print. Summary Fischer and fellow researchers conducted this study during the period of 2009 with the aim of identifying the reasons due to which physicians carry out assisted suicide and the reasons due to which the patients opt for this alternative. To conduct this study the researchers conducted an analysis of 165 cases of euthanasia which were carried out as a result of facilitation provided by right-to-die institutions during the three year period starting from 2001 to 2004 and these incidences of assisted suicide were recorded in the region of Zurich and information obtained through the reports maintained by the medical facilities and letters written by the dead patient was analyzed to seek the causes due to which patients prefer assisted suicide (Fischer 334). The researchers were able to identify that the reasons in the favor of assisted suicide that were provided by both the physicians as well as the patients included severe pain due to disease, symptoms related to an individual’s neurology, reasons related to the requirement of care that is long-term in nature such as entering a nursing home, inability to move, failure to breath properly (Fischer 335). Other reasons where there was consensus between the patient and physicians included: the patient wanted to seek control of his/her own death, the patients were feeling weak and they even believed that they were losing their dignity, they regretted the fact that they are not being able to participate in activities that were enjoyable in nature as well as insomnia. The researchers identified that social, psychological as well physical reasons were the main reasons due to which patients and physicians opted for assisted suicide. The researchers further added that, physicians were more likely to report causes that were medical in nature and that is mainly because the justice system of Zurich requires physicians to record mainly the medicine related reasons due to which assisted suicide is opted for. The researchers even identified that there were differences in demographic factors between patients who opted for assisted suicide (Fischer 336). The researchers add that the male population was less likely to mention pain as a reason for opting for assisted suicide and the male population was more likely to record loss of control as the reason. Relevance The entire study is quite relevant to my research project and provides ample amount of information regarding the research question of why people are in favor of assisted suicide. The study confirms the fact that individuals want to be in control of decisions regarding their death and due to this they opt for assisted suicide. The study expands my knowledge in the area that both the physicians as well as the patients have a consensus on certain reasons due to which patients opt for assisted suicide. One of the issues that the study has raised is that the physicians are mainly required to report reasons that are related to the medical conditions of the patients. This is an issue because physicians should even have knowledge regarding the social and psychological reasons due to which individuals opt for assisted suicide. Research Question: What does law states about assisted suicide? Entry # 3 Citation Humphry, Derek. "Assisted Suicide Laws Around the World - Assisted Suicide." Assistedsuicide.org, 2005. Web. 17 Feb 2014. . Summary Derek Humphry is the author of the article titled “Assisted Suicide Laws Around the World” and the purpose of authoring this article was the highlight upon the laws that are being practiced throughout the world regarding assisted suicide (Humphry 1). In this article the author talks about different regions and laws in relation to assisted suicide in these regions, the author states that in certain regions such as Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, France, Denmark, Italy as well as Luxembourg, there are either direct or indirect laws that prohibit assist suicide and can put the physicians as well as the patients in legal issues if assisted suicide is conducted in these regions. The author further states that in regions such as Uruguay, England, Wales, Canada as well as Ireland that are direct as well as indirect laws that allow individuals to choose assisted suicide (Humphry 1). The author further discusses laws regarding the consent factor of assisted suicide and states that in the region of Scotland, assisted suicide is regarded as illegal and a person who is assisting in suicide may be tried by the law as a killer even he/she has obtained consent from the person who wants assistance in committing suicide (Humphry 1). The author even states that in certain nations where assisted suicide has been legalized, the incidences are quite rare. For example: in the region of Japan assisted suicide was recognized as a legal act during the period of 1962 by the high court and in this region only voluntary form of assisted suicide is recognized as legal. The author states that the nation has the highest number of members who have joined the right to die group. The author further adds that there is a lack of laws governing assisted suicide especially in the region of Europe. The author refers to a study conducted during the period of 2002 which states that most of the European nations had no laws directly targeting the issue of assisted suicide and only Netherland was the one where rules governing the issue of assisted suicide were clearly made. The study even helped in identifying that although there was a lack of laws regarding assisted suicide but sanctions did exist in regards to assisted suicide, but these sanctions are quite rarely levied. Several changes have occurred on the subject of assisted suicide and the European countries are making changes to their laws to provide acceptability to the act of assisted suicide. Relevance This article is highly relevant to the third research question regarding the research project of assisted suicide. The main take away from this article is that there is a lack of legal rules and regulations regarding the issue of assisted suicide. I found it quite troubling to accept that sufficient importance to the issue of consent in cases of assisted suicide has not been provided. This is because consent is one of the reason that can help in deciding whether assisted suicide should be accepted or not and what kind of assisted suicide should be legalized. Works Cited Fischer, S, CA Huber, M Furter, L Imhof, Imhof R. Mahrer, C Schwarzenegger, SJ Ziegler, and G Bosshard. "Reasons Why People in Switzerland Seek Assisted Suicide: the View of Patients and Physicians." Swiss Medical Weekly. 139 (2009): 23-24. Print. Humphry, Derek. "Assisted Suicide Laws Around the World - Assisted Suicide." Assistedsuicide.org, 2005. Web. 17 Feb 2014. . Seale, C. "Legalisation of Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide: Survey of Doctors Attitudes." Palliative Medicine. 23.3 (2009): 205-12. Print. Read More