Investigate a Social Issue, Research Paper Example

Everyone has the right to live and the right to embrace a good life; however, is there also an honored matter such as the right to death? Relatively, the emergence of the thought on one’s right to death resulted from the development of particular situations relating to critical medical issues that individuals usually undergo. Most often than not the decision is presented as a solution to the pain being suffered by the patient which is much higher than the individual’s chances of recovery (Draper, 1998, 637). Some consider such situations helpless or terminal hence assuming that the need to end the pain and the agony of the patient is an essential part to the solution of the problem. Still, the issue on it being an imposed death towards the patient is being questioned especially by human rights advocates. The question on whether or not a person should be allowed to decide on his own death or if the relatives should have a say on ceasing the life of a person under comatose be considered legal and acceptable still remains to have an undefined response at present. In the discussion that follows, a better presentation on the different elements that contribute to the emergence of euthanasia as a social issue that is still debated upon at present. From here, a series of resolutions are to be presented alongside the discussion hence implementing a focus on how the supposed reference to life and death be given a balanced view in line with the medical procedures that patients need to undergo.

Historical Foundation of Issue

What particular grounds should be considered when the issue of accepting euthanasia as a form of solution to a medical condition be given attention to? This question continues to loom over the ideas and principles that surround bioethics. The word “euthanasia” itself has been coined to mean “good death” (Brody, 1975, 295). Understandably, this began with the historian Suetonius who mentioned how Emperor Augustus died peacefully in the arms of his wife. In the medical context, it was Francis Bacon that first used the concept of defining euthanasia as a process that would induce a death that would serve as a relief from all the pain and suffering of a patient who has thin chances of recovering from a particular medical situation.

Merciful death is the idea that supports the proposal of euthanasia as it becomes legally accepted as a form of solution to particular medical cases. In consideration with it being grounded upon rational decisions, Draper (1998) mentions that there should be four primary elements that should be involved before a decision of implying euthanasia as a solution to a medical problem could be considered reasonable. These elements include an agent, a subject, an intention and a causal proximity (176). The causal proximity is assumed to have a great impact on the one who is to undergo death. The decision should first and foremost benefit the one who is to die in the process and not the sole values of the ones who would be left by the patient behind (Beauchamp, et al, 1979, 303) . This is the reason why it is important that before euthanasia or merciful killing is considered, the medical situation of the patient whose life shall be taken away is clear enough and has been well evaluated by the physicians to be somewhat hopeless. There are instances when some patients decide that they ought to die since they are becoming a burden to their families and ask their attending physicians to administer the medical death. This in a way cannot be considered as legal euthanasia as the borders on health benefits on the part of the patient involved is not clear enough and is not well defined. Monetary support or financial reasons is not the primary cause for considering such decision. As repeatedly mentioned, it is the benefit of the patient that must be carried into condition and not the plain benefit of the relatives caring for the individual.

Euthanasia and the Vision of the Human Society

The human society is currently divided as to how euthanasia should be considered as a relative solution to the conditional aspect of restructuring the process by which a patient is relieved from the pain and agony brought about by the emergence of a particular medical situation that the patient has to endure. There are instances when a patient undergoes a medical process and becomes situated under a condition with which a person only lives with the sufficiency of a life-support system. Notably, such situation causes much expense on the part of the relatives of the patient and both physical and emotional hardship on the part of the patient himself. On the other end, some other situations involve patients being subjected to comatose and other state of medical unconsciousness.

During these instances, resources are often directed to the patients just to support the strength left in them through the help of life-machines. They are at some point clinically dead, but are still kept in existence for the sake of assuming the thin chance by which they could recover from the ailment. The percentage of recovery on these cases however is close to none hence raising the question of whether or not to continue accepting the life support as a source of vitality for the patient.

Letting go of the patient in a merciful manner so as to reduce the hardship they experience is often the decision of most of the relatives and the patient themselves [given that they are in a conscious state]. The clear indication of a lost hope for recovery shall then prompt the physician to whether or not support the said decision (Otani, 2010, 49). Considerably, patients being released from such agony are pursued to being helped by their relatives in a merciful manner. True, the world continues to change in accepting the vision about euthanasia and how it actually helps patients and their relatives from experiencing disdain agony from undergoing medical situations that are harder to accept.

Improving the Social Situation

Educating the people about the realities behind euthanasia could clear off undefined understanding of the society with regards the matter (Otani, 2010, 49). It could be assumed that with people knowing what euthanasia really is and how it actually helps the patients alongside the people who love and cherish them. Understanding how it specifically indicates love and sincere concern for the patients and the ways by which they are able to handle their situation and be able to let go when it is already deemed necessary shall help the society take notice of the benefits that it provides.

Another aspect of supporting the society’s consideration over euthanasia is improving healthcare situations that best define the medical procedures that patients usually undergo. This should specifically be given attention to when the course of medical development is defined under the category of crucial medical conditions. Increasing the competence of healthcare facilities to handle such medical situations is expected to create a more responsive condition that shall enhance the capability of the healthcare assistants to provide ample care that reduces the rate of patients undergoing critical situations that subject them to considerations of euthanasia.

Recommended Methodologies for Sociological Research

To address the need to educate the public, it is essential that the research on both the pros and cons of the matter be given ample attention to. Along with this approach, considering relative presentations on the benefits of euthanasia as a helpful process in reducing pain among patients should be given way (Brody, 1975, 295). In the process of doing so, researchers and presenters should take notice of the fact that some members of the society still have reservations about the matter that must be carefully considered. Given this, the expansion of their knowledge about the process of euthanasia should be assured.

On the part of improving the healthcare competence among healthcare facilities to reduce number of patients undergoing critical conditions, the solution needs to be more complex as it shall involve larger agencies that are expected to make developments in the said matter. In this aspect, it is important to make sure that getting the attention of such agencies be considered in the process of research hence making it easier for the desired changes to occur.

Conclusion

The need to understand euthanasia as a legal medical process is an important aspect to be included in the modern considerations included within the basic principles of bioethics. With the attention given to this matter, it is expected that not only will the society be able to accept its benefits, but would also increase the interest of government agencies to increase healthcare competence programs that would entail the development of healthcare conditions of patients undergoing critical medical procedures. Making a great impact on the improvement of the society’s consideration over euthanasia and the need to reduce the rate of patients undergoing the need of accepting such decisions is the primary aim of the research procedure being suggested in this presentation.

References

Wreen, Michael (1988). “The Definition of Euthanasia”. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 48 (4): 637–653.

Brody, Baruch (1975). “Voluntary Euthanasia and the Law”. In Kohl, Marvin. Beneficient Euthanasia. Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books. p. 94., quoted in Beauchamp & Davidson (1979), p 295.

Draper, Heather (1998). “Euthanasia”. In Chadwick, Ruth. Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. 2. Academic Press. p. 176.

Beauchamp, Tom L.; Davidson, Arnold I. (1979). “The Definition of Euthanasia“. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 4 (3): 303.

Otani, Izumi (2010). “”Good Manner of Dying” as a Normative Concept: “Autocide”, “Granny Dumping” and Discussions on Euthanasia/Death with Dignity in Japan”. International Journal of Japanese Society 19 (1): 49–63.