Question

I need your opinion on support or refute the claim that a physician is morally obligated to defend euthanasia or physician-assessed suicide (PAS) because they are obligated to respect the patient's autonomy.

thank you

Answer 1

In my opinion, I strongly believe that a physician is morally obligated to defend euthanasia or physician-assessed suicide (PAS) because they are obligated to respect the patient's autonomy. I am saying this because if a physician knows that a patient is suffering from a condition that is not curable and he/she is not able to live a life of dignity, and still the physician allows that to happen just for the sake moral judgement than aren't the physician in some sense responsible for its suffering? Do the judging people intellectuals know something more noble, more selfless, sparing the patient a painful existence. When a person ask for euthanasia due to their everlasting pain and suffering, it is not because they do not love their life but actually, they love it so much and valued themselves and their own worth so highly, that to them it only made sense to choose their own ending. The proponent of the death with dignity movement find value in concepts like personal liberty and autonomy. At last everyone should be free to make decisions about their own lives and their own deaths. And it is the sole duty if the healthcare professional to value and respect a patient autonomy.