Non-Maleficence And The Ethics Of Physician Assisted Suicide

Although more than half of the United States does not believe in legalizing physician-assisted suicide, five states have already legalized this assistance, which is causing a huge ethical debate in the medical world (“State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide,” n.d.). People who are in favor of physician-assisted suicide are arguing for the respect of autonomy, individual liberty, and compassion. In contrast, people who are not in favor of physician-assisted suicide are arguing for the sanctity of life, fear of abuse, and professional integrity. Physician assisted suicide should be considered unethical in healthcare because of the potential for abuse and the duty of a healthcare provider is to do no harm and maintain life. The principle of non-maleficence and the theory of deontology support my argument against physician-assisted suicide by providing evidence on why it should be considered unethical.
The principle non-maleficence demonstrates why physician assisted suicide could cause more harm than keeping the patient alive. Non-maleficence is defined as not …show more content…
Most importantly, physicians are a part of this decision, which makes this topic a huge concern because it goes against a physician’s integrity, which is why a plethora of ethical concerns arise from physician-assisted suicide. The principle of non-maleficence and the theory of deontology demonstrates why physician-assisted suicide is unethical in the medical world. First, the principle non-maleficence states to avoid all harm. The principle understands that it might be impossible to avoid all harm, but the action taken must at least be good. Secondly, deontologists believe it goes against a doctor’s duty to assist in a patient’s suicide. To sum it all up, physician assisted suicide should be considered unethical because it is allowing a person to end his/her