Ethical Debates in Abortion and Euthanasia

Ethical Debates in Abortion and Euthanasia Autonomy can be defined as self-rule and it is a persons or patients basic right. This principle means that an adult who is an informed and competent patient has the right to accept or refuse any treatments, drugs or surgical procedures. These decisions must be taken in to consideration even if these choices are not in the best interest of the patient. It is a healthcare professionals duty and responsibility to respect patients autonomy. Although sometimes this can be difficult as it may conflict with paternalistic attitudes of other healthcare professionals. A persons autonomy could be overridden in cases such as, if an individuals decision puts public health in danger or could potentially harm others, that persons autonomy may be restricted. Autonomy is often used in the ethical debate of euthanasia. Though it is a patients freedom to make decisions on their own treatment, the concept of autonomy is misunderstood in the case of ending an individuals life. In this case, although a patient is capable of giving valid consent, a doctor does not have the authority to treat a patient unless he has signed a written consent. 2. In order to produce a non-maleficence conclusion without reducing the benefits for others the social worker could approach Bernie with the idea of informally admitting himself to hospital. If Bernie was to become unhappy at any time during his stay he would be able to discharge himself without the pressure of feeling isolated, but he would still be offered the help he needs. This would take some of the pressure off his parents, his mother would then feel less threatened knowing that Bernie is being cared for properly and receiving the help he needs to address his problems. (Psychotic episode, grief counselling, family counselling). His mother and father could then start to concentrate on their own problems and try to correct their relationship. If the whole family where to address their individual problems, it could be suggested this would then in turn create a better family life with effective communication. 3. For the justification for Bernie to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act would depend on Bernies state of mind. Bernie is unwilling to be voluntarily admitted to hospital, so if he was to be sectioned this would enable him to be treated with the correct medication such as anti-psychotic medication which would help treat psychosis. Although if Bernie is not actually psychotic and just grieving for his grandmother then being sectioned would not be justified as his problems could be treated with counselling in the community to help resolve his family issues. If Bernie was to be sectioned this could change how people look at Bernie in the future for example job applications and generally within the community. Bernie has often used threatening behaviour towards his parents, if this was to escalate the sectioning of Bernie could be the only option and then would be justified to protect his family and himself from violence. Abortion The ethical debate regarding abortion asks whether it is morally right to deliberately terminate a pregnancy before childbirth. In the early part of the 20th century laws were brought in to reduce access to legal abortion. Many women resorted to seeking out backstreet abortionists, which either permanently damaged their health or even ended their life due to unwanted pregnancies. In 1967 the Abortion Act became law, since then the act has been unsuccessfully challenged many times by pro-life groups who still try to limit the access to abortions. Looking at abortion from a moral view there are many dimensions which are linked to abortion. This debate is very complex and every question leads to sub-questions and sub-parts. There are pro-life enthusiasts who are against abortion and pro-choice groups who are partially or completely in favour of termination of pregnancy. Pro-life groups/people argue that that it is ethically/morally wrong to kill a foetus which has potential to live; they believe that every foetus is alive and has the capacity to develop into a human being like us. So killing a foetus is the same as killing a human being which is wrong. Pro-choice groups regard abortion as acceptable in some circumstances such as there being a serious medical problem which could endanger the foetus or mothers life, the foetus will suffer from mental or physical abnormalities or where the pregnancy was unintentional for example rape of failure of contraception. Two philosophical theories that could be applied to this debate could be natural law and virtue ethics. Natural law main focus is on actions, it asks if an action is good or bad and in accordance with nature. One of the primary precepts is protect and preserve the innocent. From this we get a secondary precept do not abort. This is an absolute moral rule that you should not kill an innocent person. This is how the Catholic Church views abortion and therefore condemns abortion in all instances. The Church of England tries to encourage the issues surrounding abortion, the church recognises that all individuals have different views regarding this sensitive matter. The 1983 resolution of Synod stated: That in situations where the continuance of a pregnancy threatens the life of the mother a termination of pregnancy may be justified and that there must be adequate and safe provision in our society for such situations Church of England General Synod, 1983 There are a few Catholics that disagree with the Vatican regarding abortion. They argue against the total ban on abortion with arguments such as: Theologians such as Aquinas and Augustine who believed that a foetus does not become a person until between 40 and 80 days after conception has occurred. Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to follow their own conscience on moral matters. Though pro-choice Catholics dont see abortion as being morally good they to argue that there could be situations where it is the least bad moral choice that is available at the time. Virtue ethics are concerned with what kind of people we should be. It helps to develop characteristics which help to make moral decisions easier, for example whether to consider and abortion or not. These ethics dont say that abortion is right or wrong but that it is up to the individuals personal character. A decision that a woman makes about an abortion must contribute towards her happiness. A person, who is virtuous and has disciplined themselves in the virtues of temperance, would be in a better state of mind and condition to decide on the important matter of having an abortion. In some countries such as India, aborting foetuses which are to be born girls are becoming a major problem. Some cultures prefer to have baby boys, so request are termination purely on the basis that the child is female. Pro-choice activist and author Janet Hadley, sex selection abortions in India are extremely common: All over India, there are clinics performing amniocentesis and ultrasound scans, even in districts too poor to afford supplies of clean drinking water. Every day, an estimated 3000 female foetuses are aborted. And there are doctors making a mint. Janet Hadley Abortion: between Freedom and Necessity (Great Britain: Virago Press 1996) 88 Female foeticide is more common than male foeticide, countries, in particular India and China, are more likely to have serious consequences on the balance of the genders in the population. The reasons behind these are mostly cultural, rather than religious. When it comes to this very sensitive debate, I feel I can honestly say that I am neither, for or against abortion. I do feel it is every womans right to decide. Until I am placed in a position where I am undecided on whether to continue with a pregnancy or not, I find it very difficult to have an opinion. Working in an operating theatre, it is part of my role to be part of a surgical team which carries out termination of pregnancies. I think doing this job has influenced me to have an impartial view on this matter. I have seen patients use this procedure as a form of contraception, but have also had to be with patients who have made the decision to terminate their pregnancy due to foetal abnormalities and miscarriage. Every womans circumstances are different and should be taken into consideration, and in a lot of these cases we have to consider the fathers feelings which a lot of people tend to forget. Euthanasia Euthanasia is the act of deliberately ending a persons life in order to end their suffering. According to English law both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal. This process is sometimes called mercy killing. Euthanasia can fall into categories such as: voluntary euthanasia where a person makes the decision to die and asks for help enable to do this. Non-voluntary euthanasia is when a person is unable to make the decision or give consent to die, for reasons such as being in a coma or being brain damaged, another person will make the decision on their behalf. This could be because the patient expressed their wishes for their life to be ended in these circumstances. Involuntary euthanasia is where someone is killed regardless of their wishes. There has always been lots of controversy surrounding the debate on euthanasia and whether this act should be legal or not. In most countries euthanasia is seen as a criminal homicide or murder. Although in countries such as Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg these practices are still considered legal. Killing is inexcusable yet is seen as excusable when used as a criminal punishment? Arguments regarding this debate can often depend on which method is used to carry out the end of life for the patient. There are many arguments on this debate, many of which fall into different categories such as ethical, practical and religious arguments and many more. Some ethical arguments for anti-euthanasia may include: Euthanasia weakening the respect in society and the sanctity of life, and all human beings are valued regardless of age, religion, sex etc. Voluntary euthanasia could be the start of a slippery slope which may lead to involuntary euthanasia; where a person who wants to live is killed regardless of their wishes. Euthanasia can affect other peoples hum rights, not just those of the patients, for example, family, relatives and even medical staff. Practical arguments for anti-euthanasia in this debate could be: If palliative care was to be carried out properly euthanasia would not needed to be necessary, it could help prevent a patient feeling this is the only option. Doctors should not be allowed to decide when a patient should die; legalisation of this would put doctors in a position of power which would be unacceptable. Religious people feel that euthanasia is against the will of god. Although god has given us all free will, they argue that it would be wrong for us to kill ourselves or ask another to do it for them. The slippery slope argument explains the fears of voluntary euthanasia becoming legal and where it may lead, such as involuntary euthanasia. If the law changes and voluntary euthanasia becomes legal, how would we be able to keep it under control? Without official regulations and control mechanisms proponents of euthanasia feel it would never be legalised Where would this slippery slope lead to? Could doctors start killing patients without their permission? Would doctors kill patients to save money and create more free beds? We conclude that is was virtually impossible to ensure that all acts of euthanasia were truly voluntary and that any liberations of the law in the United Kingdom could not be abused. We were also concerned that vulnerable people the elderly, lonely, sick or distressed would feel pressure, whether real or imagined, to request early death. Lord Walton, Chairman, House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics looking into euthanasia, 1993. Why do people want euthanasia? Most people think that the main reason that people choose to seek euthanasia is because of them being in severe and unbearable pain. There are many psychological factors such as depression, feeling like a burden, the loss of their dignity and not wanting to be dependent which cause people to think of euthanasia. People consider what quality of life they are going to have, for example; a terminally ill patient can be damaged by physical conditions e.g. incontinence, vomiting, paralysis and difficulty breathing. Some peoples arguments may include: People have the right to die when and how they would like; being independent gives them the right to carry out decisions about themselves. A libertarian argument believes that if an action is in the best interest of everybody, then it does not violate anybodys rights, so is morally acceptable. Euthanasia happens, so is it not better to legalise it and make it regulated properly. People are allowed to die with dignity and in their own way. Relatives are spared from watching their loved ones suffer and die painfully. Utilitarianism believes that moral rules should produce the greatest happiness of the greatest people. Looking at it from utilitarian point of view, people who are allowed to die a good death when they choose will allow them to be happier in their final days. Utilitarianism looks at total human happiness and not just that of the patient involved. People who agree with this principle would see the negative effect it would have on those around the patient such as the family, friends and the healthcare professionals, these negative effects would outweigh those of the patient. Kants ethical theory has a different perspective to utilitarianism. Kants theory on mortality derived from the Greek deontology, which means obligation. He didnt agree with the making of moral choices out of compassion or kindness. He believed in what was the right thing to do, and choosing to fight the dying process is more important than just simply ending it all because of suffering and pain. Kant felt that the intentions of and act was more important than the actual act itself. I think that euthanasia is one of the most complicated debates to date. Its very hard to say whether you are either for or against euthanasia until you are put in a position where you could choose to live or die. The only way I could possibly have an opinion on this matter would be to imagine if it was a member of my family wanting to die. If I thought that they were going to have no quality of life and there was no hope of recovering then maybe I would consider euthanasia if it was what they wanted, the only way I would do this would be with their consent. I do strongly feel it does depend on each situation and the mental state of the patient, as voluntary euthanasia could be made and easy option if someone was to have suicidal tendencies.

Henry T. Ford Essay -- essays research papers

Henry T. Ford (1863-1947) Henry Ford once said: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young';. - Henry Ford Henry T. Ford, pioneering automotive engineer, is mostly credited forinventing the automobile. The fact is he did not, he used what was developed and studied in the automobile industry to develop his own ideas and revolutionized the automotive industry. His creativity made possible for him to develop the assembly line that sparked the auto production. Henry Ford Henry Ford was born near Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30, 1863. His family had nothing to do with the automobile, they were simple farmers. Henry lived on the farm that was run by his father who was an Irish man, and his mother who was Dutch, his mother died when he was 12. After his mother death he helped out around the family farm in summer and in winter attended a one-room school. From the young age he was fascinating my moving mechanical things. Form the young age he was fascinated by watches and clocks. He went around the countryside doing repair work without pay, for him all mattered was to play with the machinery of the watch. From his personal experience on the farm he was fascinated my farm machines that reduced the drudgery of farm chores. We can notice there was a lot of a kid in him, and to go around or making his chores easier he invented his own farm machines. His fascination with machines grew as he grew older. At the age of thirteen, for the first time he saw a coal-fi red steam engine that was rolling along a long rural road. From that point he grew more fascinated about machines that moved about a roads without any manpower. At the age of sixteen, and against the wishes of his father, he left the home farm for Detroit, where he found work as a mechanic’s apprentice. He was faced with low paying jobs. Working for $2.50 in mechanics shop then moved to watchmaker were he worked for four hours and was paid $2 a week. Steadily he worked him self up in Edison Illuminating Company, and became a chief engineer there. In 1884 he took charge of a farm his father gave him. At twenty-four he married Clara Bryant and settled at his farm. But Ford did not stay long at the farm after two years he went back to Detroit and worked as a n... ... a 1941 ford company became the only major manufacturer of automobiles in the Detroit area that had not recognized any labor unions. At hearings before the National Labor Board ford was found guilty of repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act. Ford was forced to negotiate a labor contract with a union after a strike was successfully held at the main plant at river Rouge, Michigan, in April 1941.During the W.W.II era Ford was granted government contracts for which he manufactured war materials like: parts for the bombers and later, the entire airplane. By the end of W.W.II (1945) one of his plants manufactured more than 8,000 planes. Henry ford died on April 7,1947, in Dearborn. Ford left a personal fortune at $500 to $700 million, giving large shares of the money to Ford Foundation, a nonprofit organization. The Ford Motor Company was taken over by grandson of Henry Ford, Henry Ford II who carried his ownership until his death in 1987. “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young but becomes constantly more valuable, regardless of physical capacity.'; -Henry T. Ford

Compare and Contrast the Culture of Cahokia to the Anasazi Nation Apush Frq Essay

Anasazi and Cahokia Nation The political, economic, and social aspects of the lives of the Cahokia and Anasazi nations before the European exploration differed greatly, but there are some resemblances. They each have a separate cultures and traditions; separate ways they live their lives. Cahokia was the largest Native American settlement North of Mexico ever established before 1492, where they practiced mound-building and human sacrifice. The Anasazi are the ancestors of the modern day Pueblo people, who lived in cliff dwellings in the deserts of current day New Mexico. The political structure and type of governing within these two nations is unalike. The Cahokians had a ranked society, with upper and lower classes. The elite class controlled the workers of the lower class. Civic and religious leaders governed them. These leaders lived in wooden houses atop the flattened peaks of pyramids, and literally looked down on the people they ruled. The Anasazi were unbiased, without well-defined class limitations. They were divided into clans, and governed by the clan elders. The Cahokians and Anasazians may have cultural similarities, but their political structure is not one. The Cahokians had more economic advantages than the Anasazi, but both nations managed to thrive. Cahokia was a city of fifteen thousand people, and they were a rich city. Much of their prosperity was due to their frequent trading; they were the center of a trading network linked to a third of the continent. However, both the Cahokians and Anasazians were very resourceful. They both hunted and forged their own tools. The Cahokian’s were made of bones, while the Anasazi’s were made of wood or stone. Obviously, both nations were a creative breed. The Cahokians weaved baskets, usually from cornhusks, and most likely used them to transport food. Anasazi people made pottery, and used them to transport water. Cultivated crops and water were both readily available to the Cahokians, but not to the Anasazi. The location of both tribes led to economic differences. Social structure was more important to, and enforced by, Cahokia than the Anasazi. The Cahokians had the more important citizens separated from the  lower classes, but the Anasazi all lived together and were equal. The people of Cahokia lived in houses, and the Anasazi lived in pueblo communities. These pueblo communities were located on cliff sides, and made of clay. But even though their living situations were different, both cultures were friendly and close-knit. The Anasazi were all equal, but the Cahokians brought each other gifts and traded frequently. The social traditions of these two groups of people lack resemblance in the way they live, but as a community and forming lasting relationships, they share that characteristic. The political aspects of Cahokia and the Anasazi were at an extreme opposition. The economic situations were dissimilar, location is partly to blame, but both nations conquered obstacles and managed to blossom. Their social structure also differed, but the groups of people upheld strong relationships and friendships with the other members of the community. Although the Anasazi and Cahokia nations were considerably different, some similarities are acknowledged.

Florida Panther essays

Florida Panther essays The state mammal of Florida, the Florida panther, was placed on the endangered species list by the federal government in 1967. With around forth panthers remaining, its about time we did something to protect this graceful predator, but what can we do? One suggested idea is to introduce a group of cougars into the panthers environment. Personally, the cougars should not be introduced. The main reason the panther population is at the brink of extinction is due to humans and human activity. For one reason, the loss of habitat and fragmentation have cut down on the amount of resources and land available to the panthers. As far as the loss of habitat goes, adding another species will only add another consumer that has to feed off of the already scarce resources. Also, how will adding another species stop fragmentation? It cant, but the development of highways and such doesnt have to be halted. Panthers can in a way compromise with us. Panthers can tolerate a certain degree of development as long as hallways or corridors of forests connect one large block of habitable land to another. A study was performed in 1996 in the Santa Ana Mountains, located in Southern California, that found cougars had been successfully using these hallways to travel in order to find new territory. The idea of building a pathway is what is to be drawn from this example. Another human-caused problem is the panthers being involved in collisions with vehicles. Even since 1972, forth-four panthers have been killed in those accidents. Wildlife crossings, signs, and right of way fencing were put up along side the roadways that crossed public lands. Out of the forth miles which had been lined with fencing, not one panther has been killed where these structures are in place. Negative public perceptions also threaten the future survival of the Florida panther. With the support of the Florida residents ...

fragula essays

fragula essays gahhh!!! i dont want to submit a paper but it appears to be neccessary so heres this paper im working on right now... its about alzheimers, and the whole reson im joining is so i can find a closing paragraph to this essay... so needless to say this paper has no closing, nor does it have a bibliography... so anyways... here it is: Forgetfulness, disorientation, moodiness, poor judgment, these are all things that can happen to a common person on a daily basis. Any person can forget where they put their keys. Any perfectly healthy person can have a bad day and seem to have mood swings. And most definitely, every one makes bad decisions from time to time. But in the case of Alzheimers disease these things cause major problems in a persons life. A person with Alzheimer's may often make bad decisions with money. They often give excessive amounts of money to telemarketers or to salesmen. Then can easily be disorientated also. They often forget where they park and then will forget where they are going or even what they were doing. In extreme cases they can even forget very common words or even forget how to talk all together. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting around 500,000 people in the UK. In America Alzheimer's disease currently strikes an estimated 4.2 million to 5.8 million. The Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary defines Alzheimers disease as a degenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized especially by premature senile mental deterioration. In laymans terms this means that it is a disease that slowly gets worse and worse. What happens is that the central nervous system or the part of the brain and spinal cord where sensory and speech impulses are transmitted from starts to brake down. This causes unusual and awkward behavior in the person affected. The term Alzheimer's disease dates back to 1906 when Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician ...

The City, the Subject and the Digital Image Essay

The City, the Subject and the Digital Image - Essay Example Urban alienation, therefore, becomes a favored subject in the works of literature and visual arts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Red Road, an impressive, idiosyncratic and directorial debut by Andrea Arnold, the winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival of 2006, is a suspense thriller known for its complex structure and theme of alienation. This movie is the first of three films that originated as a part of Lars von Trier’s post-Dogma Advance Party project, wherein Arnold and two other new directors were to create three low-budget DV films in different genres around a minimally outlined set of characters that are to be played by the same group of actors. The movie unfolds with the theme of abuse of information through the electronic surveillance devised by the governments of the twentieth century. Electronic surveillance, which is practiced for the benefit of the public for their social coherence and protection, in fact becomes a tool in the hands of some who desire more from the society. The modern surveillance technology is effective in delivering virtual truth through the proliferation of high-resolution cameras that are largely looming over urban areas. If this can be seen as a mode of protection, then it can also be identified as a fine example of modern authoritarianism that is progressively diminishing our privacy. In Red Road, we find electronic surveillance becoming a personalized virtual power used by the protagonist to serve her purpose of revenge. Plot:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Set in Glasgow, Red Road depicts the story of Jackie (Kate Dickie), who is a low-paid CCTV operative whose duty is to scan the northern side of the city and to alert the emergency services to events like stabbings and muggings that require their presence. Jackie is in her thirties who is devoid of family and friends and her life, mostly robotic, is limited to the occasional smiles that occur while watching over the normal life of ordinary folks on-screen. She clo sely monitors the many CCTV cameras from a lonely dark room and passes her time by watching the life of those people who live nearer to cameras. Her routine is disrupted when she spots Clyde (Tony Curran), the man responsible for the deaths of her husband and young child, who is in parole for good behavior. Jackie tries to gather some dirt on Clyde by misusing her position of CCTV operator. In vengeance, she begins to remotely pursuit Clyde and to learn more of his life she even begins to physically stalking Clyde. Clyde, who shares a flat in the Red Road Estate with the disturbed youngsters Stevie (Martin Compston) and April (Natalie Press), draws himself closer to Jackie. Jackie, after several meetings, sleeps with Clyde and then accuses him of rape. Clyde's attempts to re-unite with his own teenage girl dissolve the hatred in Jackie and she drops the charges. The movie ends with a positive note, wherein we find Jackie reconciling with her in-laws and is contemplating a future. An alysis: Choosing Glasgow for the plot invites our attention and appreciation as the city serves as a location where the story unwinds, characters meet and explore their own racial and sexual identities. Being a city Glasgow captures the consciousness of its citizens and accentuated social cohesion, where every citizen is dependent on each other for their very existence. The city through its

Business Discussion Advise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Discussion Advise - Essay Example This road map aims to answer questions relative to the growth potential and objectives of the business as well as the feasibility of financial projections. Apart from this, the purpose of business plan may also hinge on its analysis of current global market conditions and business risks inherent in other countries as well as the proposed capital structure that would maximize the value of the business (Chan, n.d.). In terms of the marketing aspect, the business plan also contains the key issues in connection with market identification in order to link the demand and marketing program for the product manufactured or service provided by the firm to its existing and potential customers across countries ("MoneyGlossary," n.d.). As mentioned, an entrepreneur should carefully consider the capital structure of the business in light of the substantial working capital requirement of a global investment. With this, he/she should take into account the sources of finance to fund business operations. For instance, he/she may opt for a global offering of the firm's stocks in order to raise capital. On the other hand, an entrepreneur may also consider issuing foreign bonds, the issuer being a foreigner in a particular domestic market, in the bond markets of various countries ("Investopedia,"n.d.).