Applying An Ethical Theory: Close 1 2 3 4 Please Read These

Applying An Ethical Theorywlo 4 Clos 1 2 3 4please Read Thes

Please read these assignment instructions before writing your paper as they contain very precise and specific instructions on both the content and format requirements. You should download the provided outline and use that to structure your paper, and also consult the assignment guidance and modeled example for additional help. Finally, before submitting your assignment please use the checklist to ensure that you have completed all of the requirements.

This course has three written assignments that build upon one another and are designed to take you step-by-step through a process of writing a paper that identifies an ethical question, examines the context, issues, and arguments surrounding the question, and attempts to defend an answer to that question using strong moral reasoning.

This second written assignment is a four-part exercise comprised of the following sections: 1) Ethical Question, 2) Introduction, 3) Explanation of the Ethical Theory, 4) Application of the Ethical Theory. For sections (1) and (2), revise and expand on what you did in the first assignment. Sections (3) and (4) are new. The main purpose of this paper is to define the nature and scope of the ethical theory in a way that shows how the core principle(s) of that theory lead to a specific moral conclusion on your ethical question. Someone fully committed to the moral reasoning of the ethical theory would answer your ethical question accordingly, even if it differs from your personal stance.

The assignment should be 900 to 1,000 words, written in essay form with clearly labeled sections, and include a title page and reference page.

Paper For Above instruction

Part 1: Ethical Question

Should physicians be allowed to opt-out of assisting with suicide if it is legal and a person requests it?

Part 2: Introduction

There are countries around the world that have legalized euthanasia, allowing physicians to be involved in the termination of a patient's life at their request. This issue has become highly controversial, especially in regions where some states permit physicians to assist individuals in ending their lives under certain circumstances (Thomson, 2019). Typically, such situations involve patients suffering intense pain that exceeds human endurance, prompting them to seek death to escape suffering (Lee et al., 2016). Suffering, however, can only be truly assessed by the individual experiencing it, and thus, the patient's testimony becomes critical. Nevertheless, the topic raises ethical and religious concerns, particularly for those who oppose the deliberate ending of life, and questions about whether patients can genuinely consent when in compromised mental states (Thomson, 2019). Cases like Brittany's—who moved to Oregon to access assisted death—highlight these debates. The core ethical principle of autonomy argues that individuals have the right to make decisions about their own lives, including the timing and manner of death (Thames, 2018). This paper will explore whether physicians should be permitted to refuse assistance in suicide, considering various moral perspectives.

Part 3: Explanation of the Ethical Theory

Choosing a moral framework, this paper focuses on deontology, a normative ethical theory primarily developed by Immanuel Kant. Deontology emphasizes adherence to moral duties and principles rather than consequences. Historically, deontology stems from Kant's moral philosophy in the 18th century, emphasizing that acts are morally right if they are performed out of duty and in accordance with moral law, regardless of outcomes (Kant, 1785). The central principle of Kantian ethics is the categorical imperative, which commands individuals to act only according to maxims that can be consistently universalized and that treat humanity always as an end, never merely as a means (Kant, 1785). As Kant states, “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law” (Kant, 1785). In applying this to moral questions, Kantian ethics would evaluate whether a given action respects the intrinsic dignity of persons and can be rationally accepted as a universal norm—such as the duty not to kill or harm others.

Part 4: Application of the Ethical Theory

Applying Kantian deontology to the question of physician assistance in suicide, a person committed to this ethical perspective would assess whether helping a patient to end their life aligns with moral duties and respects human dignity. Kant argued that murder or intentionally causing death violates the intrinsic worth of human beings, as each person must be treated as an end in themselves (Kant, 1785). From this perspective, assisting in suicide could be viewed as morally impermissible because it involves using the patient's life as a means to alleviate suffering, which contradicts the Kantian principle of treating individuals consistently as ends. Furthermore, Kantian ethics places a duty to preserve life and respect the moral law, which opposes actions that intentionally end life outside of clear, universal moral statutes. Hence, someone fully committed to Kantian principles would likely conclude that physicians should refuse to assist in suicide, even if it is legally permitted and desired by the patient. This reflects the deontological emphasis on duty, moral law, and the inherent worth of human life, suggesting that aid in dying compromises these moral imperatives.

References

• Kant, I. (1785). Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals. Translated by H. J. Paton. Harper & Row, 1964.
• Thames, B. (2018). How should one live? An introduction to ethics and moral reasoning (3rd ed.).
• Fischer, S., Huber, C. A., Imhof, L., Imhof, R. M., Furter, M., Ziegler, S. J., & Bosshard, G. (2018). Suicide assisted by two Swiss right-to-die organizations. Journal of medical ethics, 34(11).
• Lee, M. A., Nelson, H. D., Tilden, V. P., Ganzini, L., Schmidt, T. A., & Tolle, S. W. (2016). Legalizing assisted suicide—views of physicians in Oregon. New England Journal of Medicine, 334(5).
• Thomson, J. J. (2019). Physician-assisted suicide: Two moral arguments. Ethics, 109(3).
• Additional scholarly sources on deontology and Kantian ethics.