The Issue of Rational Suicide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Issue of Rational Suicide - Essay Example Rational suicide, aka ‘euthanasia,’ is taken from Greek origin meaning ‘good death.’ Writers of 1700’s Britain referred to euthanasia as a being a preferential method by which to ‘die well’ (â€Å"Definition†, 2007). In the medical arena, rational suicide describes a situation in which a terminally ill patient is administered a lethal dose of medication, is removed from a life-support system or is simply allowed to die without active participation such as by resuscitation. A doctor’s involvement in the procedure could be to either prescribe a lethal dose of drugs with the express intent of ending a life or by intravenously inserting a needle into the terminal patient who then activates a switch that administers the fatal dose (Naji et al, 2005). Physicians, lawmakers, and philosophers have debated the notion of rational suicide since the beginning of recorded history but the wide public debate regarding its legalization has only surfaced over the past three decades. In the 1970’s it became lawful to draft ‘living wills’ which allows a patient to refuse ‘heroic’ life saving medical assistance in the event they were incapacitated and could only survive by artificial means (Rich, 2001). In other words, it gave the next of kin the right to direct doctors to ‘pull the plug’ if the patient’s condition was considered hopeless, a practice which is now broadly accepted.   However, these wills did not eliminate the potential problem of individuals being kept alive for incredibly long periods of time in permanent unconscious states as there were often no provisions for withdrawing nutrition and hydration when no other life support interventions were necessary.   This oversight has been largely addressed through power of attorney.   â€Å"The durable power of attorney allows an individual to designate in writing a proxy or surrogate decision maker (the at torney-in-fact) who has the same degree of authority to consent to or decline life-sustaining treatment as the patient would if he or she were competent†