Instructions: Pick one of the following questions and write a 1,500 + word essay (around 5+ typed, double-space, pages) in response. Make sure your answer is focused on the question and give reasons, particularly in terms of moral principles.
<
Submit your essay via Blackboard.
<
1. Analyze the debate on active euthanasia and assisted suicide in terms of the Diane case. Does her case better support one side or the other? Why or why not? [You might want to consider the following sorts of questions: Would it be reasonable, for example, to claim that Quill killed his patient? Could Quills way of handling a case like Dianes pose slippery-slope risks? Is Diane entitled to such assistance, in the same sense that she is entitled not to be treated?
<
2. Must patients sometimes be protected from their own decision making? Does a fully autonomous decision necessarily reflect individual well-being? Consider using Dianes and Daxs case or some of the others (Howe, for example) weve read about to focus your essay.
<
3. Does an individuals interest in making intimate and private decisions outweigh societys interest in protecting the weak from potential abuse? Does the possibility of a slippery slope should society legalize PAS or voluntary active euthanasia justify denying the requests of patients like Diane (or maybe Dax)?