Critical Review-Medical Ethics

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Introduction

In this paper will conduct a study on various medical ethics that have been the most

debatable among the members of the society and the world at large. Medical ethics are the

principle morals that are set to govern the practice of both scientific research and clinical

medicines. The set systems of the moral tenets govern how both items should be conducted, what

is accepted and what is not acceptable. Assisted suicide and cloning have been the major grounds

of battle when it comes to medical ethics as some support, but the larger population of the world

are against it. The scientific research on cloning has been condemned by every major religious

group terming it unethical and satanic. On the other hand, assisted suicide has also raised

concerns with the majority being against it. In this study, we are going to critically analyze why

the larger community of the world considers these two topics unethical. We, therefore, going to

discuss the threats the two holds when it comes to analyzing the medical ethics and whether

assisted suicide should be legalized for the physicians. In some case, we are going to discuss

whether cloning is inevitable. Some of the raised concerns will be critically reviewed to see

whether they stand ground or just a mere speculation. The two sources that will be used for this

study include “The Ethics of Human Cloning” by John Woodward and “Assisted Suicide” by

Laura K. Egendorf. The significance of studying these two topics is to understand where the

world is headed as well as the various conflicts that would arise from the same.

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“Assisted Suicide” by Laura K. Egendorf

Assisted suicide has brought about confusion and debates especially when it comes to its

legalization. In some countries such as Switzerland, the act has been legalized despite the

condemnation it receives from people of all culture and front. This issue unites almost all the

people of the world despite their political difference, cultural background, and religious

affiliation. Laura (p.114) supports the need to have assisted suicide legalized and gave various

reasons for it. One of the reasons listed is that assisted suicide would improve the treatment of

the terminally ill. She argues upon the suffering of the terminally ill whose only wish is to end

their suffering by finding an easier way out and that having them commit suicide is the only way

they can genuinely find peace. I disagree with this statements for various reasons listed below.

Currently, the world is growing technologically as well as medically. The medical

advancement has been of great success, and as more research is being conducted, it is only right

that the world remains hopeful of the outcomes that may come along. Assisted suicide because of

improving treatment of the terminally ill is very unethical in the medical field and therefore

should not be tolerated. The scientists are conducting researches on the sicknesses including

significant epidemics such as HIV/AIDs. Major medical breakthroughs have also been realized,

the scientists are also on the verge of discovering a cure for the same terminal sickness, and thus

the terminally ill can still be hopeful since miracles can happen. Should a family persuade to end

the life of someone they care about just because they are terminally ill and a few hours after the

person is dead a breakthrough comes along, how will the family live with all the guilt that

follows? These are some of the questions we should ask ourselves before we legalize assisted

suicide as it goes against the medical ethics.

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One of the other point raised by on why assisted suicide should be legalized is that it

would not threaten the disabled. The main reason given for this is that assisted suicide will allow

the competent disabled adults to get empowered and therefore improve their quality of live

(p.127). I disagree with the above statements as allowing assisted suicide would otherwise

threaten their rights by sending them the wrong message that their lives do not matter. Just as it

was the case for the terminally ill, most of the disabled people, feel like they are a burden to their

families as well as their partners. Were assisted suicide be legalized it would threaten their right

to live as the majority of them would opt for suicide instead of living. Suicide would prove to be

an easy way out for them. Therefore, at the end of it all, it would be unethical for the medical

professionals, as they would be deemed murders.

The last point raised by the author is that legalizing assisted suicide would prevent abuse

by the physicians since guidelines would be in place to govern each suicide as well as

counseling, support and constant checkup of the affected families (p.140). I disagree with this

statement, as it would instead increase the rate of abuse of power since the same medical

professional will prey on the naïve to benefit financially from them. The particular type of

patients such as women and the disabled would be coerced into an assisted death as the way out

of their suffering. Most of the counseling would be turned into the coercion zones, and thus the

subjected matter should not legalize.

“The Ethics of Cloning” by John Woodward

Religion and science have frequently conflicted for ages, but the issue of human cloning

has been uniquely put aside as one of the major conflicts between the two in current times.

Human cloning, on the other hand, has the only uniting factor between the secular and the

religious (p.4). In this study, we will review the perspectives given on whether it is inevitable or

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not. I agree with the statement that human cloning is unavoidable this because of different

reasons as well as factors that have brought about the push for it some of which are listed below.

The first cloning happened almost three decades ago, and after a successful cloning of a

Dolly twenty years ago, it is clear that cloning is here to stay. The successful cloning of a Dolly

in 1997 opened more doors for research as well as scientific development in nuclei fusion of the

reproductive cells to produce an offspring. This success was however not welcomed as most

religious communities condemned it terming it as an insult to God and other supreme beings they

worship (p.48, 49). To the entire population, it was unethical, and an insult to life itself but the

scientists took it as a breakthrough for scientific research and therefore continued to research it.

Thus, attempts at human cloning are consequently inevitable.

Another reason why it is inevitable is the world’s trends towards some issues can be

influenced quickly, for example, the people have denounced many other new reproductive

technologies at first, but at the end of it all, they have adapted then actually using them. This

alone suggests that the human opinion about something can be manipulated and the practices

deemed immoral become moral. Apart from that research also indicates that about six to seven

percent of the American adults advocate for it and thus if this is successful most of them would

advocate for it rather than having children by conventional means thus making human cloning

inevitable (p.49).

Having legalized gays and lesbians’ rights in most countries of the world, which were ones,

considered immoral, it is clear indication that the world is changing its stand on various issues

(p.52). Human cloning will, therefore, become inevitable, as most of these communities who

cannot have children by conventional means will opt for human cloning thus the market demand

for it will increase therefore making it inevitable to stop human cloning.

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Conclusion

My conclusion of the study questions raised and reviewed using the two secondary is that

Laura did not raise convincing answers on why assisted suicide should be legalized at the same

time John gave adequate reasons on why human cloning is inevitable. I disagreed with the

reasons given by Laura and the same time agree with the statements are reasons given by John

on human cloning. Therefore, both books answered both my questions and thus reviewed

according to the standards laid out.

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Work Cited

Egendorf, Laura K. Assisted suicide. Greenhaven Pr, 1998.

Woodward, J. (2005). The Ethics of Human Cloning. Thomson/Gale.

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