Gooding, Jason ( ITS Staff )Windows User222010-11-16T01:36:00Z2010-11-16T01:36:00Z14882782U of M - Flint236326412Numerous theories are found concerning the legality and moral status of euthanasia. Currently, physician-assisted suicide is illegal in most parts of the United States. Though illegal, it is widely practiced by many physicians and kept hidden. The question becomes whether to keep physician-assisted suicide illegal, legalize it, or whether a physician must be ethically obligated to continue with the practice illegally. With the number of opinions on the subject comes, the numerous ethical theories are used to benefit the opinions. Physician-assisted suicide should be legalized and therefore justified to practice in the United States under specific guidelines and conditions. The government must take into account a patient’s autonomy and follow the act utilitarian approach to legalize physician-assisted suicide in certain cases including the case of Bill R.In Bill R’s case and similar cases of an impossible medical recovery, a patient’s autonomy and act utilitarianism must be considered to make the correct action. The right action in act utilitarianism is one in which no other act could have been used to produce a higher utility. In a case presenting a terminal ill patient that is suffering great pain, giving him the legal option of suicide is the right action. Also legalizing the option for physician-assisted suicide would help recognize a dying patient’s autonomy and would be morally appropriate. The government should legalize physician-assisted suicide in cases where terminally ill patients are suffering excruciating pain.In the case concerning Bill R, his autonomy and the utilitarian approach should be used to legalize physician-assisted suicide in his case. The autonomy of a terminally ill patient would be properly recognized if physician-assisted suicide became legal. In Bill’s case, he only has 5-7 months to live and wants control over his death rather than experiencing a painful, slow death. Suggesting assisted suicide to a physician begins a confusing process because of the legal standpoint. Many physicians feel the ethical obligation to help people like Bill R pass but due to legality many struggle with the help. Legalizing physician-assisted suicide would therefore benefit the patient’s autonomy in allowing his choice of suicide as well as alleviating the ethical pressure put on many physicians. The Act utilitarianism approach would help the government end the ban on physician-assisted suicide in cases such as Bill R. The option to end the constant suffering of a dying patient would follow act utilitarianism because no other act could be used to produce a higher utility. When all options for a medical recovery is gone, a person should have the legal right to choose a painless, quick death. Legalizing physician-assisted suicide would therefore increase happiness and lower the unhappiness caused by the severe suffering a terminal ill patient goes through. Legalizing the option for physician-assisted suicide would help produce the highest utility to dying, suffering patients and therefore should be legalized. Like all bioethics issues comes opposing viewpoints to the conflict.The opposing viewpoint to legalizing physician-assisted suicide comes especially strong from the Roman Catholic views. These