Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Perspectives Book Report.docx -...

Ethical Dilemma of Euthanasia and Terminal Illness
Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Perspectives
GSGI19050

In Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's novel, Questions and Answers on Death and Dying 1 ,
Kübler-Ross compassionately answers the most frequently asked questions regarding death.
Those questions include accepting the end of life, suicide, terminal illness, euthanasia, how to
tell a patient that they are critically ill, and how to deal with difficulties surrounding deaths.
The book's questions and answers format allow the audience to feel as if they are asking
Kübler-Ross those questions, allowing them to learn and gain insight into how to come to
terms with death. Kübler-Ross is most well-known for introducing the five stages of grief
model, which postulates that those experiencing grief goes through a series of five emotions:
denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. As a terminally ill person is faced with
the reality of death, Kübler-Ross attempts to help the patient and the family to arrive at the
acceptance stage of death.
In Chapter 3 2 , the author states that suicide should not be advertised as everyone’s
right. As a psychiatrist herself, Kübler-Ross believes medical professionals’ role should
always be to prolong a meaningful life. She wants people who have the chance of getting
better to get all the help available so they can spend their time and energy to live rather than
contemplate suicide as an “easy way out.” However, the exception stands for terminally ill
patients who are beyond medical help. When those people consider suicide, the author
believes that they have the right to decide not to take their medication or refuse additional
medical help. Without artificially prolonging the dying process, patients can die naturally.
She emphasizes being in the patient’s shoes first before considering family and the medical
staff’s needs when it comes to terminally ill patients wanting to commit suicide or get
euthanasia done. When patients consider suicide, the question of why the person wants to
1 Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth. Questions and Answers on Death and Dying . New York, NY:
Scribner, 1997.
2 “ 3 Suicide and Terminal Illness.” Pages 52–59.

commit suicide arises rather than right and wrong. Furthermore, she argues that some
physicians who have the schemata of dying as failure must understand that they are not
serving to help the patients. She stresses that decisions to be left up to the patient when he/she
no longer finds any meaning in life and very costly to continue living.
Kübler-Ross does not view suicide as abnormal behavior 3 , and that it could be
considered a typical ending of the last stage of dying. As a medical professional herself, she is
in the position to help patients, but not to judge them. Through her experience in the field, she
has heard of patients who terminated their lives soon after completing their unfinished
businesses, getting their houses in order, and reaching a mental stage of peace and