Ethical Theories and Convenience Euthanasia - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1415 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/02/06 Category Medicine Essay Level High school Tags: Euthanasia Essay Did you like this example? Introduction Convenience Euthanasia is very common in the veterinary field. As an undergraduate student in an animal science/pre-veterinarian major and a person who volunteered for several years in different animal hospitals, I have witnessed several pet owners desiring convenience euthanasia. A main topic of discussion is the ethical and moral views behind the acts of convenience euthanasia. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Ethical Theories and Convenience Euthanasia" essay for you Create order Convenience Euthanasia is defined as the â€Å"†¦euthanasia of a physically and psychologically healthy animal†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rathwell-Deault, Godard, Frank, Doize, 2017) yet convenience euthanasia is not only used with healthy animals. Convenience Euthanasia can be used when an owner is not willing to pay for the pet’s treatment, wants to put pet down because owner cannot take care of the pet, or owner cannot afford the pet’s treatment. There are so many reasons to why convenience Euthanasia is a dilemma, no one enjoys feeling rejected and not wanted, so why would we not expect pets to feel the same way. It is sad that one could desire to put their pet down just because they cannot take care of them while someone else would love to take care of them. Moreover, veterinarians should still respect owner’s desires. Now that we have a better understanding of what is the dilemma, I will be discussing Kantian Ethics, Virtue Ethics, and Consequentialism to the topic of Convenience Euthanasia to better understand if this method of practice is ethical and justified. Kantian Ethics Kantian Ethics is the ethical idea that our actions must be justified and no matter how much personal gain an action brings, they are wrong if these actions are unfair or unjust (Shafer-Landau, 2018, p.159). When we apply Kantian ethics to Convenience Euthanasia, Convenience Euthanasia seems to be moral, ethical, and a justified option. If we imagine a scenario where an owner comes in with their sick pet and has a hard time paying for a doctor’s exam in the first place. The veterinarian notices a pet’s stomach is bloated and requires an x-ray. The owner says they do not want to pay for an x-ray and they are just here to know why has their pet’s stomach has been bloated for the past months. From the owners’ perspective, they want to know the issue without having to pay more money. From the veterinarian’s perspective, they cannot identify what is the exact issue without an x-ray. If we assume from the kindness of the veterinarian’s heart the ow ner gets a discounted x-ray on their pet. Now that the veterinarian knows the exact issue, it turns out that there might be a big problem or a tumor that would require lab work and more expensive medical practices. Since the owners were not willing to pay for the simple examination it is obvious they will not be willing to pay for the expenses of the medical procedure for the pet. Moreover, the owner does not want to pay for the expenses for their pet’s survival because they have more important expenses to pay for themselves. Therefore, the owner requests Euthanasia. Even though, the veterinarian might not think this is the best option but she/he must respect the owner’s desires. Kantian Ethics cannot take into account personal emotions because emotions can blur an individual’s ability to make justified and fair actions (Carter, 2017). Kantian ethics says that the veterinarian has to do its duty and be just to what her owner requested. Virtue Ethics Virtue Ethics is the idea that we focus less on moral duty and concentrate on ideals of character (Shafer-Landau, 2018, p.254). As humans, we should have the capability of making the good right decision and act accordingly to what is justified. This theory â€Å"focuses attention on virtue as a property of character.† (Bright, Winn, Kanov, 2014). The owners of this pet may see that euthanizing their pet is the right thing to do because it solves their problems and they expect the veterinarian to follow through with their requests. As a result of virtue ethics, they assume the veterinarian to think that euthanasia is also the right thing to do and expect the veterinarian to do so. In this situation, most veterinarians would recommend any alternatives other than Euthanasia because there are other solutions. A good veterinarian would suggest giving their pet to a shelter, or a loving home, or to any system that would be able to handle the expenses of the pet and give it the care it deserves. Especially that the pet’s issue is curable the veterinarian would not recommend Euthanasia. A requirement of Virtue Ethics in the medical field is â€Å"†¦avoiding temptations to dismiss moral distress†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (McCammon Brody, 2012). How a veterinarian is capable of handling moral distress or making the decision to use convenience euthanasia in any case depends on their individual character. Some veterinarians would rather obey the commands of the owner than deal with the moral stress of determining if convenience euthanasia is an ethical option. Owners whom do not care enough will see that convenience euthanasia is the answer to their problems but any ordinary veterinarian understands that convenience euthanasia is not the right thing to do and will direct owners to other alterna tives. Consequentialism Consequentialism forces individuals to focus on the future or the end results and allows individuals to make any necessary actions to reach the best end result (Shafer-Landau, 2018, p.120). The best end result for the owner is to just get rid of their problem so they don’t have to deal with it. if the veterinarian decides to euthanize the pet for the owner’s demands then The veterinarian would have to face the consequences of not listening to what He/She thinks is the right thing for the pet nor what is ethical and moral according to the veterinarian’s point of view. On the other hand, if the veterinarian does not euthanize the pet according to what was agreed with the owner then the consequences on the veterinarian would be cheating on the owner and not following the law. If the veterinary has a consequentialist point of view, they have to agree with owners request and euthanize the dog since it will yield the best results. Consequentialism requires the veterinarian to euthanize the puppy because they have a moral obligation to do something if they are capable of doing it because if they ought to do what will have the best consequences, they can do it (Andri?, 2016). Even though it seems unfair and unjust to put the pet down because its owner does not want to take care of their expenses, consequentialism allows them to do so because it will bring the best results in the end. Conclusion Veterinarians are put under ethical stress to determine what is the right decision to make when it comes to Convenience Euthanasia. The final decisions that the veterinarian makes is based off of their understanding of ethical theories. Kantian Ethics claims that convenience euthanasia is the right thing to do, Virtue Ethics portrays that the decision of convenience euthanasia depends on personal character, and Consequentialism expresses convenience euthanasia as the best option that will give the best results. There are several other options to convenience euthanasia such as simply giving the animal to a shelter, but several owners are uneducated and are not aware of these options. Some veterinarians may not want to deal with the stress of making the decision themselves and make the owners happy, but Veterinarians have the duty to keep animals alive for as long as humanely possible. If the owners cannot pay for medical care, the veterinarian is responsible for directing the owners t o other options if the dog is not terminally ill and dying. If the owner is willing to give the dog to a shelter or to another family that can afford medical care, it is a much better option than convenience euthanasia. References Andri?, V. (2016). Is Objective Consequentialism Compatible with the Principle that â€Å"Ought† Implies â€Å"Can†? Philosophia 44(1), 63-77. Bright, D., Winn, S., Kanov, B. (2014). Reconsidering Virtue: Differences of Perspective in Virtue Ethics and the Positive Social Sciences. Journal of Business Ethics, 119(4), 445-460. Carter, S. (2017). A Kantian ethics approach to moral bioenhancement. Bioethics, 31(9), 683 690. McCammon, S., Brody, D. (2012). How Virtue Ethics Informs Medical Professionalism. HEC Forum, 24(4), 257-272. Rathwell-Deault, D., Godard, B., Frank, D., Doize, D. (2017). Expected consequences of convenience euthanasia perceived by veterinarians in Quebec. Canadian Veterinary Journal-Revue Veterinaire Canadienne, 58(7), 723-728. Shafer-Landau, R. (2018). The Fundamentals of Ethics (3th ed.) New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.

Essay about World of Board Games Forbidden Island

As defined by the creators of the board game, the primary object of Forbidden Island is to, â€Å" . . . work together to keep Forbidden Island from sinking in order to buy enough time to capture its four treasures. Once . . . captured . . . (the team of adventurers) must make it to Fools’ Landing and escape by helicopter to win. If however, the island sinks before (the team) can complete (its) tasks, the mission ends in defeat!† Since a game like Forbidden Island was designed to encourage collaboration between the players, the class was divided into several small-sized self-management teams that would be responsible to learn how to play Forbidden Island together under minimal supervision. In addition to the challenging task of capturing the†¦show more content†¦While in the classroom, the task at hand was to simply learn how to play Forbidden Island, observe the game and team members, and gather information to reflect upon. 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Egypt And Mexican Culture Essay Example For Students

Egypt And Mexican Culture Essay For many centuries people have been fascinated by ancient cultures and treasures. During the last two centuries the science of archeology and modern inventions allowed people to get inside of the Egyptian and Mayan pyramids and discover the treasures of Egyptian pharaohs and Mayan rulers. Most of what we know about Egypt we owe to the pyramids. Thanks to Egyptian belief in the afterlife we can now find out about the civilization that existed nearly five thousand years ago. Egyptian culture is not the only culture that left us its heritage in pyramids. In America we find pyramids build by civilizations of Olmec and Maya about 7th century CE. These pyramids had different purposes and usage then the ones in Egypt but they stand as memorials to ancient civilizations as well. Egyptian people believed in life after death. One of the way pharaohs prepared themselves for the afterlife journey was by building a pyramid and putting there all their belongings and riches. Egyptian people believed that pharaoh is the closest person to the God and treated him accordingly. That is the reason for Egyptian tombs being full with the golden jewelry, precious stones and art objects. Most of the time art objects were not considered a treasury but they played their particular role in religious rituals. Jars were holding food and drinks for pharaohs journey, so he would not get hungry and would have food and drinks to offer to the Gods. The figurative sculptures were suppose to accompany Ka spiritual entity in its lonely stay or serve as a twin for the mummy. If something happens to the mummy the ka could use the sculpture of the pharaoh for the revelation. As well as for Egyptians religion was an everyday concern for many of the Maya, whether the dynastic ruler, the zealous priest, or the humble believer. Maya has an extensive religion structure which we can not know in details. Chac and Itzamna are the most famous gods of Mayan culture. Hunahpu and Xbalanque are among the most interesting mythical characters. One of the most crucial gods was Tlaloc, who was worshiped in various guises by the culture of Teotihuacan, the Toltec of Tula, and later Aztecs. The Maya received the cult of Tlaloc during the 4th century more or less. The Cauac Monster, also known as the Witz monster, is a dominant supernatural concept in Maya religion, as are caves, cenotes, and other holy places Maya Civilization pars. The Maya built shrines, temples, and pyramids in honor of their gods, as well as to their kings, who ruled by all-encompassing concept of Divine power. Most of Mayan pyramids are temples to the gods, not the burial tombs as in Egypt. Even though Maya sometimes buried there their rulers they always put the temple on the top of the pyramid. Egyptians had temples near the pyramid or right next to it for the ceremonial services, but it never was placed on top of the structure. Also buildings in both cultures have a lot in common in their visual characteristics they are different structures. Egyptian pyramids originally had smooth equal sides meeting on the top in the perfect apex. Mayan pyramids look like one huge stairway towards the sky. It reminds of earliest Egyptian structures-mastabas, where one layer of stones was put onto another creating the effect of pyramid. Also The Tikal Temple on Great Plaza was originally plastered white. Then the roof comb was painted with reds, blues, and other colors to accent the different areas of sculptural decoration. These roof combs were like giant billboards, with immense portrayals of the enthroned king, larger then life size Cities pars. . Egyptians never colored their religious structures. As well as in Egyptian pyramids, the stone used to construct Mayan pyramids is local limestone, obtained from nearby quarries. The ancient Maya had no stone tools but limestone is soft enough that the Maya could utilize chert tools to work the stone in to neat rectangular building blocks. Egyptian pyramids served as huge tombs and they were constructed in such a way so they would stand for thousand years. Egyptians did not know when the spirit would return into the dead body. Culture Shock EssayAlthough the original identification with the tomb owner was never lost, the figures were seen primarily as workers who performed a service for the deceased, and they became known by the ancient Egyptians as shabits. Rapidly shabit-figures came to represent the deceaseds servants in the afterlife and were so popular that they replaced the model servant statues previously deposited in upper-class graves of the Old and Middle Kingdoms Life sect. 1. One of the most important traditions in the Egyptian culture was the mummification of the dead body. According to Egyptian religion the body had to be intact in order for Ka to return. Mummification of the dead body was a complicated and long process. The famous Greek historian Herodotus reported on the Egyptian practice of mummification: They take first a crooked piece of iron, and with it draw out brain through the nostrils, thus getting rid of a portion, while the skull is cleared of the rest by rinsing with drugs; next they make a cut along the flank with a sharp Ethiopian stone, and take out the whole contents of the abdomen, which they then cleanse, washing it throughly with palm wine, and again frequently with an infusion of pounded aromatics. After this they fill the cavity with the purest bruised myrrh, with cassia, and every other sort of spicery except frankincense, and sew up the opening. Herodotus sect. 1 After these procedures were done the body was placed in natrum for saventy days. They put the body into the wooden coffin which was shaped into the man figure. Sometimes the wooden coffin was placed into the golden one decorated by precious stones and paint. In Mayan culture we find no evidences that any techniques of mummification were used. In the humid climate of Central America it is very hard to preserve a dead body for such a long time that is needed for the mummification process. As we can see Mayan and Egyptian cultures have a lot in common. However, some major differences can be found. Mayan religion was not obsessed with an afterlife beliefs as Egyptians were. Their pyramids were built either for Gods or as a memorial to the dead ruler or priest. Egyptians built their pyramids for the dead. Their buildings were meant to be used in the other life by the great spirits buried in them. Some visual differences also occur. Most of the Mayan pyramids are shorter then the ones at Giza site. They are not sealed forever but has an access for the priests and authorized people. The major difference is that Maya put the shrine right on top of the pyramid. The stairs led from the ground to the top of the pyramid. This way people thought they would be closer to God. In Egypt only pharaoh was considered to be closer to God therefore an enormous buildings reaching the sky was meant to be the stairway to the heaven only for the pharaoh. Nowadays these both ancient cultures still hold many mysteries for us. Most of the things we know are based on the speculations of the scientists, not on the certain facts. Archeologists working on discovering more and more about the ancient civilizations that existed thousand years ago but appeared much more advanced then we used to think about it. However, many of the documents, scripts and art evidences disappeared during such a long time. Robbers, invaders and weather were the reason for the huge loss of historical items that were kept in ancient Maya cities and along the Nile. I am sure that in the future many of the mysteries will be unfolded, but as for now, ancient people keep fascinate us with their enigmas.