Life, philosophy and death essay

Question1

“ Kubler-Ross approach” which is generally referred to as “ five stages of grief” is an assumption which was introduced by a person known as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. In the model, Kubler-Ross argues that a person may experience a series of emotional stages especially if he knows that he or she about to die soon. The series of emotional switch include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and even acceptance. However, Kubler-Ross suggests that not everybody who experiences an altering event or life threatening events undergoes all the five stages and thus it depends with the individual.
In the case involving “ The Death of Ivan Ilyich” there are several people who decide to take care of him including his family, friends and Gerasim. Ivan Ilyich suffered from a terminal illness that made him shift from one emotion stage to the other. This affected the people around him something that made them be interested in knowing when he will die. They wished for him to die soon so as to free them from the oppression they were enduring from his presence. Ivan’s emotional switch from one stage to the other actually caused massive sufferings many people including his family, friends, doctors and even servants.
However, Gerasim one of Ivan’s servants greatly assisted him change his perception about death. Gerasim was a clean servant who was uneducated but he decided to help Ivan Ilyich find an exclusive meaning as well as a resolution before he died. Gerasim assists Ivan Ilyich to accept his terminal illness condition and thus decides to live with it peacefully. The presence of Gerasim plays a vital role in assisting Ivan come to terms with his terminal illness as it he prepares him for death (Tolstoy & Cook, 2004).

Question2

Ethical issues concerning death, dying as well as person’s right or freedom to make “ end-of-life” conclusions have turn out to be among the most legally and lawfully complex and even culturally sensitive parts or areas to come out in our time. Such sensitive matters and issues that are closely related to the terminally ill people’s rights to make decisions that may affect their end-of-life. On the other side, those individuals who are not willing to take up the end-of-life decisions are left to keep healthcare experts, counselors, medical ethicists, families, judges, lawyers and even legislators busy for several years to come. For instance, a dying person and his or her family are usually faced with several alternatives which may include issues such as how to provide care and needs, where the dying person should receive treatment or care and other vital issues (Beauchamp, 1996).
Many of these dying people may have to make appropriate choices concerning the desired level of their family involvement in decision-making process as well as care giving. These processes usually engage legal decisions since advanced directives, wills and also durable power of attorneys may be key aspects. The power of attorney grants one person the authority to make medical decisions on behalf of the bereaved party. Such documents only goes into effect immediately after the patient has been incapacitated and only entails healthcare decisions.
Some people value life very much and thus they will do anything to provide effective care to the terminal ill patients. These values usually make the people of the ill person to avoid suggestions especially from healthcare professions to end the life of the suffering patient peacefully in order to ease their sufferings. People tend to acknowledge that death is a must for every person who is alive and thus it cannot be postponed. People from different religions and beliefs may have different views and attitudes towards death.

References

Beauchamp, T. L. (1996). Ethical issues in death and dying. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-
Hall.
Tolstoy, L., & Cook, T. C. B. (2004). The death of Ivan Ilyich and other stories. Ware,
Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions, Ltd.