ME BEFORE YOU
The ethical issues presented in the story are:
1. The story raises concerns about maintaining appropriate boundaries in healthcare,
emphasizing the need to carefully manage emotional attachments between caregivers and
patients.
2. Moral dilemmas that the healthcare professional face when asked to assist in ending a patient’s
life
3. The story remind us to consider whether individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses should
possess the autonomy to determine the time of their own death, even when their circumstances
may influence their decision and others might disagree with it.
4. How can individuals arrive at a shared understanding of "quality of life" when their life
circumstances and challenges are so different?
5. Does a person's outlook on life rely more on their physical capabilities, or is it their desires and
emotions that weigh more in their decision to embrace life?
6. The value of life
7. Different viewers and characters in the story have different perspectives on whether Will's
choice is the right one, and these perspectives contribute to the ethical and moral discussions
that the story explores.
PERSONHOOD
The story explores the tough ethical choice of assisted suicide, making us ponder what makes life
meaningful and whose viewpoint should count the most. It emphasizes the importance of
recognizing and valuing a person's inherent value, regardless of their physical limitations. It also
helps us understand more about the concept of personhood. The idea of personhood becomes a
significant focus as the story dig into the life of Will Traynor, a man who struggles with the loss of
his former identity and independence. Although William is incapable of doing things that he
normally does before, or even though he is physically unable, it doesn’t make him any less human
or worthy of respect and love. The idea of personhood emphasizes the importance of showing
respect to all individuals, regardless of their health condition, social status, competence, past
actions, etc. The accident doesn’t make him less worth it. Additionally, Louisa Clark, his caregiver,
plays a vital role in affirming his personhood by valuing his thoughts, feelings, and dreams despite
his disability. Despite Will's unwavering decision, she take all the possible solutions for him to
choose life again, fulfilling her duty and responsibility as his caregiver.
HUMAN ACT
The lives of both William and Louisa shows the concept of human action. We all know that human
action is an act that proceeds from the deliberate will of man, and it both needed the two
elements; knowledge and freedom. William, who is paralyzed from the neck down, faces a
profound moral dilemma: whether to seek assisted suicide to end his suffering or to continue
living in his severely restricted condition. Will’s decision proves that a human act can carry huge
consequences. Can he bear the weight of his actions and responsibility for the outcomes? This
important decision represents a fundamental aspect of human action as it highlights ethical
questions related to a person's freedom to make their own decisions based on their own
knowledge. In the end, whether his decision is right or wrong as he chose to end his life, it’s still
a human act as the two elements are present. Furthermore, Louisa’s actions, too, reflect human
acts as she strives to influence Will's choice, knowing all the reasons for his choice. Her efforts to
change William’s perspective and provide him with new experiences also emphasize the power
of human action: it can bring positivity and growth to a person. However, it's essential to
remember that while Louisa has the freedom to volunteer to help change Will's perspective and
life decisions, ultimately, Will is the only one who has the freedom to decide what he wants for
his own life.
CONSCIENCE
It is true that Will Traynor struggle with the idea that his disability places a significant burden on
his loved ones, particularly his parents. His conscience works as he believes that by choosing to
end his life through assisted suicide, he would relieve them of the emotional, financial, and
practical challenges associated with his care. He knows the reality that he can’t be cured and
there’s no hope for his condition, and it is the reality and the truth. Choosing death is his personal
practical judgement about his situation. His choice to end his life is an act of conscience that he
experienced while battling with his health condition. He sincerely believes that his passing is in
their best interest, viewing it as a means to liberate them from the responsibility of tending to
him and sparing them the emotional anguish of witnessing his suffering.
