Emanuel’s Justifications for Refusing Medical Tests and Values on Life

Michael Enright, the host of the CBC Radio show The Sunday Edition, introduced his guest Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel on December 7, 2014 by saying:
Ezekiel J. Emanuel, at age 57, has an unusual ambition, a hope, really. He wants to die when he is 75. He doesn't have a terminal illness. And he has no plans to commit suicide. He leads an active, productive life. He recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with two nephews. But come 2032, he will, without any fuss, refuse all [medical] tests and treatments. He will allow his body to take its natural course. He is very serious about his intentions. In fact, he argues that 75 is a good age for most of us to die. Dr. Emanuel is one of the most renowned and esteemed physicians in the United States. An oncologist, he is currently the Chair of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. He has received dozens of awards from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society.
The interview followed an article that Emanuel wrote for the Atlantic entitled “Why I hope to Die at 75.” Enright – and most of the people who read this article – wanted to know why he chose the age of 75 to die. When reading Emanuel’s article, however, you will notice that he doesn’t actually say he wants to die when he is 75. He says that in 2032 he will stop having annual medical check-ups and he will refuse all medical tests and treatments.
Emanuel’s Atlantic article is available on CANVAS under the “Course Reserves” tab.
Assignment:
For this assignment you will write a 5-8 page response paper that compares Ezekiel J. Emanuel’s justifications for deciding to refuse all medical tests and treatments after reaching 75 with Barry Glassner’s claim that individuals making independent life-plans concerning their health do so “for profoundly social reasons.” In his chapter, “In the Name of Health” (available on CANVAS under the “Course Reserves” tab), Glassner observes that “people decide to alter their appearance not at indiscriminate points in
their lives but most commonly when their social circumstances are changing.” Although Glassner is focused on figuring out why people set out to improve their bodies through activities such as bodybuilding, weight loss programs, and cosmetic surgery, he shares with Emanuel an interest on how society imposes certain specific values and consequences for why individuals should “improve their bodies” (in Glassner’s case) or make decisions about whether or not they have become a “burdens” upon family and society (in Emanuel’s case).
Be sure, in your essay, to include answers to the following questions:
How does refusing medical tests and treatments pose a threat to Emanuel’s – or anyone’s – health from a biomedical perspective?
What are the reasons Emanuel provides for the values he places on living – and life in general – appropriate for healthy living in the 21st century?
2a. In what ways are the reasons Emanuel provides for the values he places on
living life different – and similar – to the reasons Glassner provides for why
people set out to improve their bodies through activities such as bodybuilding,
weight loss programs, and cosmetic surgery?
2b. Also consider whether Emanuel’s and Glassner’s arguments apply to
everyone. Is refusing all medical tests and treatments after reaching age 75 or
taking up activities such as bodybuilding, weight loss programs, and cosmetic
surgery things that everyone should consider – or just some people?
(Provide reasons for your answer to this question!)
3 What roles do bodily dys-appearance and eu-appearance play in
Emanuel’s and Glassner’s arguments?
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https://www(dot)theatlantic(dot)com/magazine/archive/2014/10/why-i-hope-to-die-at-75/379329