Anousha Narayanan
Class of 2026Singapore, Central Singapore
About
Hi! My name is Anousha, and my project is a review paper about the ethics of euthanasia in cases of cognitive impairment. I'm really interested in biology and philosophy, so I wanted to combine the two and write about medical ethics. My paper has been published in *Critical Debates in Humanities, Science and Global Justice*!Projects
Anousha's Symposium Presentation
Project Portfolio
The Role of Memory in Defining Personal Identity: Ethical Implications of Advanced Euthanasia Directives in Cases of Cognitive Impairment
Started Nov. 19, 2024
Abstract or project description
This paper focuses on a case study involving Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide (EAS) and the resulting ethical debate, discussed through philosophical theories of identity. It involves a patient with Alzheimer’s disease whose Advance Euthanasia Directive (AED) was followed, although she expressed a change of heart after the onset of her condition. This creates an ethical dilemma regarding whether or not EAS can proceed as per an advance directive if the patient’s wishes have changed, and whether or not the cognitive impairment caused by such a condition is sufficient argument for the patient’s current wishes to be overruled. In this project, I will use the psychological continuity theory and animalism to discuss the validity of the AED, thereby evaluating the morality of this decision.