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Essay / Human Dignity and Universal Health Care - 1433
Intro: Universal health care was implemented in 1974 in Australia, providing health care and financial protection to all citizens of the world. Thus granting every human being the right to a standard of living without separating citizens because of their disorder, illness or lifestyle. Human dignity can be explained as a form of inherent self-esteem, but this can also be susceptible to being taken away from someone, either through their actions or by society. I believe that universal health care is extremely important when it comes to human dignity, especially for those who are unfortunate enough to not have the money to receive the care or procedures necessary to live their lives to the fullest. However, this is not the case in some countries, such as the United States of America, where healthcare does not have universal support. Impossible for those who are unfortunate enough to not have health care compared to those who do, which lowers their self-esteem in the eyes of society. In the first perspective, it shows that human dignity can be diminished due to health care needs, as it is unable to care for everyone, allowing citizens to flourish and make autonomous choices in their life. Thus allowing us to see the importance of universal healthcare for the human race. However, universal healthcare can also be seen to undermine God – given free choice and personal responsibility, as the third perspective shows. It thus shows that it has the capacity to harm and violate human dignity by not being able to realize its potential by suppressing its freedom of choice. It is also important not to view human dignity from a single aspect rather than from a multidimensional perspective. As seen in perspective, the focus is only on aspects 1A – 1B...... middle of document ......e same health care values that the civilized human race receives. In conclusion, I believe that universal health care should be provided for free everywhere in the world and not to those who have the money to receive it, because after all we are human and need the same medications or surgery to survive in this world that can bring such devastation to the human race. Works Cited Buijsen, M. “Autonomy, Human Dignity, and the Right to Healthcare: A Dutch Perspective.” Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 19 (2010): 321-328 Condit, D. “Health-Care Counter-Reform. The Linacre Quarterly 77 (2010): 426-444 Sulmasy, DP “Dignity, rights, health care and human flourishing”. In Autonomy and Human Rights in Health Care: An International Perspective, edited by DN Weisstaub. International Library of Ethics, Law and New Medicine, 36: 25-36. Dordrecht: Springer, 2008.