6.1 Medical ethics Flashcards
personhood definition
- Someone with particular characteristics e.g rationality
- Jack Mahoney puts forward characteristics- rationality, ability, free choice, continuity, autonomy, emotions
What are embyronic stemcells?
Stem cells taken from an embryo, building blocks of tissues and organs and the use of embryonic stem cells kills the embryo
What is the law in the UK about embryonic stem cells?
- Embryo cannot be used after 14 days
- only allowed to be used for development of research about serious diseases
What is a stem cell?
- A single cell that can differentiate into specialised cells e.g red blood cell
What is preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)?
‘designer babies’
- A process which allows parents to have the option of detecting potential defects in an embryo within days after conception
abortion definition
- The deliberate termination of a human pregnancy
embryo or foetus up to 24 weeks in UK
What is the POV for Roman Catholics on abortion?
- Due to sanctity of life the value of the child’s life is equal to the mother’s
- Abortion is MURDER (in all cases except when the mother’s life is at risk- DDE)
What is the POV for CofE on abortion?
- Matter of conscience
- Abortion can be necessary and allowed if child is handicapped, rape, but not for money issues or youth
- Women will be supported by the church
- Church believes contraception should be utilised as a pre-emptive rather than abortion
- Believe the best start for a child is to have 2 parents
What is the UK law on abortion?
- 1990 Act states abortion can take place up to 24 weeks unless mother’s life at risk
Various conditions apply:
* 2 doctors agree
* risk to mother’s life
* risk to another child (sibling)
* serious risk baby will be handicapped
What is the secular (humanist) view on abortion?
- Abortions morally okay
- They value quality of life, happiness and choice
- Think contraception should be readily available
What can we determine about downsyndrome in a foetus?
- Can be terminated all the way until birth
- A test can be done at 12 weeks to determine if the child will develop DS
- 90% of Down foetuses are terminated in Uk
What is a serious handicap?
Serious and impairing mental or physical disability
Who is Joanna Jepson?
- Asked police to investigate an abortion clinic which aborted a foetus at 28 weeks with a cleft palate
- Agrees with abortion in some cases but believed in this circumstance it was discrimination against disabled people
Why are Christians so split on abortion views?
- Some believe that God created life meaning no human has the authority to interfere
- Others believe abortion can be a ‘necessary evil’ to produce the most loving result
What does the bible say about abortion?
- FOR: “man does not become human until he receives the breath of life” gen 2:7- not a peson til born
- AGAINST:”So God created human beings, making them to be like himself” gen 1:27
Give a brief summary of Judith Jarvis Thompson’s ‘Unconscious violinist’
- imagine waking up one day to find themselves connected to an unconscious violinist, who needs their kidneys to survive for nine months
- If the person disconnects, the violinist will die. However, the person did not consent to this situation and has no obligation to stay connected to the violinist.
- Thomson uses this analogy to argue that even if a foetus has a right to life, it doesn’t necessarily have the right to use a woman’s body to sustain that life.
- a woman is not morally obligated to continue a pregnancy if it infringes on her bodily autonomy, even if the foetus has a right to life.
What are the key points of Judith Jarvis Thompson’s ‘A defence of abortion’ ?
- aim- recreate some of the conditions of pregnancy
- goal- test how moral claims around abortion uphold in other scenarios
- believes most people would be outraged at suggestion that someone must sustain the violinist
- intended to show the implausibility of the doctor’s request- the violinist has a right to life
- therefore morally permissable for a woman to terminate a pregnancy
What is Euthanasia?
a unnatural death assisted by a second person
What does active Euthanasia go against for doctors?
Hippocratic Oath- to do no harm to patients
Who was Tony Bland?
- Victim of the hillsborough disaster
- Injuries out him in a constant vegetative state, could not think for himself
- He was starved to death after his feeding tubes were switched off, taking 5 days
- Could not be killed as doctors forced to uphold the Hippocratic Oath
- died 1993
Who was Diane Pretty?
- Sufferer of MND
- Confined to a wheelchair as he body no longer able to function, but her mind remained fully functioning
- She went to court, seeking permission for her husband to kill her but judge refused ‘You can’t change the law just for you’
Who was Miss B?
- Had a functioning brain but body not functional
- She had to be fed by others and was on a ventilator
- Court granted permission as she was ‘sound mind’ and was allowed to have her ventilator switched off which was keeping her artificially alive
- Passive euthanasia
- died 2002
Definition of suicide?
intentionally killing yourself
What are arguments for voluntary euthanasia?
- A person’s life is their own and they have the right to die
- A way to ‘love your neighbour’ and fulfil their wishes and relieve their pain
- Medical care is expensive
- Successful in Switzerland
- More pain to continue living
- death with dignity
- respectful
What are arguments against voluntary euthanasia?
- Breaks sanctity of Life
- Palliative care more loving
- euthanasia couldbe abused and people could be pressured
- people mayu be misdiagnosed
- a cure could be found
- Someone could change their mind
who is Jack Kevorkian?
- US docor charged by police for assisting a suicide. Convincted in 1999 after helping a terminally ill man kill himself
- Video of Kevorkian’s intervention was televised and he was sentenced to 25yrs in prison but was released after 2
What is the sanctity of life argument against euthansia?
- Every life is a gift from God and inherently sacred therefore only God has the right to take it away
- Genesis 1:27 “so God created mankind in his own image”
- Ending life prematurely ends God’s plan, suffering and hardship are part of life
What is the quality of life argument for euthansia?
- The general welfare a human experiences over the course of their life
What does Michael Wilcockson say in his set text?
- Explains why euthanasia is illegal in the UK
- Asks the question is it good or bad medical practice to go against the hippocratic oath?
MW set text: What are acts and ommissions?
- Distinguishes between forms of acts that we might regard as blameworthy and discusses whether ommissions count as intended actions
- e.g ommitting life saving medical care
MW set text: What is the doctrine of double effect (DDE)?
- It is acceptable to** perform morally good actions that has a bad side-effect**
- Even including the side effect being forseen e.g double dose of morphine to end pain but killing the patient
MW set text: What are Ordinary and Extraordinary means?
- Principle concerning the length that is one obliged to go when preserving life and relates to what counts as proportionate and disproportionate means
- MW gives example of a handicapped baby
MW set text: What are the 2 main reasons for legalising Euthanasia?
- Personal Autonomy: If law was consistent everyone should have the right to die, with help or not without punishment. Some could argue a 3rd party involvement unfairly shifts the responsibility of ending a person’s life to another
- Quality of Life: Argument that is is acceptable in situations where a person’s quality of life is unbearable and no medical advancements will save them. More caring to die then to keep on living
MW set text: What are the objections to legalising Euthanasia?
- Wedge Argument: Were assisted dying voluntary or euthanasia to be allowed, it would lead in practice to widespread abuse and numerous negative consequences beyond the original intentions of the law
* Given the greatest treatment by MW - Patient autonomy: BMA is very resistant to legislation due to their belief that it would cause widespread damage to the relationships between doctors and patients and destriy the necessary trust in hospitals. Dangerous especially for vulnerable patients
How does Mill explain the functions of law?
- Exists as a moral guidance
- Protects the rights and existence of individuals, in order that the majority section of a society might not exploit minority sections
What does MW conclude in his set text?
There are many ways of looking at the arguments for and against euthanasia that are greatly influenced by whether the individual hold the sanctity or quality of life as more important
What is palliative care?
Treatment, care and support for people with a life limiting illness and their family
What does palliative care involve?
Palliative care page in medical ethics pack
