Assisted Suicide, Euthanasia And Capital Punishment Flashcards
Voluntary euthanasia
When a person makes a conscious decision to die and asks for help to do so, mostly with help from a doctor
Allowed in Switzerland, Netherlands, Spain,Belgium and some US states
Not allowed in UK, hongkong and France
Ethical issues: religious ppl arg. Life is God- given so only He can take it away
If made legal, laws may be abused causing someone who may not want to die to be killed
Voluntary euthanasia for and against
FOR:
No qual of life, better to end
Person has full control over death
Right to decide when and how we die- dies with dignity
Death is private and state shouldn’t interfere
Society permits putting down sick animals but not humans???
AGAINST:
Against doctors role (hippocratic oath) and gives them too much power
God gave us life so not up to us
Weakens respect and importance of life
May lead to worse care for terminally ill
Assisted suicide
Suicide effected with assistance of other person, especially the taking of lethal drugs provided by doctor
Ethical issue as devalues human life- something that should be valued and treasured and religiously only God can take life away
Noel Conway: had a motor neurone disease and only had movement in right hand,neck and head. Campaigned to Supreme Court but lost appeal in 2018, died at home with fam after deciding to be taken off ventilation
NML and VE and AS
Breaks 3 primary precepts: worship god, preserve life and orderly Soc (encourages disc. Against disabled ppl. And could lead to being abused)
Suffering could have positive purpose of enabling spiritual growth e.g. developed compassion
When med prolonged dying, permissible to stop. Bu not VE or AS only allowing nature to take its course
‘Thou shall not kill; but needn’t not strive’
Fair: for religious ppl works but doesn’t take into account qual of life or dying w/ dignity
SE and VE and AS
Fletcher supported legalised VE if love demanded it all commandments would be broken
Take into account whether choice was rational and freely made may be temporary psych/physical reason behind which to die , how likely diagnosis/prognosis was to be right and if more than one doctor agreed
‘To prolong life uselessly … is to attack the moral status of a person’ - morals and medicine
Takes into account persons qual of life and dignity and any extraneous variables impacting decision
VE and AS and VE
Ari. Murder as vice without any mean
Agreed with Hippocratic oath stating ‘I will never give a deadly drug to anyone if asked for it’
Suicide is cowardly and against virtue of courage and justice as deprives society of useful citizen
‘ to seek death in order to escape from poverty … is not the act of a courageous man but rather a coward’ nichomachean ethics
Fair: but is citizen really useful if terminally ill and cannot contribute to soc.
Capital punishment
The legally authorised killing of a persona s a punishment for their crime
Form of deterrence
FOR:
If someone murders another, they’ve given up their rights inc. right to life
Punishment should be proportional to crime
Bible - ‘eye for an eye’
Death sentences stops them doing it again
Benefits Soc
AGAINST:
Against right to life
Just as bad as murderer
Could kill someone innocent
Nothing proven to show crime decreases
Not always painless
Frees them from suffering of imprisonment
NML and CP
Legitimate if by state and becomes revenge if done by individual
Supports primary precepts of ordered society and upholds cardinal virtue of justice
Church not totally renounced but teaching oppose it ‘…the cases in which the execution of an offender is an absolute necessity are very rare’
Flawed: against preservation of life- contradictory and worship God as only He can take away life
SE and CP
No set view, ppl with same principles may come to diff. Conics. About what’s most loving action
Take into account all thats involved: victim, murderer and families
One working principle states love and justice are the same, the latter being how the former is expressed in practice
Justice would clash with situatuonalisms concern for greatest love
takes into account all aspects
Highly subjective, no clear answer
VE and CP
Ari. Never ref. To CP
Virtue that applies is justice, altruistic, interests of Soc. need to be taken into account
Execution may be justified as no longer a threat to Soc.
‘All virtue is summed up in dealing justly’ - nicomachean ethics - justice is a balancing act
Hypocritical as questions your moral character and may be compassionate as frees them from living life with guilt
