Euhtanasia Essays

Question 1

what is essay 1 ?

Answer 1

The religious concept of sanctity of life is not relevant with regard to euthanasia.’
Discuss.

Question 2

what is intro ? essay 1

Answer 2

Sanctity of Life - Belief in the value and sacredness of life that is shared by many relgious believers. This value comes from being created in the image of God.

Question 3

wjhat is ur view essay 1

Answer 3

its relevant

Question 4

what scholars essay 1 ?

Answer 4

Joseph Fletcher, Glover, Pope St John Paul II, Peter Singer.

Question 5

what is point in para 1 essay 1 ?

Answer 5

Volunatry and Non-Voluntary euthanasia - contradict the religious belief.

Strong Sanctoty of Life principle (Human life is always valuable and life should not be taken, there are no expectations.

Life is set apart by God - humans are created in ‘imago dei’, we all possess a ‘spark’ of divinity. which sets us apart from other creatures.

Life is a gift and is on loan to humans - God is the author of life. He is the only one who has authority to determine when it ends.

An innocent life is always to be respected

Ten Commandments - ‘Do not kill’.

Question 6

what is the counterargument in para 1 essay 1 ?

Answer 6

Weak Sanctity of life principle (Human life is valuable, however there may be situations where it would cause more harm than good to continue the life.)

• No one has duty to endure a life of extreme pain
• Life is a gift not a burden. We can therefore also dispose with it as we wish. We have responsibility over it. It is us as good stewards of this life to end it when we think right

Also SOL - Outdated because its a religious concept - but over 50% of UK don’t believe in God.

Question 7

how will you counteract the counterargument in para 1 essay 1 ?

Answer 7

Pope St John Paul II - In Evangelium Vitae - rejects Euthanasia- society has therefore developed a ‘culture of death’.

Some may believe that if it this easy to kill others through euthanasia what is stopping from killing people in other circumstances.

Question 8

what si point in para 2 essay 1 ?

Answer 8

Bible Condemnation

Incarnation of Jesus reas.. the sanctity,holiness and intrinsic value of every human life unconditional in his relationship with God.

‘so God created humankind in his image ‘ (Genesis).

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only son’.

Job 1:21- ‘The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away’.

Our lives are not our own , they are God’s.

Slippery Slope

Bible is the condemnation of Suicide. = Blashpemy = deliberate rejection of God’s gift of life.

Question 9

what is the counterargument in para 2 essay 1 ?

Answer 9

Quality of life argument is better.

Peter Singer - Argues for replacing the trad sanctity of life ethics with quality of life. - We should recognize that worth of human life varies between people. - We should respect a persons desire to live or die. - We should also take responsibility for the consequences of our decisions to save or end life.

Doctrine of Double Effect - SOL leads to people dying in horrible pain. It ends up as not treating human life with dignity and respect. The lesser of two evils.

SE - Fletcher- We should be more focused on individual than general SOL concept.

‘Made situationally not prescriptively’ - Respecting person’s welfare shows agape (central Christian principle.)

SE is flexible unlike SOL which is a general thing.

Fletcher’s Book - ‘Morals and Medicine’ - patients medical condition has to be starting point of every decision.

GLOVER - All individuals should have the right to end their pain with a gentle , painless death if they are able to think rationally (only supports voluntary). - From his book ‘Causing death and saving lives’.

Question 10

how will you counteract the counterargument in para 2 essay 1 ?

Answer 10

Helps to protect us and society.

• Prevents idea of ending life being normalized.
• Ensures basic right of human life are respected.

Question 11

what is essay 2 ?

Answer 11

Issues raised by euthanasia are best addressed by situation ethics.’ Discuss.

Question 12

what is ur view essay 2 ?

Answer 12

no

Question 13

what is the intro essay 2 ?

Answer 13

Situation ethics - developed by Joseph Fletcher - always do the most loving thing in a situation.

Question 14

what scholars essay 2 ?>

Answer 14

?

Question 15

what is the point in para 1 essay 2 ?

Answer 15

Situation Ethics is too flexible.

• It is relativist, so does not give clear rules to help people know what to do in all circumstances.
• It is also not always clear how to work out which people should be considered in the efforts to find a loving action, or what to do if an action would be loving for one person but at the same time the opposite of loving for another.

Question 16

what is counterargument in para 1 essay 2

Answer 16

The whole point that it is useful is because it isnt legalistic and absolutist

SE - ‘made situationally not prescriptively’ - good because we can loo at each situation individually which is very important when using it to look at euthanasia - matter of life or death.

It provides flexibility

Question 17

how will u counteract the counterargument in para 1 essay 2 ?

Answer 17

t is relativist and so could be seen to allow people to justify any action they want to do, on the grounds that they thought it would bring about the most loving outcome. No action is ruled out as absolutely immoral and there are no moral rules that cannot be broken.

Question 18

what is point in para 2 essay 2 ?

Answer 18

Natural Law is a better way at addressing things.

It is committed to sanctity of life - life is valuabel regardless of anyones judgement about its quality - link to strong sanctity of life principles.

Question 19

what is the counterargument in para 2 essay 2 ?

Answer 19

SE - It could be considered to fit well with a person’s Christian faith and with the ‘what would Jesus do’ kind of approach to moral decision-making.

It could be considered quick and easy as a method of decision-making because instead of considering a range of duties, principles and outcomes, it simply recommends with agapeic love.

Also NL = outdated , SE cant be cos its always flexible

Question 20

how will you counteract the counterargument in para 2 essay 2 ?

Answer 20

Just because its outdated doesn’t mean its a bad ethical theory. whole reason its outdated cos its worked !!!

Question 21

what is essay 3 ?

Answer 21

Voluntary euthanasia should be recognised as always morally acceptable.’ Discuss.

Question 22

what is ur view essay 3 ?

Answer 22

yes

Question 23

what is the intro essay 3 ?>

Answer 23

Voluntary Euthanasia - Applies when a persons life is ended painlessly by a third party at their own request.

Question 24

what scholars essay 3 ?

Answer 24

Helga Kuhse, Joseph Fletcher, Pope St John Paul II, J S Mill, Aquinas and Peter Singer.

Question 25

what is the point in para 1 essay 3 ?

Answer 25

Overall positives.

Tony Nicklinson - Stroke in 2005, paralysed, could only move head + eyes. - asked high court to state that it would be lawful for a doctor to help him end his life. - refused so he didnt eat or drink and died from pneumonia.

Netherlands permit euthanasia.

Doctrine of Double Effect - Aim is to alienate suffering.

Question 26

what is counterargument in para 1 essay 3 ?

Answer 26

Sanctity of Life + Slippery Slope

Euthanasia contradicts sanctity of life.

Life is set apart by God- were created in image of him. We all have a ‘spark’ of divinity.

Ten Commandments - ‘ Do not kill’

‘So God created mankind in his image’

‘For God so loved the world he gave his only son’

‘Be fruitful and multiply, fill the Earth and subdue it’

Bible condems suicide - Blasphemous rejecting God’s gift of life

Pope St John Paul II - in his Evangelium vitae - rejects euthanasia - its created a ‘culture of death’.

Life is a gift not a burden

SLIPPERY SLOPE - Evidence suggest many have died against their wishes - hard to safeguard.

Question 27

how will you counteract the counterargument in para 1 essay 3 ?

Answer 27

Quality of Life argument + Helga Kuhse

Peter Singer - Need to replace trad sanctity of life argument with Quality of life.

We need to understand that worth of human life varies and we should respect someone’s choice that they either want to live or die.

HELGA KUHSE - challenges slippery slope - its used by scaremongers to support their complete ban of all forms of euthanasia.

Sanctity of life is out of place now - UK - over 50% are atheist.

(life is a gift )- so we can dispose of it how we like. Up to us as good stewards of this life to decide when to end it.

Question 28

what is point in para 2 essay 3 ?

Answer 28

Link to situation Ethics + Autonomy

Joseph Fletcher - situation ethics - one of the 4 working principles = positivism - no law which states that a life must be preserved at all costs.

Personalism - we should have autonomy over our decisions - ‘ made situationally not prescriptively’ - we should be able to voluntarily choose whether to live or die.

SE provides lots of flexibility.

Parable of Good Samaritan - love is central christian principle - so we must do the most loving thing in each situation.

AUTONOMY (self-ruling), - Daniel James - Broke spine - paralysed from chest down - went to Dignitas - described as ‘intelligent young man of sound man’ - could make decision for himself - if someone is in control of their emotions it should be permitted.

Question 29

what is counterargument in para 2 essay 3 ?

Answer 29

Natural Law + Non-Voluntary (more acceptable).

Patients may recover ??

Precepts of Aquinas’ Natural Law - preservation of life - voluntary euthanasia is a secondary precpt so is wrong.

Kant - voluntary euthanasia is also not universible.

Question 30

how will you counteract the counterargument in para 2 essay 3 ?

Answer 30

J S Mill’s non harm principle = Government have no right to restrict our freedom with decisions about our own lives.

Question 31

what is essay 4 ?

Answer 31

Assess whether natural law is helpful for dealing with the issue of euthanasia.

Question 32

what is ur view essay 4 ?

Answer 32

yes

Question 33

what is the intro essay 4 ?

Answer 33

Natural Law - Developed by Thomas Aquinas, society should be based of the 5 primary precepts.(most important rules in life).

Question 34

what is scholars esaay 4 ?

Answer 34

Aquinas, Mother Theresa, Fletcher, Jeremy Bentham.

Question 35

what is point in para 1 essay 4 ?

Answer 35

Natural Law , developed by Thomas Aquinas, society is based of the 5 Primary Precepts (Worshipping God, Educating the young, preservation of life, living in society, reproduction.)

Primary Precepts are the most important rules in life.

Secondary Precepts - laws which follow from primary precepts. We need to follow Bible teachings , which Aquinas calls ‘the divine law’.

Natural Law rejects Euthanasia because it goes against the primary precept of preservation of life.

Question 36

what is counterargument in para 1 essay 4 ?

Answer 36

It was created to be useful in the socio-economic conditions at the time. - Ancient society - more chaotic

Made sense to create absolutist ethical principles to prevent society from falling apart

Medical times - violence + killing more common to needed to be strongly restricted.

Its overly religious and dependent on its Christian roots. (UK is increasingly secular - over 50 % doesn’t believe in God.)

Question 37

how will you counteract the counterargument in para 1 essay 4 ?

Answer 37

Have we changed that much , still the same species ??

Just because its outdated doesn’t mean its a bad ethical theory - maybe the whole reason that society has changed is because NL has worked and we must keep it in practice to reduce future issues.

Question 38

what is point in para 2 essay 4 ?

Answer 38

NL is committed to the sanctity of life. Life is valuable regardless of anyone’s jusgement about its quality. - it avoids the slippery slope.

It also prevents people from playing God and making bad decisions about their lives which they may regret - also impacts families . Doctors who have to carry it out.m

Question 39

what is counterargument para 2 essay 4 ?

Answer 39

Legalistic and absolutist - SE is better , Joseph Fletcher.

Every person’s situation is different.

SE- Joseph Fletcher - its different - ‘made situationally not prescriptively’.

NL is a common approach which makes it very difficult

NL requires that individuals continue to live even when they are in extreme pain - which is inhumane, not treating God’s creation with love and compassion,

Question 40

how will you counteract the counterargument in para 2 essay 4 ?

Answer 40

Mother Theresa - at her speech in recieving the Noble Peace Prize =’greatest threat to world peace is abortion. If a mother can kill her own child in her own womb , what is left to stop us from killing one another’ - links to Euthanasia.