EUTHANASIA

Question 1

What is voluntary euthanasia?

Answer 1

When a person’s life is ended at their request or with their consent.

Question 2

What is non-voluntary euthanasia?

Answer 2

When a person’s life is ended without their consent but with the consent of someone representing their interests.

Question 3

What is active euthanasia?

Answer 3

When somebody does something to actually kill the person.

Question 4

What is passive euthanasia?

Answer 4

When you allow someone to die by taking away something that they needed to live.

Question 5

What is the opinion of the sanctity of life on euthanasia?

Answer 5

It is an absolutist approach to the issue of euthanasia as it considers human life as sacred.

Question 6

Give a bible quote against euthanasia.

Answer 6

“imago dei” - “in the image of God.”

Question 7

Give a biblical quote from Jesus for euthanasia.

Answer 7

“Love your neighbour as you love yourself.” - Jesus.

Question 8

What is the problem of the Sanctity of Life approach?

Answer 8

It is absolutist and inflexible and does not take the situation into account.

Question 9

What is the quality of life argument?

Answer 9

That life must have some benefits, some attributes for it to be worth living.

Question 10

What kind of approach does the quality of life argument take?

Answer 10

Relativist.

Question 11

What is one of the five quality of life commandments Peter Singer came up with?

Answer 11

Recognise that the worth of human life varies.

Question 12

What is the concept of personhood?

Answer 12

If a person has lost many of their capabilities/ functions, the question is asked whether or not they can be considered to be a moral person of worth as much as someone who is healthy.

Question 13

What would Peter Singer argue about personhood?

Answer 13

He would argue that not all humans are “persons.”

Question 14

What is autonomy?

Answer 14

Being free to make our own decisions about our own future.

Question 15

How does autonomy link to euthanasia?

Answer 15

Voluntary euthanasia respects the autonomy/ wishes of the patient.

Question 16

Who was Diane Pretty? What was her story?

Answer 16

Suffered from motor neurone disease. She wanted her husband to help her commit suicide and took her case to court. She lost and died of natural causes in 2002 in a hospice.

Question 17

Who was Tony Bland? What was his story?

Answer 17

After the Hillsborough tragedy, Tony was left in a PVS. His parents petitioned the court to sanction the withdrawal of hydration and artificial nutrition, which they did.

Question 18

How does the Synderesis rule link to euthanasia? (NL)

Answer 18

In NL the end never justifies the means, so no amount of suffering can justify an ‘evil act’.

Question 19

Which of the primary precepts links to euthanasia? (NL)

Answer 19

The act of taking a life goes against the primary precept - protect/ preserve life.
Ordered society - slippery slope.

Question 20

How can the Doctrine of Double effect be applied to euthanasia? (NL)

Answer 20

Would allow palliative care even if it shortens life - intention of doctor is important here.

Question 21

What is the problem with applying NL to euthanasia?

Answer 21

Rigid, absolutist stance does not take into account individual situations.

Question 22

What type of approach does situation ethics take towards euthanasia?

Answer 22

Teleological. Looks at the consequences not the act itself - aiming to serve love best.

Question 23

Which two of the four working principles apply to euthanasia? (SE)

Answer 23

Pragmatic = allowing us to do whatever works best in the circumstances. 
Personalism = puts people at the forefront of ethical decision making.

Question 24

What is the problem with situation ethics being applied to euthanasia?

Answer 24

Slippery slope - people would take advantage of it even if they didn’t need or weren’t quite ready to die.

Question 25

What is the slippery slope argument?

Answer 25

Pressure may be exerted on those who are vulnerable if euthanasia is legalised.

Question 26

How can the slippery slope argument be debunked?

Answer 26

In the Netherlands, 48,000 end of life decisions were made in the period studied and only two cases were thought to occur.

Question 27

What does the Sanctity of Life root from?

Answer 27

Imago Dei = humans created in the likeness of God.

Question 28

What do some Protestant traditions (Cairns) believe about dignity?

Answer 28

The image and likeness of God that human beings had at creation was largely lost due to the sin of Adam and Eve (Cairns).

Question 29

What did Hippocrates suggest a doctor should do in the quality of life argument?

Answer 29

‘refuse to treat those who are overmastered by their disease realising that in such cases, medicine is powerless.’

Question 30

What is the idea of personhood?

Answer 30

Distinguish between human bodies which are still living despite the loss of defining features of humanity, and beings which should preserve because they retain such features.

Question 31

What does J.S. Mill state about autonomy?

Answer 31

“Over himself, over his body and mind, the individual is sovereign.”

Question 32

What does Glover state about suicide?

Answer 32

Notes that people who feel they are burdens on their families sometimes commit suicide.

Question 33

What does the Catholic Church recognise? (NL)

Answer 33

That burdensome treatment should not be offered at the end of a person’s natural life.

Question 34

What does the doctrine of double effect consider?

Answer 34

Palliative care as the principal purpose, as a secondary effect.

Question 35

What does Fletcher emphasise?

Answer 35

The personal dimensions of morality in medical care and rejected natural law as an approach.