Euthanasia

Question 1

Euthanasia

Answer 1

Good death, refering to the practice of hasteningsomeone’s death perhaps in order to spare them further suffering

Question 2

Voluntary euthanasia

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Non-voluntary euthanasia

Answer 3

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

Question 4

In-voluntary euthansia

Answer 4

When a person’s life is ended without their consent when they are if full capacity to consent

Question 5

Sanctity of life

Answer 5

A religious concept that human life is made in God’s impage and is therefore sacred in value

Question 6

Quality of life

Answer 6

A largely secular idea that human life has to posses certain attributes in order to have value

Question 7

Autonomy

Answer 7

The belief that we are free and able to make our own decisions

Question 8

Active euthanasia

Answer 8

A treatment that is given dircetly causing the death of the individual

Question 9

Passive euthanasia

Answer 9

A treatment is withheld and this indirectly causes the death of the individual

Question 10

Dr David moore

Answer 10

Does of morphie hastened the death of a patient who had cancer

Question 11

Daniel james

Answer 11

Under 16 rugby player, paralysed, went to dignitas after several failed suicide attempts

Question 12

Hannah jones

Answer 12

Didn’t want to go back to hospital for any more operations, would rather die (13yr)

Question 13

Example of acts

Answer 13

Legal guardian of nephew, plans to kill him, draws him a bathm make it looks like an accident

Question 14

Example of omissions

Answer 14

Legal guardian of nephew, resents him but wouldn’t hurt him, nephew slips in bath and hits his head drowining, watches and does nothing

Question 15

Tony bland

Answer 15

Was in PVS, removed feeding tube, took 10 days to die
- his choice came as important to families as they were now able to make decisions for family members who could not make decisions for themselves surrounding euthanasia

Question 16

sacrificial suicide

Answer 16

Terminally ill patient taking drugs to extend life, decides to stop taking drugs as death will mean that the family can claim life insurace

Question 17

Acts and omissions - james rachels

Answer 17

• act = actually killing the person
• omissions = death is an accident but you watch and do nothing
• both are equally as bad
• passive opperating by ommisions might be as bad

Question 18

Acts and omissions = peter singer

Answer 18

They aren’t very clear cut

Question 19

Acts and omissions - natural law

Answer 19

• there is a difference
• look at the intention
• double effect

Question 20

Acts and ommissions - situation ethics

Answer 20

• consequences are mor important

- doesn’t matter if it is acts or omissions

Question 21

Natural law - 4 tiers

Answer 21

1. Eternal law
2. Divine law
3. Natural law
4. Human law
   - it is only for God to take life

Question 22

Natural law - double effect

Answer 22

• depends on the intention behind the action

- death may not have been the primary intention

Question 23

Sophia

Answer 23

General rules of wisdom

- can be broken when love demands it

Question 24

Personalism

Answer 24

People are their welfare, importance of autonomy

Question 25

Pragmatism

Answer 25

We should do whatever is likely to work

Question 26

Situation ethics - conclusion

Answer 26

- not a total endosment of euthanasia but recognises cases where this is the best option - traditional religious ethics have come to the wrong conclusion - ending the life of a person in pain that doesn’ want to live is just

Question 27

Natural law approach - strengths

Answer 27

- upholds the sanctity of human life - defends rights - double effects puts the patient first - weak sanctity of life recognises that it is acceptable to allow someone to die rather than prolong their discomfort - prevents individuals playing God - double effect provides some felxibility

Question 28

Natural law approaches - weakness

Answer 28

- overly religious and dependent on Chrisian roots - too legalistic and absolutist, each situation is different - should look at reducig pain, natural law doesn’t stop this - doesn’t place significant weight on huamn autonomy - double effect is close to euthanasia, hard to ditinguish - peter singer - reduction in pain - weak sanctity of life implies there is no autonomy - precept of ‘preserve life’ is out of date and we must rethink it

Question 29

Situation ethics - strengths

Answer 29

- we are not simply given rules to obey, we are using reason and can think of how to serve love - more flexible than natural law interpretation - modern technology and medical knowledge means we cna know who is worth saving - respects autonomy of individuals

Question 30

Situation ethics - weaknesses

Answer 30

- quite vague so people may do different things - you have to predict future consequences - lacks any absolubte boundaries so leading to a slippery slope - we don’t agree on what to do - does not difine what is meant by situation, where do we draw the line

Question 31

Assisted suicide

Answer 31

Helping others kill themselves

Question 32

Sanctity of life bible passages

Answer 32

- ‘so God created mankind in his own image’ - Genesis 1:27 | - ‘you shall not murder’ - Exodus 20:13

Question 33

Peter singer quality of life commandments (preference utilitarianism)

Answer 33

1. Worth of life varies 2. Take responsibility for consequences of decisions to end or save life 3. Respect a persons desire to live or die 4. Only bring childrenn into the world if they are wanted 5. Do not discriminate on basis of species

Question 34

The slippery slope argument

Answer 34

- changes to the law may lead to a slippery slope - respect for life is reduced and pressure may be exerted in those who are vulnerable - people may agree to euthanasia becuase they feel wrongly that they are a burden to society

Question 35

Singers response to slippery slope

Answer 35

- in the Netherlands there were around 48,000 end of life decisions in the time period of the test - only 2 cases where it was possible that patients lives had been ended against their will - these could have been explained by poor documentation

Question 36

Sanctity of life remains a useful concept

Answer 36

- holds up the intrinsic value of life in a culture where we dehumanise others - it ensure that basic rights such as right to life are respected - there is a potential slippery slope that sanctity of life avoids

Question 37

Sanctity of life is no longer useful

Answer 37

- it is a religious concept that is out of place if a secular society - it is at odds with peoples autonomy - it leads to people dying painfully and does not treat human life with dignity - it demands that life must be saved at all costs, medical advances means that it can be known when treatment does not lead to imporvement

Question 38

People should have autonomy over their own lives

Answer 38

- situation ethics supports the idea of autonomy - key aspect of the idea of ‘personalism’ that we allow individuals to make decisions about what is in their own interest - arguments against autonomy are based on a religious notion which becomes irrelevant if God does not exist

Question 39

People should not have autonomy over their own lives

Answer 39

- life is viewed as God-given and preservation of life is one of the five primary precepts - autonomy is not a concept that is supported by sacred texts - autonomy is a very difficult concept to apply in such as traumatic and stressful time - there is very little clarity

Question 40

There is a significant difference between acts and omissions

Answer 40

- natural law, actions matter - preserving innocent life rules out acts that directly lead to death - double effect allows that some actions may lead to death of an individual - distinction between acts and omissions takes seriously the issue of moral agency - if we were to allow active euthanasia we would need doctors and other medical professionals to carry this out

Question 41

There is no significant difference between acts and omissions

Answer 41

- situation ethics challenges the distinction - are cases where agape requires the compassionate response of helping someone to end their life - teleological focuses on reducing pain and suffering would favour euthanasia - one practical difficulty is that withdrawal of treatment is often a length process and leads to medical resources, active euthanasia speeds up the inevitable - double effect is complex and not coherent