Euthanasia Flashcards
Types of euthanasia
Voluntary- the ending of a person’s life with their consent without any coercion
Non-voluntary- done without the consent of a patient, like if they are in a coma
Involuntary- done against the wishes of a patient
Active- doing something to end someone’s life
Passive- stopping doing something so the person eventually dies
Sanctity of life
The Christian concept that all life is sacred as it was given by God and humans were made in God’s image.
Therefore, only He should take it away and all human life should be protected.
“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away” (Job)
Nowadays, because technology means people can be kept physically alive, Catholics accept there is no need to use extraordinary means to keep someone alive. Once the dying process had actually begun and life has actually reached its end euthanasia is possible.
Every life has a God-given purpose, God meant for each of us to be born. Lives cannot be wasted.
Quality of life
The secular belief that human life has to possess certain attributes in order to have value.
If people no longer have a ‘good’ quality of life, there is no ethical issue with euthanasia as they no longer should be considered a person (personhood).
Therefore, others can make the decision on their behalf (autonomy).
Peter Singer- the worth of human life varies and depends on its quality.
Autonomy
John Locke- a person has absolute rights over his or her body.
John Stuart Mill- people should have full autonomy as long as it does not harm others.
Two sides: they should never be killed, but they also should be able to decide to die or not.
Personhood
How can we decide how much consciousness a person has, or when they can/cannot be considered a person?
Grisez and Boyle- emphasise the importance of personhood and reject the view that somebody can be bodily alive and not a person
Mary Anne Warren- uses a cognitive criteria of personhood. Persons are those who have; consciousness, reasoning, self-motivated activity, the capacity to communicate, the presence of self-concepts.
Daniel James
Young rugby player who was paralysed in a rugby scum and chose to die rather than lead a life as a paraplegic.
Tony Nicklinson
A man who had locked-in syndrome after a stroke. He died after refusing food or treatment for pneumonia for a week following a rejection by the High Court of his case that doctors should be allowed to assist his death without facing prosecution.
Natural Law
- goes against the primary precept of the preservation of life
- taking life is intrinsically wrong
- nature should be allowed to take its own course without human intervention
- natural law does allow a patient to refuse treatment
- the doctrine of double effect can be applied
Christian Ethics
- intrinsically wrong and rejecting God’s gift of life
- against God’s will and plan
- the sanctity of life should be preserved
- situation ethics may consider euthanasia to be the most loving thing under the circumstances (focus on agape over quality of life)
