euthanasia Flashcards
John Noonan
You have personhood if you have DNA.
However, this isn’t convincing because it places human cells on the same value as a 25year old woman.
Mary Ann Warren
Gives 5 criteria that makes someone a person. These are consciousness, reasoning, self-motivated activity, communication, and self awareness.
However, this is unpersuasive as doesn’t give personhood to a baby as they lack reasoning.
Peter Singer personhood
Sentience (the ability to feel pleasure and pain) gives someone personhood.
Roman Catholics personhood
Starts at conception and ends when you die.
Diane Pretty
Had MND and was in a lot of pain and wanted to end her life but wasn’t allowed. She was denied euthanasia. The right to live does not mean that you have a right to die.
Peter Singer euthanasia stats
Out of 48000 people euthanised in the Netherlands, only 2 of them could have been against their wishes.
Archbishop Anthony Fisher
Slippery slope argument. If euthanasia elderly or sick people might feel pressured into getting euthanised by their relatives.
quality of life measured
Judged using quality adjusted life years (QALY). This shows how many valuable months a person has left to live and then doctors can judge if it’s worth it with the cost of drugs. If it’s over £30000 then it’s deemed not worth it.
Helga Kushe
There’s a difference between being alive and being alive in the individuals best interest.
James Rachels
No difference between killing and letting die. Bath example.
Simon Binner
Had MND and was suffering so got euthanised to alleviate his pain.
Daniel James
Was a rugby player and got injured and became a paraplegic. He tried to commit suicide several times before he was allowed to go to Dignitas to get euthanised.
Tony Bland
Injured at the Hillsborough football stadium disaster. He got diagnosed with PVS and his prognosis was that nothing would change. So, doctors requested to take him off life support. However, they got told that this would constitute as murder.
J.S. Mill
Humans are the best judges of their own conditions.
Job 1:21
“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.”
