Euthanasia Flashcards
What does Euthanasia mean?
comes from two Greek word first part eu meaning ‘good’ or ‘well’. The second Greek word thanatos meaning ‘death’. The whole word euthanasia means good death
Euthanasia is divided into two categories?
Active Euthanasia
Passive Euthanasia
What is Active Euthanasia?
acting to deliberately bring about the death of the person e.g. by administering a lethal injection or overdose of medication
What is Passive Euthanasia?
Known as Non Treatment Decision e.g. withholding medicine withdrawing life support (legal in UK)
-James Rachel argues that passive euthanasia is actually worse as it is cruel and the process is dying may be long and drawn out
What is Voluntary Euthanasia?
Patient consent to it due to a terminal or incurable illness
What is Non Voluntary Euthanasia?
The patient does not consent (but consented to a person representing their interests) e.g. coma or PVS (persistent vegetative state)
Argument For Voluntary Euthanasia?
-People should have the right to avoid pain and should be able to choose a gentle painless death as it’s rationally made
-Many people think that each person has right to control her or his body and life and so should be able to determine what time in what by whose hand he or she will die
-In some cases euthanasia promotes the best interests of everyone involved and violates no one’s right’s therefore morally acceptable
Arguments against voluntary euthanasia?
- Voluntary euthanasia is illegal in the UK
- Some people argue against voluntary euthanasia as a person might change their mind when they are no longer able to communicate
- Christianity teaches that suffering can have a place in God’s plan and that suffering share in Christs agony and his redeeming sacrifice.
- Euthanasia looks at the viewpoint of the person wanting to die but it affects other people too and their right should be considered
- Christians argue life is sacred because it’s a gift from God because God decided a when life should end not us
- The ‘slippery slope’ argument is the view that if something allowed in exceptional circumstances it begins a process which becomes impossible to stop and situation will get out of hand
What is the Sanctity of life?
Believed that human life is sacred then it should not be ended by euthanasia
* Human life is made in the image of God or Imago Dei we are all made with Spark of Divinity’
What did Peter Singer replace the traditional sanctity of life within 5 quality of life commandments?
- We should recognise that the worth of human life varies
- We should take responsibility for the consequences of our decisions to save or end life
- We should respect a person desire to live or die
- We should bring a child into the world if they are wanted
- We should not discriminate on basis of species
Strong sanctity of Life (Links to Natural Law) ?
- Often known as the pro-life position or vitalism this argues that life is sacred because it posses a God given soul
- No ordinary or extortionary means justify termination to natural death
- Moment of contraception there is only natural death this means all life must be protected
Weak sanctity of life (Links to situation Ethics)?
- Killing an innocent person out of love is not murder because they might be suffering
- Murder implies having ulterior motives
- In circumstances euthanasia its not wrong because no one should deserve to endure a life of extreme pain
- Life is a gift not a burden-its not a gift if the giver is still has ownership but if your given the gift you can do what you want basically saying you can choose what to do with your life
What is Quality of life?
Human being should be able to live and end life with dignity and respect a person’s desire to live or die
Case of Quality of life?
Tony Nicklinson Case
What is Personhood?
-Problems with personhood and euthanasia occurs when a patient is in a PVS (persistent vegetative state)
-Some argue that someone in a PVS is still human but not entirely a person so euthanasia is a logical conclusion
