Euthanasia Flashcards
What is euthanasia generally?
Painless killing of an individual with a painful or incurable disease.
What is assisted suicide?
Intentionally helping someone who is not terminally ill kill themselves.
What is assisted dying?
Individual who is terminally ill administers a lethal drug from a medical practitioner
What are two types of euthanasia?
-voluntary
-non voluntary
What is voluntary and non voluntary euthanasia?
Voluntary-request to die, done by family or doctor and they make a will
Non voluntary- unable to give consent so many are involved to make a judgement usually when there unresponsive controversial
What is active euthanasia?
Directly and intentionally cause the death of a patient.
what is Passive euthanasia?
Withhold or withdrew treatment indirectly causing the death of a individual.
What is the hippocratic oath of medicine?
-greek physician
-to never cause the death of a patient
-active immoral but passive may be moral
In terms of the law what does it say about all of it?
-assited suicide illegal
-suicide is legal
-active, unlikely to be prosecuted but still would be investigated
-passive, legal
Why would deontologists say that the distinction is helpful?
omission is not murder because intention matters if a doctor refrains from giving medicine that’s nature taking its course.
Why would teleologist say that the distinction is not helpful?
Because what matters is the outcome and both result in the death of a patient.
What did James Rachel argue?
The distinction isn’t helpful however passive is worse as it takes longer to die.
uncle wanting to inherit his nephews fortune
What would the Docterine of Double effects argue?
If a doctor gave a strong drug such as morphine to relieve the pain and it resulted in there death the interior act was good so therefore this isn’t seen as murder.
What would go against the docterine of double effects?
If the negative consequence is foreseen whos to say it wasn’t intended.
What is the difference between ordinary treatment and extraordinary treatment?
ordinary-directly available, reasonable success rate, basic as food and water
Extraordinary-cannot be used without causing pain,e.g life support
What does the catholic church say about ordinary and extraordinary treatment?
your able to morally reject extraordinary however it is a moral sin to not accept ordinary treatment.
What is Palliative care and how does it differ from hospice care?
Palliative care is given at any point of an individuals life due to chronic illness. Hospice is at the end of someones life.
What are three ways Palliative care benefits an individual?
-physically
-psychosocially
-spiritually
Explain the case study of Tony bland.
-in a vegetative state due to brain damage
-Court allowed for his feeding tube to be withdrawn
-first patient in England to have passive euthanasia
Explain the case study of Diane pretty.
-paralyzed
-assisted dying from husband
denied requests
-died due to difficulty breathing which is what she feared would happen
Explain the case of Baby charlotte.
-brain damage
-if she fell into a come they aren’t allowed to resuscitate her
-They didnt find her life sacred
explain Patricia and Frank Lundt case.
-wife depressed due to bowel syndrome
-apparently asked for a successful death husband smothered her with a pillow
-guilty for murder
-no one who supports euthanasia supported him
What did Dr moore do and what does this support?
-He gave a lethal morphine injection to reduce liddel’s pain
-it lead however to his death
-this supports the docterine of double effects
what is the Sanctity of life?
Human life is made in God’s image so it is sacred in value.
What is the strong sancitity of life principle?
Ending a life is never permissible.
What is the weak santity of life principle?
Ending a life is permissible in certain circumstances where the outcome is agapeic.
What quotes supports the strong sanctity of life principle?
‘the lord has given and the lord has taken away’-like playing God
What does the pope say euthanasia can create?
‘Culture of death’
What are 2 weaknesses of the sancitity of life?
-the concept is too outdated to be used in a increasingly secular society.
-argues that all life must be saved at all costs however advancements able to point out where it is pointless.
Why does natural law accept passive euthanasia but not active?
As the interior act of active euthanasia is too interntionally kill the patient however passive euthanasia is allowing the death to take its natural course.
In terms of reason how does Aquinas’s law relate to euthanasia?
He believes that it is misapplied reason leading to apparent good which is where euthanasia seems moral.
According to Aquinas’s four tiers of law why is euthanasia oppposed?
Because divine law is God’s word put into scripture and it states that life is sacred.
What primary precept doesnt allow euthanasia?
Ordered society
preservation of life
What are Natural Law’s thoughts on ordianry and extraordinary means?
Ordinary must be accepted due to the high succes rate however extraordinary does not have to be accepted due to the fact that it is much more risky.
What theory supports the Docterine of Double effects?
Aquinas’s natural law.
What are 3 strengths of Natural law applied to euthanasia?
-Biblical basis, imago Dei
-Values life intrinsically prevents humans from abusing the vulnerable.
-flexibility as it allows in certain circumstance (docterine of double effects)
What are 3 weaknesses?
-legalistic, doesnt put individual first and lacks compassion
-dependant on christianity but euthanasia was practised before so it makes sense to practise in a secular society
