Euthanasia Flashcards
What is voluntary euthanasia
When a person’s life is ended at their request or with their consent
What is non voluntary euthanasia
When a person’s life is ended without their consent but with the consent of someone representing their interests
What is euthanasia
The painless killing of a patient suffering from a painful incurable disease
What is assisted suicide
Intentionally helping another person to end their life, including someone who isn’t terminally ill
What is assisted dying
When a person who is terminally ill receives lethal drugs from a medical practitioner which the patient administers themselves
Is euthanasia legal in the uk
Voluntary isn’t
Non voluntary can be depending on circumstances
In what circumstances would non voluntary euthanasia be legal in the uk
For those in a coma, PVS, are brain-dead
Doctors, families and courts are involved in judging whether euthanasia is justifiable in each case
What is active euthanasia
Medical intervention
A treatment is given (such as the lethal injection) that directly causes the death of the individual
What is passive euthanasia
Medical non intervention
A treatment is withdrawn/withheld, and this indirectly causes the death of the patient
What is the hyppocratic oath
An oath that medical students have to recite which states that they have a duty to preserve life
What is sanctity of life
Religious concept
Idea that human life is made in God’s image and is therefore sacred in value
What is the strong sanctity of life principle
Idea that ending life is never permissible
What is the weak sanctity of life principle
Idea that life is valuable but there may be some situations where ending life is moral
What is quality of life
Secular concept
The idea that human life has to possess certain attributes in order to have value
What is the principle of autonomy and how does it link to quality of life
Humans should be free to make decisions about their own future
Autonomy is required for quality of life
How does natural law apply to active euthanasia
Doesn’t support
Acting with the intention of cutting short the life of another is immoral
How does natural law apply to passive euthanasia
Morally permissable
Treatment is withdrawn or withheld, not with the intention to end life, but to allow for nature to take it’s God given course
What is ordinary treatment
Treatment that is:
• directly available
• relatively painless
• reasonable success rate
What is extraordinary treatment
Treatment that is:
• invasive
• experimental
• painful
What does the catholic church (influenced by natural law) say about ordinary and extraordinary treatment
Ordinary treatment is morally obligatory but extraordinary treatment is not, due to sanctity of life principle
Example of passive euthanasia: tony bland
Was in a persistent vegetative state after suffering from brain damage
Feeding tube was withdrawn (passive euthanasia), setting a legal precedent for passive euthanasia which is now legal
Why was the tony bland case not necessarily more moral than active euthanasia
Feeding tubes being removed meant that it took 10-12 days for him to die
Case study: Diane pretty
Used to support euthanasia
She was paralysed from the neck down with motor neurone disease
Requested assisted suicide and was denied
Days later she died in the way that she had feared, struggling to breathe
Case study: baby charlotte
Shows that the court does not consider life absolutely sacred
She was born prematurely with severe brain damage and it was decided to not resuscitate her if she fell into a coma, against the wish of her parents
Case study: Dr moore and George liddel
George liddel was terminally ill
Dr moore administered a morphine injection that hastened the death of George
He used thr doctrine of double effect to defend his actions, as his intention was to relieve pain but the foreseen yet unintended secondary effect was George’s death
What is the application of situation ethics to active euthanasia
Recognises that there are some cases where this is the right option but it depends on what is the most loving outcome in that situation
What is situation ethics applied to passive euthanasia
Focus is on outcome so passive euthanasia is treated no differently to active
What example does fletcher use in his book
A chaplain encounters a terminally ill patient who is married with children, he could choose to take expensive pills which would extend his life by 3 years but this would mean he outlives his medical insurance and his family would be left with nothing
Fletcher argues that in this situation it would be moral to refuse treatment
