Euthanasia Flashcards
The law & key words
Euthanasia: Literally a ‘good death’, it is legal in some countries, but illegal in the UK. Suicide (A person making a voluntary choice to end their life) has been decriminalised, but it is illegal to aid someone. It is illegal to administer active euthanasia (A treatment given that directly causes the death of the individual).
The sanctity of life
In Christian ethics this refers to the idea that life is special & valuable because it is God given. Despite the belief that humans are fallen & damaged by sin, each person is still created in the ‘image of God’. These means’s that it is morally wrong to take a life. Each life has intrinsic value regardless of its quality, or its usefulness to us.
Quality of life
Takes the view that whether life is valuable depends on whether it is worth living. Some thinkers base the decision on whether quality of life exists around possession of life’s goods (such as happiness & freedom from pain), while others argue that it can be found in possession of autonomy. Singer argues that there are five quality of life commandments, including respecting a persons desire to live or die & recognising that the worth of a life varies.
Autonomy
The belief that we are free and able to make our own decisions. This is a key feature of utilitarian thinking & can be traced to Mills non-harm principle, which states that although the government can restrict our freedom if we are about to harm another, it cannot restrict our freedom with regards to ourselves.
The Hippocratic Oath
States that although it is wrong for a doctor to do something that would cause the death of their patient, Hippocrates suggested that it is pointless to treat those who are so overcome by the disease that medicine is useless (terminal). It is this that provides the background for the modern discussion of acts (Causing the death, morally & legally wrong) and omissions (Stopping treatment which may prolong suffering & inevitable death).
James Rachel’s
Offered a thought experiment to suggest that the distinction between acts & omissions is not actively helpful.
- Suppose Smith will inherit a fortune if his young nephew dies, he then drowns is nephew in the bath & arranges for it to look like an accident. This is an ‘act’
- Suppose Jones watches his nephew slip, hit his head & slowly drown, but does nothing to help. This is an ‘omission’, as Jones could have saved him.
The traditional idea states that Smith is guiltier than Jones, and while this is true legally, when looking at the morality, Rachel’s argues that both cases are equal & passive euthanasia may be crueller as death is slower.
Glover on ordinary & extraordinary means
Glover suggests that the distinction between acts & omissions may not be so clear. This is because rhea may involve ordinary & extraordinary means depending on whether the proposed treatment is something like food or water (ordinary) or expensive medical treatment (extraordinary).
Glover suggests that there are at least five options with regard to euthanasia, including taking all possible steps to preserve life, and taking all ordinary steps to preserve life, but not using extraordinary means.
Natural law
One of the primary precepts argues for the preservation of life, natural law is dependent on the Divine Law revealed by God. Key texts such as the Ten Commandments seem to count against euthanasia. Following this, it would be difficult for someone to claim they were worshiping God if they cut a life short.
It could be argued that the practice of euthanasia would undermine the stability of society; a society where life was not valued could not be an ordered society. People may fear treatment, and hospitals. This would result in an apparent good, as opposed to a real good
The principle for double effect might allow pain relief (eg morphine) even though it may shorten life. This is acceptable as the intention is to provide pain relief, and shortening their life is an unintentional secondary effect. Natural law also provides a distinction between ordinary means (which they are obliged to take) and extraordinary means (which is risky & can be refused).
Situation ethics
Situation ethics has personalism as one of its key principles, it is the people & their welfare at the heart of decision making, not laws. The quality of life is also considered to be more important than the sanctity of life. Situation ethics also rejects legalism in favour of asking what the most loving act would be. Rules like ‘do not kill’ are sophia (general rules of wisdom), but can be broken when love demands it. The theory is relativist in its approach, Fletcher does not totally endorse euthanasia, but recognises that there are cases where it is the right option.
