euthanasia Flashcards
1961 Suicide Act.
- Decriminalised to commit suicide.
- Criminalised to aid someones suicide attempt.
Vitalism.
View human life is always sacred as it is a God-given gift.
Diane Pretty case.
Woman diagnosed with motor neurone diseased argued under the Human Rights Act for her right to end her life.
Euthanasia in the Netherlands.
Evidence some die against their wishes.
Helga Kushe on the slippery slope argument.
Used by scaremongers with no real empirical evidence beside the Nazi examples which are an anomoly.
Strong sanctity of life.
Belief human life is always valuable with no exception.
Exodus 20:13.
You shall not murder.
Pope St John Paul on euthanasia.
Would develop a ‘culture of death’ which would devalue dignity and marginalise the minorities.
Weak sanctity of life principle.
Belief that while human life is always valuable, it could cause more bad to allow a life to continue than to cut it off.
Peter Singer’s five new rational quality of life commandments.
- Worth of human life varies.
- Take responsibility for consequences.
- Respect someones desire to live or die.
- Only bring children into the world when they are wanted.
- Avoid specieism.
Total happiness judgement.
If a person is happy in life then the longer they live the greater their quality of life.
Average happiness judgement.
If someones average level of happiness can be maintained at high levels, they have a greater quality of life.
Higher qualities judgement.
Persons quality of life is judged by certain minimum standards which we necessary to live a happy life, so if they lack these qualities then thee is no quality of life.
Liberal principle.
That individuals are the best judge of their happiness and so should have maximum personal freedom.
JS Mill on paternalism.
Allowed by Mill if it is in someones best interest.
Jonathan Glover on quality of life.
Being alive is not a sufficient condition for that life being valuable and the body is an instrument to enable conscious experiences.
Dr David Moore.
Dr Moore was taken to court for murder as he injected George Liddell with a fatal dose of morphine which resulted in his death but he had only intended to relieve pain.
Consequentalism.
Focuses on the end result of an act.
Doctrine of double effect on when one an perform an act which may result morally or evilly.
- The action itself is good.
- Good effect is intended.
- Good effect is not produced by means of the evil effect.
- Proportionately good reason to permit evil effect.
Issues in morality of euthanasia.
- Purity of intention.
- Arbitrariness.
- Ordinary and extraordinary means.
- proportionality and quality of life.
Tony Bland case.
Victim of the Hillsborough football stadium disaster went into deep coma and had life support switched off.
