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Religious studies > Euthanasia > Flashcards

Euthanasia Flashcards

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1
Q

Euthanasia

A

Inducing a painless death, by agreement and/or with compassion, to ease suffering. from Greek “Good death”

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2
Q

Active euthanasia

A

The deliberate act of bringing about death

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3
Q

Advance directive or ‘Living Will’

A

-Drawn up by patient when competent, for the event that they are not competent and wish that their medical treatment preferences be known

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4
Q

Assisted Suicide

A

-Competent patient has formed desire to end their life, but needs help to carry out the act

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5
Q

DNR

A

‘Do not resuscitate’. At the request of a patient or their family

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6
Q

Double effect

A

Some cases of incurable illness, drugs administered to relieve suffering but will have unintentional side effect of shortening life

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7
Q

Involuntary euthanasia

A

Killing of a person who is competent to request/consent to euthanasia but does not (ie with holocaust)

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8
Q

Medical Futility

A

-Treatment is achieving no positive medical results or is against the patient’s best interests, ie with prolonged and burdensome treatment

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9
Q

Non-voluntary euthanasia

A
  • Killing of a patient who does not have the capacity to understand euthanasia or give informed consent
  • Normally in a PVS, or babies born with severely debilitating illness, kinder to actively give medicine to kill, or to withdraw treatment
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10
Q

Palliative care

A

Curing/Long term disease control is not possible so palliative care increases the quality of life, reduces symptoms and alleviates pain for the patient. Does not prolong life or hasten death - PAIN RELIEF

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11
Q

Persistent Vegetative State (PVS)

A

-A condition where the patient remains unconscious, and the chances of them regaining consciousness become more remove

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12
Q

Voluntary euthanasia

A

The patient’s death is brought about at his or her own request

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13
Q

Arguments for voluntary euthanasia - Not murder

A
  • It is not malicious or with bad intent. They are already dying and wish to die, so you are helping them
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14
Q

Arguments for voluntary euthanasia - Merciful

A
  • Patients suffering from intolerable pain that will not get better
  • Thomas More ‘Utopia’ “…choose rather to die, since they cannot live but in such misery’
  • Offered to animals, why not humans?
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15
Q

Arguments for voluntary euthanasia - Gives people autonomy

A
  • Mill: In matters that do not concern others, people should have full autonomy
  • “In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute”
  • Argued that for a competent adult it should be a right to die, as much as people are entitled to hospices/palliative care
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16
Q

Arguments for voluntary euthanasia - Euthanasia goes on already

A
  • 1994 BMJ: some doctors already aid patient death
  • Doctors may already prescribe pain treatment that will quicken death and may withhold/withdraw treatment to kill
  • Would be much safer if voluntary euthanasia was legalised as it would be easier to regulate
  • No difference between active and passive for consequential thinkers as result is the same
17
Q

Arguments for voluntary euthanasia - Maintains quality of life

A
  • Humans should, for the whole of their lives, be entitled to dignity
  • If living becomes undignified then humans should be able to end their lives and have help doing so
  • Quality of life worth living is a subjective thing, ie Daniel James and Matt Hampson
18
Q

Arguments against voluntary euthanasia - Motives

A
  • Momentary suicidal thought may not be tantamount to feeling suicidal overall. Thoughts may pass
  • If euthanasia was legalised then it would have to be established whether or not people truly wanted to die, very prone to misinformation
19
Q

Arguments against voluntary euthanasia - Mistakes

A
  • We cannot predict the future, and it may occur that a supposedly terminal illness was an incorrect diagnosis
  • Keeping voluntary euthanasia illegal safeguards us against this
20
Q

Arguments against voluntary euthanasia - Abuse of the system

A
  • Elderly people may feel that they are a burden on their families, and may ask for voluntary euthanasia out of a sense of duty
  • Scheming relatives could manipulate the elderly?
  • Harold Shipmann, Serial killer, highlights issue
21
Q

Arguments against voluntary euthanasia - Impact on the community

A

-Legalisation could lead onto other forms of euthanasia, ultimately (worse case scenario) leading to Nazi t4 type extermination of the elderly and disabled
-Reduces value of life, slippery slope
BUT hasn’t happened in the Netherlands?

22
Q

Ethical issues: Non voluntary euthanasia

A
  • Withdrawal of burdensome treatment is not contraversial
  • However withdrawl of food and water is debated
  • -> Tony Bland, Hilsborough PVS
  • Court ruled food/water were treatment that could be withdrawn
  • Seems like a step towards active non-voluntary, not passive, even involuntary
  • Does it show lesser or greater respect for the value of human life to sustain the life indefinitely?
  • Babies: can be kept alive but detrimental to family. Others concerned that euthanasia at young age will cultivate culture with lesser respect for the value of early life
23
Q

Hospice care

A
  • Worldwide movement to provide palliative care to the terminally ill and aiding the families of the patients
  • Example, Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge, charity
  • Care offered during and after death for bereaved
  • Allow patient to die with dignity, will not feel like a burden, will not be a burden, and will receive proper care

-ALTERNATIVE to euthanasia offering a good quality of life

24
Q

Palliative care

A
  • Care of someone nearing end of life due to old age/terminal illness
  • Symptom control, counseling, self help and total care
  • Focus on pain relief rather than prolonging/ending life
  • Improving quality of life with physical and psychological well being
  • Helps prepare them spiritually for passing and achieve full potential before they do

-Means terminally ill may enjoy good quality of life for longer, so ALTERNATIVE to euthanasia

25
Q

Christian perspective on Euthanasia

A

FOR

  • Compassionate “love thy neighbour”
  • Jesus cared for the sick
  • Example of euthanasia in Samuel, “…for I am in terrible pain. So I killed him”

AGAINST

  • Do not kill
  • Care for weakest in society (do not force them)
  • Sanctity of life, temple to God who is lord of all life
26
Q

Roman Catholic view on Euthanasia

A
  • Declaration on Euthanasia (1980) , Life is a gift from God, live it according to Gods plan, wrong to ask for assisted death. Violates divine law and the dignity of the person
  • Suffering death as Jesus did allows us to establish a closer and more personal relationship with God
  • Hans Kung: Assisted suicide can be the ultimate, final form of helping in life (compassionate)
  • Some grounds for euthanasia as removal of burdensome excessive treatment that will not cause a recovery
27
Q

Protestant view on Euthanasia

A

Liberal protestant:

  • Fletcher’s “right to die”
  • Death is not the end, and is a friend to terminally ill
  • Quality of live > biological life

Conservative protestant:

  • Withdrawing (passive) treatment is acceptable but active euthanasia creates class of humans treated as less valued
  • Retarded child isn’t dying, in pain or consenting
28
Q

Hindu view on Euthanasia

A

FOR

  • We want to escape life, and departure of soul from body seen as positive in Upanishads
  • Body is limitation for those seeking Mocksha
  • Jainism, wise man should know when death approaches and can commit suicide (sallekhana) to achieve it
  • Seen as heroic, Indian soldiers favoring death at hands of worthy opponent (like a disease)
  • Self willed death

AGAINST

  • Ahimsa, no harm, harming body is wrong
  • Suffering must be accepted, as must bad Karma to move onto the next life
  • Bhagavad-Gita disapproves of mindless starvation of the body
  • four stages of life must be completed to fulfil dharma
29
Q

Utilitarian views on euthanasia

A

Mill:

  • Victimless crime as the patient wishes to die
  • Adverse effect on society, as the value of human life is lessened with euthanasia
  • Slippery slope, may lead to massive persecution of the disabled, ill and elderly
  • Personal autonomy is a higher pleasure, right to choose

Bentham:

  • Acceptable if person’s continued existence brings more pain and suffering to them/family than if life could be ended
  • Resources spent keeping them alive to die anyway may be used in other ways
  • BUT if enough people gain happiness from death, no protecting rights of individual
  • Hard to predict consequences, opinions may change, disease may be curable
  • Extinguishes any further potential happiness that may have been achieved –> with palliative care. Pain relief, good quality of life. Ie Stephen Hawking
  • Utilitarian thinking in practice with QUALY system
30
Q

Situationist views on euthanasia

A
  • Fletcher’s “right to die”
  • Consequential, active and passive are the same as same result
  • Not intrinsically wrong, only wrong based on outcome
  • Ending life may be more compassionate and loving than continued suffering for the person. Double effect may be acceptable
31
Q

Daniel James + Matt Hampson

A
  • Both paralyzed Rugby players
  • Daniel decided to receive assisted suicide and Matt wanted to live
  • Shows how acceptable quality of life is subjective
32
Q

Assess the view that euthanasia can never be Good

A

NEVER
-Violates sanctity of life, body is temple, God has plan
- Violates absolute Biblical law thou shalt not kill
- Can’t guarantee consequences are good, can guarantee it will extinguish any potential happiness that person could have felt
- Adverse effect on society means no isolated incident where it can be good, all effects the majority
-Violates UK law
SOMETIMES
-Subjective Quality of Life ie Daniel James/Matt Hampson
-Can be compassionate, loving
-For situationist can’t be absolute as not intrinsically bad
-Free will (Hans Kung, “all merciful…” would allow us to die
-Varies on situation, may sometimes bring best happiness

33
Q

Do we have a right to life?

A

YES
-No murder
-Sanctity of life, God given
-Evangelical Xns “God is the supreme lord of life”
Human rights: most basic right, protected in wartime
-Abortion illegal from 24 weeks as then, independent, recognised as person with own rights and RIGHT to life

BUT

  • Foetus not yet a person, no person=no right
  • Viability: exceptions to the rule (self defense)
  • Some foetuses are less developed than primates, fewer rights, some would argue not HUMAN

Religious studies (8 decks)

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