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RPE 2 > Euthanasia > Flashcards

Euthanasia Flashcards

1
Q

What types of euthanasia are there?

A 
Voluntary Euthanasia
Non-voluntary Euthanasia
Involuntary Euthanasia
Active Euthanasia
Passive Euthanasia: withholding treatment or withdrawing treatment
Indirect euthanasia
Assisted suicide
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2
Q

What is Voluntary Euthanasia?

A

the person wants to die and says so

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3
Q

Give a examples (six) of Voluntary Euthanasia

A

asking for help with dying
refusing burdensome medical treatment
asking for medical treatment to be stopped
asking for support machines to be switched off
refusing to eat
simply deciding to die

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4
Q

What is Non-voluntary Euthanasia?

A

the person cannot make a decision or cannot make their wishes known

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5
Q

Give a examples (six) of Non-voluntary Euthanasia

A

being in a coma
person is too young (e.g. a very young baby)
being senile
being mentally retarded to a very severe extent
being severely brain damaged
being mentally disturbed in such a way that they should be protected from themselves

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6
Q

What is Involuntary Euthanasia?

A

the person wants to live but is killed anyway

this is usually murder but not always

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7
Q

Give a examples (three) of Involuntary Euthanasia

A

murder
A soldier has their stomach blown open by a shell burst and is screaming in agony. They beg the army doctor to save their lives but the doctor knows he will die in 10 minutes and has no painkilling drugs so shoots the soldier to spare him further pain
A person is burning on the 10th floor of a burning building, screaming for help. The fire brigade hasn’t arrived. A passerby shoots him so that they won’t suffer agonising death from burns

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8
Q

What is Active Euthanasia?

A

occurs when the medical professionals, or another person, deliberately does something that causes the patient to die

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9
Q

Give an example of Active Euthanasia

A

a person is killed by being given an overdose of pain-killers

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10
Q

What is Passive Euthanasia?

A

occurs when the patient dies because the medical professionals either don’t do something necessary to keep the patient alive, or when they stop doing something that is keeping the patient alive

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11
Q

Give examples (two) of withholding treatment

A

not carrying out surgery that will extend life for a short time
not giving life-extending drugs

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12
Q

Give examples (two) of withdrawing treatment

A

switching off life-support machine

disconnecting a feeding tube

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13
Q

What is euthanasia defined as?

A

the action of inducing a ‘quiet and easy death’ or ‘a good death’

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14
Q

What does euthanasia refer to?

A

The termination of the lives of people suffering from great physical or mental handicap or a painful terminal illness

There are several ways in which this might be done:
Assisted suicide
Voluntary euthanasia
Non-voluntary (or passive) euthanasia

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15
Q

What does DNR stand for?

A

Do Not Resuscitate

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16
Q

What is DNR?

A

a doctor is not required to resuscitate a person if their heart stops
designed to prevent unnecessary suffering

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17
Q

What are the usual circumstances for DNR?

A

when it will not restart the heart or breathing
when there is no benefit to the patient
when the benefits are outweighed by the burdens

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18
Q

What are the guidelines in the UK for DNR?

A

if the patients’s condition means resuscitation is unlikely to succeed
a mentally competent patient consistently stated or recorded their wishes for DNR
an advanced notice or living will from the patient to DNR
successful resuscitation would not be in their best interest - poor quality of life after it

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19
Q

What must the NHS ensure there is for a DNR?

A

executive director is identified to oversee implementation of policy
the policy is readily available to patients, family, and carers
the policy is put under audit and regularly monitor

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20
Q

What is Palliative Care?

A

Keeping people pain-free by use of drugs which may leave them semi-conscious all the time

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21
Q

What is Pharmacological Oblivion?

A

Sometimes the only way of easing a person’s pain is to give them huge doses of pain killers which, in the end, may kill them anyway. This is sometimes done deliberately.

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22
Q

What is the doctrine of double effect?

A

a doctrine that says that if doing something morally good has a morally bad side effect it’s ethically OK to do it providing the bad side-effect wasn’t intended (this is true even if you oversee that the bad side effect would probably happen)

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23
Q

What factors are involved in the doctrine of double effect?

A

the good result must be achieved independently of the bad one (i.e. the bad result must not be the means of achieving the good one)
the action must be proportionally to the cause (e.g. if the dosage of drugs certain to kill them is greater than the dosage of drugs needed to control their pain, you cannot justify it with the double effect)
the action must be appropriate (e.g. the right medicine to treat the problem)
the patient must be in terminal condition (e.g. you cannot give them pain-killing drugs if they have recovered)

24
Q

What are the legislations in the UK about euthanasia?

A

both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal under English Law
euthanasia is regarded as either manslaughter or murder and is punishable by law, with a maximum penalty up to life imprisonment
assisted suicide is illegal under the terms of the Suicide Act (1961) and is punishable up to 14 years imprisonment

25
Q

What did the House of Lords do with the proposal to legalise euthanasia in 1933? What was their reasoning?

A

they rejected it

“It would be next to impossible to ensure that all acts of euthanasia were truly voluntary.”

26
Q

Which countries have legalised euthanasia?

A 
Netherlands
Belgium
Luxembourg
US States of Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico, Montana
Switzerland
27
Q

What are the two main arguments for euthanasia and assisted suicide
?

A

Ethical argument

Pragmatic argument

28
Q

What is the ethical argument for euthanasia?

A

people should have the freedom of choice - this includes the right to control their own body and life as long as they do not abuse another person’s rights
the state should not create laws to prevent people being able to choose when and how they die
life should only continue as long as the person feels their life is worth living - e.g. should be allowed if living in intolerable pain and their quality of life is severely diminished

29
Q

What is the pragmatic argument for euthanasia?

A

euthanasia, particularly active euthanasia, is allegedly already widespread, just not one that people are willing to admit, so its better to regulate euthanasia properly

30
Q

Case study: Dianne Pretty

A

desperately wanted a doctor to help her die when she could no longer communicate with family and friends rather than dying by choking or suffocating
motor neurone disease left her mind as sharp as ever, but gradually destroyed her muscles, making it hard to communicate with her family
left her in a wheelchair, catheterised, fed through a tube
fought for the last two years of her life
had every possible treatment
wanted quick death without suffering
if physically capable would have taken her own life
fought in High Court and the European Court of Human Rights
died in a hospice in May 2002

31
Q

What are the pro-euthanasia arguments based on rights?

A

people have an explicit right to die
a separate right to die is not necessary, because our other human rights imply the right to die
death is a private matter and if there is no harm to others, the state and other people have no right to interfere (a libertarian argument)
the right to privacy and freedom of belief include a right to die
people have the right to die and to try and make the events in their lives as good as possible

32
Q

What are the pro-euthanasia practical arguments?

A

it is possible to regulate euthanasia
death is a private matter and if there is no harm to others, the state and other people have no right to interfere (a libertarian argument)
euthanasia happens anyway (a utilitarian or consequentialist argument)

33
Q

What are the pro-euthanasia philosophical arguments?

A

euthanasia satisfies the criterion that moral rules must be universalisable
euthanasia happens anyway (a utilitarian or consequentialist argument)
is death a bad thing?

34
Q

What are the other (4) pro-euthanasia arguments?

A

If it is legal then it will be regulated then it will be safer
Discrimination against people who can’t kill themselves
DNR already exists so it is not too far a stretch
Discriminates against the countries that do not allow euthanasia, the people who cannot travel (i.e. do not have the money to travel)

35
Q

What are the anti-euthanasia ethical arguments?

A

euthanasia weakens society’s respect for the sanctity of life
accepting euthanasia accepts that some lives (those of the disabled or sick) are worth less than others
voluntary euthanasia is the start of a slippery slope that leads to involuntary euthanasia and the killing of people who are thought undesirable
euthanasia might not be in a person’s best interests
euthanasia affects other people’s rights, not just those of the patient

36
Q

What are the anti-euthanasia practical arguments?

A

proper palliative care makes euthanasia unnecessary
there’s no way of properly regulating euthanasia
allowing euthanasia will lead to less good care for the terminally ill
allowing euthanasia undermines the committment of doctors and nurses to saving lives
euthanasia may become a cost-effective way to treat the terminally ill
allowing euthanasia will discourage the search for new cures and treatments for the terminally ill
euthanasia undermines the motivation to provide good care for the dying, and good pain relief
euthanasia gives too much power to doctors
euthanasia exposes vulnerable people to pressure to end their lives
moral pressure on elderly relatives by selfish families
moral pressure to free up medical resources
patients who are abandoned by their families may feel euthanasia is the only solution

37
Q

What are the anti-euthanasia historical arguments?

A

voluntary euthanasia is the start of a slippery slope that leads to involuntary euthanasia and the killing of people who are thought undesirable

38
Q

What are the anti-euthanasia religious arguments?

A

euthanasia is against the word and will of God
euthanasia weakens society’s respect for the sanctity of life
suffering may have value
voluntary euthanasia is the start of a slippery slope that leads to involuntary euthanasia and the killing of people who are thought undesirable

39
Q

What are the other (5) anti-euthanasia arguments?

A

Hard to draw a line
People are not a means to save money - money vs ethics
May discourage research for medicines and cures
Leads to distrust in doctors -do they have your best interests in mind?
Mental illness - might change your mind

40
Q

Quote: 1 Samuel 2:6

A

“The Lord kills and restores life; he sends people to the world of the dead and brings them back again.”

41
Q

Quote: Exodus 20:13

A

“Do not commit murder.”

42
Q

Quote: Living and dying is for God

A

“None of us lives for himself only, none of us dies for himself only. If we live, it is for the Lord that we live, and if we dies, it is for the Lord that we die.”

43
Q

Quote: 1 Corinthians 6:19

A

“Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God.”

44
Q

What is the Liberal Christians approach to euthanasia?

A

acceptable to turn off life support machine if there is medical evidence that the patient is ‘brain dead’
this is because they believe that the person is only performing mechanical bodily functions
prepared to consider withholding treatment that might prolong life when the person’s quality of life is very poor
this is guided by Jesus’ teachings to act in the most loving way

45
Q

What is the Catholic Christians approach to euthanasia?

A

absolutely against euthanasia, and, unlike many Christian churches, is also against doctors having the right to switch off life support machines with the consent of the patient’s family
view euthanasia as morally unacceptable

46
Q

Give a quote to support the Catholic approach to euthanasia

A

“An act or omission which causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder greatly contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

47
Q

Are most Christian churches for or against euthanasia?

A

against

48
Q

What would most Christian churches agree with to do with euthanasia? Why?

A

the right of the doctors to switch off life support machines with the consent of the patient’s family
this is because of the Sanctity of Life principle.

49
Q

Quote the Salvation Army about euthanasia

A

“We believe that it is the right to use medical treatment to control pain. We deny the right to legalise the termination of life by a doctor.” (Salvation Army)

50
Q

What do many Christians look to as an alternative to euthanasia?

A

the Hospice Movement

51
Q

What is a hospice?

A

a kind of residential home where those suffering a terminal illness can live out their remaining says being cared for in a peaceful and dignified way

52
Q

What is the Christian Hospice Alternatives?

A

began in England
set up by Cicely Sanders
refused to accept the idea of euthanasia and set about finding an alternative
believes it is possible to enjoy life (good quality of life), even when suffering from a terminal illness, if patient’s pain could be controlled
concerns itself with making final days happy, calm and comfortable, not just nursing
supports family with emotional, spiritual and practical help

53
Q

Quote the Christian Hospice Alternatives

A

“We are now always able to control pain in terminal cancer in the patients sent to us…euthanasia as advocated is wrong…it should be unnecessary and is an admission of defeat.” (Christian Hospice Movement)

54
Q

What did Cecily Sanders say we should do?

A

“concern ourselves with the quality of life as well as its length.”

55
Q

Quote Cecily Sanders

A

“You matter because you are you, and you matter to the last moment of your life.”

RPE 2 (24 decks)

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