Euthanasia Flashcards
Voluntary euthanasia
Persons life ended upon their request
Non voluntary
Performed with the consent of a representative
NML on euthanasia
+ telos: good quality life?
- preservation of life
- avoid evil: “thou shall not kill”
Situation ethics on Euthanasia
+ loving to end pain
- death not loving, palliative care is
Sanctity of life
Catholics
Suffering has a special place in Gods plan of salvation
Mind is superior to the body and physical suffering brings us closer to God
Sanctity of Life
St Paul
Accept your lot
Human body a temple of life
Quality of Life
Boyle
All people have personhood
No one can cease to be a person
Quality of Life
Aquinas
Suicide breaks the social contract between God and man
NML
+ double effect
- Aquinas: preservation of life
- Aristotle: telos of a doctor is to save lives not take them
Quality of Life
Double effect
Good intentions, bad consequences
Intention prevent pain
Extra ordinary euthanasia
When medicine you are reliant on for life is withdrawn
Quality of Life
Daniel Maguire
Life shouldn’t be prolonged in every situation
We intervene to save life, why not intervene to end it
Quality of Life
Gregory pence
Forcing someone to die and forcing someone to die a slow and painful death are the same
Both violate a persons autonomy
We keep euthanasia illegal due to the underlying Christian tradition in Britain
Situation ethics
+ Agape - preventing pain is loving
+ Relativism - Christian rules not always applied
+ Positivism - want to do good
+ Personalism - respect the wishes of the person
+ love justifies the means
- pragmatism - practical to have lots of death in society ?
Tony Nicklinson
PVS
Suffered a stroke
Life = “A living nightmare”
Campaigned for assisted suicide, lost legal battle and died a slow death via starvation
“It cannot be acceptable in 21st Century Britain that I am denied the right to take my own life”
