Euthanasia Flashcards
Define ‘non-treatment decision’ / passive euthanasia
Medical professionals withdraw medication or life support because the patient won’t get better
Define ‘active euthanasia’
A deliberate action performed by a third party to kill a person
Define ‘sanctity of life’
The belief that life is intrinsically sacred and holds such worth that it should not be within human power to take it
Define ‘quality of life’
A way of weighing up the extrinsic experience of life that affects or justifies whether or not to continue living
Define ‘personhood’
The quality of human life that makes it worthy
Define ‘autonomy and the right to die’
Human freedom should extend to be able to choose the time and manner of death
Define ‘voluntary euthanasia’
When a person’s life is ended painlessly by a third party
Define ‘non-voluntary euthanasia’
When a person is unable to express their wishes but there is reasonable ground to end their life
Define ‘dignity’
Worth or quality of life linked to sanctity of life and freedom
Define ‘palliative care’
End-of-life care to make a person’s remaining moments of life as comfortable as possible
Define ‘involuntary euthanasia’
A person is killed beyond their wishes e.g. Nazi doctors killing people because they were disabled
What are Daniel Maguire’s views of euthanasia?
Euthanasia to shorten a person’s time taken to die by not prolonging life is legitimate because it allows people to have power whilst not denying their sanctity of life
What are Peter Singer’s views of euthanasia?
The traditional concept of sanctity of life must be neglected as quality of life can justify a wanting to take their own life
How do some people believe medical science can help decide when a person no longer exists?
Medical science can help us decide when sanctity is no longer a factor as the person no longer exists. Protecting life is one thing but keeping the body alive when the person is gone is another
What is ‘imago dei’?
Using the quote ‘Man was made in the image of God’ as a foundation of thinking when arguing cases of euthanasia
“Humans have to be a (1) of priests and a (2) nation” - Old Testament
1 - Kingdom
2 - Holy
What did Lactantius believe?
God made humans sacred with dignity which is proven by Jesus’ resurrection
How do some believe that taking your own life endangers others?
Because it undermines the value of life and puts others at risk of euthanasia being an option to them
Give three quality of life arguments that support euthanasia
- Humans should live and die with dignity
- Self-respect rather than dying in pain
- Compassion e.g. humans have the power to put pets down when they are irrecoverable
Give an argument related to quality of life that discourages euthanasia
Miracles can happen e.g. Steven Hawking
Give a quote from the Ancient Roman play ‘Prometheus Bound’
“It were better to die once and for all than to drag out my lingering days in anguish”
Give a quote from Hippocrates
“Refuse to treat those who are overmastered by their disease… medicine is powerless”
Give a quote from Kevin Smith
“… euthanasia must be a personal decision between the terminally ill and their family… it is ethically wrong to toss guilt… into a tragic situation”
Why do some people consider someone on life support to be no longer living in regards to personhood?
They are incapable and self-unaware
Give four disadvantages of the arguments of personhood in favour of euthanasia
- neglects potential
- a person, though on life support, can connect with others
- a person never stops being part of a greater community
- a person will always have a purpose
Give a quote by John Stuart Mill on autonomy and right to die
“In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute… the individual is sovereign”
Give a quote by Jack Kevorkian (a doctor administering euthanasia)
“What counts is what the patient wants and judges to be a benefit… that’s primary”
Give a quote by Hans Kung (Christian and theologian)
“All merciful God… left to dying people the responsibility for making a conscientious decision about the time and manner of their death”
Why is Gregory E Pence in favour of euthanasia?
Killing humans who don’t want to live is not wrong because it is not wrong to help the dying to die because they are already dying”
Give three criticisms of Gregory E Pence
- Right to die can become a threat
- Cases of doctors using their authority to kill against will
- It is wrong to oblige health professionals to be in institutions causing death
What is Hippocrates view of voluntary euthanasia?
Killing a patient seems opposed to a doctor’s purpose, they should do everything possible to heal and assist
Name three factors Johnathon Glover suggests should be considered when asked to help a person die
1 - decision is serious and not a result of a temporary mental state
2 - decision is reasonable and requires discussion
3 - circumstances are not liable to change e.g. medication available/ is suicide likely?
Give a quote from Johnathon Glover
“To refuse to provide help is a very serious denial of the person’s autonomy… only to be justified by appealing to… future quality of life”
What 3 ‘side effects’ of euthanasia does Glover reject?
1 - voluntary euthanasia could lead to involuntary euthanasia
2 - voluntary euthanasia discourages people seeking treatment
3 - detrimental to palliative care
What three arguments does Glover suggest counteract the three ‘side effects’
1 - Nazis came from an evil ideology and not from a euthanasia campaign
2 - People have different views and so it doesn’t mean people will fear hospitals over dying
3 - Considering death does not stop people from having and wanting comfort
What three conclusions does Glover come too?
1 - voluntary euthanasia is the most permissable but is subject to ‘side effects’
2 - illegal, involuntary euthanasia increases danger and exposure of doctors to ridicule
3 - easeful death is compassionate
What form of non-voluntary euthanasia is legal in the UK?
Withdrawal of medication in cases of incurable pain
Describe ‘living wills’
A document of will written in sane mind in case of the event of paralysis/ brain damage etc. which acts as a moral guidance for doctors
What are Glover’s five options?
1 - preserve life at all costs
2 - take ordinary actions to preserve life
3 - don’t kill but don’t preserve life
4 - don’t act to cause death where death is the result
5 - deliberately kill
What are Peter Singer’s views?
The desire for control over death defies the sanctity of life which causes an increase in doctors breaking commandment not to kill
Describe the ‘slippery slope’
A person is euthanised because they have incurable pain but after their death, doctors realise their diagnosis was wrong or a cure is invented
In what four ways does euthanasia relate to situation ethics?
Pragmatism - right or wrong depending on experience
Relativism - making decisions by acknowledging rules but defined by them
Personalism - personality is the supreme value that measures reality
Positivsm - People act in accordance to love
How can Natural Law (Aquinas) be applied to euthanasia?
Euthanasia is wrong because it defies the commandment to preserve and live a long life of love under the key precept to do good and avoid evil as it contravenes divine law and the will of God
Natural law as interpreted by the Catholic Church: Euthanasia is an (1) good that alleviates (2) but does not consider the (3) which considers God’s (4) and the (5) of Heaven
1 - apparent 2 - suffering 3 - intrinsic nature of life 4 - greater plan and will 5 - society
