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