✅Euthanasia Flashcards
what is the sanctity of life argument
life is special, sacred and holy- has an intrinsic worth. religious belief. gift from God.
why might non-religious people believe in sanctity of life.
human life is sacred because people have reason and free will.
how does the bible support the view that human life has sanctity?
Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own imagine”
what is the slippery slope argument
once life is considered to be less than sacred, it undermines all of humans dignity and allows some people to be treated as disposable.
what is quality of life?
idea that the quality of a life is often introduced to debates- counter to sanctity of life. involves how much enjoyment and fulfilment a person is getting given their state of physical and mental health.
how does quality of life involve animals?
animal welfare- considered by many to be cruel and no euthanatize a suffering animals.
what is personhood?
what makes a living thing a “person”? if a living thing is not a person perhaps it doesn’t have the same rights as a person does. the quality of human life that makes it worthy.
what makes a person a person?
awareness of self and others, and the ability to interact with the world.
what issues are there with personhood?
whether a foetus is a person, or someone with sever brain damage or lack of brain development is a person. and whether highly functioning animals are people.
what is the question of potential?
issue to do with personhood. raises discussion of whether a living thing should be accorded dignity and rights because of what it has potential to become, or whether rights should be withdrawn if there is clearly no potential for higher level function.
what is voluntary euthanasia?
when a patients life is ended at their own request/ended painlessly by a third person at the persons own request. it is illegal in the UK but legal in other places such as Switzerland.
what is the Hippocratic oath?
invented by Hippocrates. informs medical standards. obliges doctors to do good and avoid evil.
Jonathan Glovers voluntary euthanasia in his book
“Causing death and saving life” 1977
arguments in favour for voluntary euthanasia.
people should have the right to avoid pain and should be able to choose a gentle and painless death.
arguments against voluntary euthanasia
person might change their mind when they are no longer capable to communicate. may produce pain from the family.
encourages unscrupulous people to put pressure on sick relatives to end their life when its not what they wanted.
puts doctors in an impossible position.
what is non-voluntary euthanasia?
euthanasia without the request of the patient. could happen in the case of severe brain damage, or if a baby is born with multiple problems.
why is non-voluntary euthanasia frowned upon
people cant communicate and who seem to be permanently incapable of functioning in ways that might give them an acceptable quality of life.
why is non-voluntary more of a problem now a days?
medical advances cause people with brain damage to be kept “alive” with machines and nutrition tubes. kept artificially alive for a long time.
what are “Living wills”
people write them to clarify their wishes if they should become brain damages and incapable of communicating.
arguments for non-vol euthanasia
feel like it is the most compassionate course of action when there s no prospect of the patient having an acceptable standard of brain function.
arguments against non-vol euthanasia
it is not for us to decide what is an acceptable standard of brain function - that is the decision of God.
there is never a point where medical professionals can be totally certain that there is no hope of improvement.
what is deliberate active euthanasia
deliberate action to bring about the death by the third party. eg. lethal injection. illegal in the UK.
what is non-treatment decision/passive euthanasia
decision to remove an “extraordinary” treatment, such as an operation with little success. withdraw or withhold medical treatment or life support that are keeping the person alive.
what does NML say about euthanasia
an action is good if it accords with the eternal, divine, natural and human law. primary precepts: POWER. preserve life. sacred gift from God. God creates people in his own image. euthanasia is WRONG. contravenes the precept of preserving life.
euthanasia is an apparent good.
NML is absolutist, don’t make exceptions for circumstances.
doctrine of double effect could be sued in end of life care- treatment is sued to ease pain but it might shorten the life. intention is to ease pain, therefore wouldn’t be wrong.
advantages of NML approach to euthanasia
clear guidance
respects religious beliefs
doesn’t leave people vulnerable to unscrupulous relatives.
avoids slippery slope argument
disadvantages of NML approach to euthanasia.
could be seem an unsympathetic to people in great pain
medical advantages make it difficult to judge whether some kinds of treatments should be regarded as burdensome or extraordinary.
what does situation ethics say about euthanasia
favour of legalising euthanasia. rejects absolute rules, and so bans to rejection of euthanasia. ethical thing to do was to take in account the individual situation.
“rule of love” the ethical thing to do is whatever will bring about the most loving consequences. euthanasia can be justified if it will bring about the most loving outcome for the patient and their family and friends. quality of life was more important than sanctity of life. life is not worth living if the patient didn’t have basic functions.
advantages to situation ethics approach to euthanasia
seem as compassionate in individual situations. more compassionate than a blanket ban on euthanasia.
less discriminatory toward disabled people.
places greater influence on human autonomy.
disadvantages to situation ethics approach to euthanasia
not giving recognition to the sacred nature of human life
most loving course of action is not always easy to identify
allowing euthanasia on case-to-case basis makes legalisation difficult.
legalising euthanasia might create a “slippery slope” when people are euthanized which didn’t really want to be but felt pressured by society.
natural law provides excellent moral guidance for people making decisions bout euthanasia.
essay plan
May 2007 case study
Devoured husband kills wife. “Mercy killing” wife repeated begged him to kill her. Patricia Lund wasn’t terminally ill, she was mental ill and that is why this case is extreme.
Suicide definition
Person dies as a result of their own voluntary actions
Assisted suicide definition
Person dies as a direct result of their own actions with help from someone else
Physician aided suicide
When a person dies as a result of their own voluntary actions with help from a doctor or physician
Palliative care definition
Use of drugs and medicine to relieve pain but without directly causing death of patients
When and what is the suicide law
1961 suicide act. Crime for person to commit suicide, and who aids,abets, councils suicide 14 years.
Vitalism definition
Human life is more sacred, or given soul
Dianne pretty case study
- Dice was analysed neck down with neurone disease. Asked doctors to help assisted suicide.