✅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thing should be accorded dignity and rights because of what it has potential to become, or whether rights should be withdrawn if there is clearly no potential for higher level function.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.
2005 case study
Baby charlotte. Born prematurely with severe brain damage. High court ordered doctors to not resuscitate if the baby’s ell into a coma.
2015 law
Assisted dying bill was rejected by court. The public wanted euthanasia to b legal, however the court said they didn’t know the consequences. It was the first vote in almost 20 years.
What does Liz Carr say about euthanasia?
She is an actress who is disabled. “Dehumanises disabled people” feel pressure to accept it.
What does euthanasia mean
A good death in Greek “Eu” “Thanatos” the act of bringing about an easy and painless death.
What is PVS
Persistive vegatitve state
What does Peter Singer think about euthanasia?
“Some non-humans are more human than humans themselves”
Why should voluntary euthanasia be legalised?
Everyone should have a right and free will
Lost quality of life
They’re waiting for death
Cruelty to take away idependence.
Catholicism- death is closer to God
Judaism- if something is in the way of you and death, take away the obstacles.
Paul: more assisted suicide, as his illness wasn’t life threatening.
Why shouldn’t euthanasia be legalised?
Can’t have people giving up Strengths not just about them Goes against doctors code Would think it was the only option Pressure to die Slippery slope There are other options with happiness Find more life, not death. Catholicism: what we do in this life judges us in the next Judaism: life is given, not allowed.
What happened in 1961
Euthanasia was deemed illegal under the suicide act
Where is euthanasia legal?
Netherlands, Switzerland, parts of Australia and parts of America/USA
When did the Case study Hillsborough disaster occur
1989
Tony brands story
He was the 96th victim of the hillsborough diaster. He died aged 22. He was 17 at the time of the incident. He was treated intensively and survived. Suffered extensive brain damage to his brain, and PVS followed. All food and fluid was withdrawn and he died 11 days later.
What happened at the 1989 incident
Deadly human crush of the hillsborough disaster. Football stadium in Sheffield collapsed and the death of 96 people occurred .
When was otny balls food taken away and why?
- The president of the high court family division ruled that food and fluid could be lawfully withdrawn.
How did Frank Lund kill his wife?
Suffocated his wife of 33 years. She had taken 30 paracetamol pills but it didn’t work. After writing farewell cards, he smothered her with a pillow.
Who is Doctor death?
Jack Kevorian, aka doctor death, advertised his services as a physician. He helped 130 people to die. He was sentenced to 10-25 years in prison of th charges second degree murder. He was released after 8 providing he didn’t offer suicide to any more people.
Hippocrates quote
“I will not prescribe a deadly drug to someone, not give any advice that may cause his death”
What does Gregory E. pence say abut euthanasia
Argues killing humans who don’t want to live is not wrong. They are actually dying, so its just speeding up the process ad therefore isn’t Murder.
What was pence’s article called
“Why physicians aid the dying”
What is the assisted dying bill?
Bill to enable competent adults whoa re terminally ill to choose to be provided with medically supervised assistance to end their life.
Which MP decided to introduce assisted dying bill ad why?
Rob Morris, in 2015. Decided based on the law that had been agreed by the House of Lords earlier in the year. It was defeated.
Who argued about the slippery slope argument in 2004?
John Haldane and Alastair MacIntyre.
Who is Helga Kihse ad what did she argue?
Sh is an associate professor in Bio ethics. Challenges the slippery slope argument. Sh says it is used by scaremongers to support the complete ban of euthanasia. Most frequent cites being that of the active non-vol euthansia practised by the Nazis, As a from of eugenics.
Helga Kihse quote about slippery slope argument
“The motivation behind these killings was neither mercy nor respect for autonomy. It was, rather, radical prejudice”
When was “life unworthy of life” publshed
1930
What’s was in “life unworthy of life”?
If we look back at the German society, we find civilised culture just like normal. But gradually Germans were convinced that euthanasia was a good option for oximetry to help people have a gentle and easy death. Nazis believed they had control on who was euthanised. “Burden” to society
What was the nazi euthanasia programme?
Operation -T4, to litigate “life unworthy of life2” buses were transporting patients, the windows painted so no one would see anything- inside or out.
What happened in Germany as a result to the euthanasia programme?
Parents of disabled children felt pressured in the streets as they were subjective to abuse. 73% of parents would allow doctors to end their children’s life. German hospitals began to deprive disabled children of any heat or food, die of “natural causes”. Believed they were doing a service to Germany by eliminating the drains on public taxes.
What did Albert Schweitzer think of sanctity of life?
Use of reason and the church teachings- a combination of both.
Genesis 1:26
“Now we’ll make human beings they’ll be like us (holy trinity)
Thi shows life is set apart from Gd. We re different than other creatures
“Created in our mother womb.. days were written before you were born”
Psalms. Life is a gift and only GOD can decide when it ends and begins.
Corinthians 6:19
“Do not being to yourself but to God”
Which biblical quote suggests a innocent life is always to be respected?
“Choose life so that you and your descrenets may live” Deuteronomy.
“And now. Give you a new commandment-love one another”
John 13:34
Luke 10
Parable of the Good Samaritan. Shows life is always to be loved.
Who said “God lone is the lord of life from its beginning to its end” and when
Donum vitae 1987
What is the theory of “reverence of life”
Albert Schweitzer argued that we should have a relevance for all forms of life, as all forms of life have a will to life. He felt we should avoid killing any living thing because all living things have ain inbuilt desire to go on living.
Who argued Albert Schweitzer
Mary Anne warren. Suggests will is based upon the capacity to think. We are all genetically built to promote our own survival. Aim torpotect the biological community for its own sake.
Jonathan Glover book
Causing death and saving lives
What does Glover discuss in his book?
Sanctity of life. People hold onto killing is wrong. It is wrong because it affects in a neative way the person killed. This can be distinguished between “side effects “ of killing. Killing is directly wrong, but not absolutely wrong.
Who said “Only as a necessary vehicle of consciousness”
Glover, on why life is valuable.
What does jack Mahoney think of perosnhood
Writing in “bioethics and belief” that there is a criteria for personhood:
Rationality, sentience, emotions, free-Will, ans continuity.
This would mean that people suffering from Alzheimer’s aren’t people.
What did peter singer think about perosnhood
Human beings and potential human beings. Describes a person as a being that show rationality and self-conscience. This is only for homo-sapiens. Singer rejects sanctity of life principle, as he is a humanist.
What did frank Skinner say about perosnhood
“People never leave them o die-because of love”
What quotes does peter singer say about perosnhood
“If we compare a evenly defective human infant with an non-human animal, we will often find the non-human to have superior capacities.
What is singers book
“Rethinking life and death” 1994
What are singers quality of life commandments?
Recognise that the worth of human life varies
Take responsibility for consequences
Respect a persons desire to live or die
Bring children into the world only if waned
Don’t discriminate on the basis of species.
What is propoirtionalism views on euthanasia and who is associated
Associated with Bernard Hoose and Daniel Maguire. Hold onto the sanctity of life and intrinsic evils. But they allow that can be proportionally good reason to make exceptions to well established secondary precepts. Lesser of two evils.
What odes modern natural moral law think? And who is involved?
German Grisez and Joseph Boyle. Concept of personhood is key to the idea of euthanasia. N difference in being bodily alive an being a person. Eg PVS patient is still a person.
Which aspects of situation ethics fits to the idea of euthanasia?
The six propositions: love is always good, only rule, justice, not linking, justifies the mean, and decides there and then. The four working principles: pragmatism, relativism, positivism and personalise. Conscience also is important.
Is natural law a better Christina approach to euthanasia that situation ethics?
Discuss
Is quality of life more important than sanity of life in the case of euthansia?
Disucss
Should euthanasia remain illegal in the UK?
Discuss
Is personal autonomy a strong argument in support of euthanasia?
Discuss
What is personal autonomy?
Idea that people can decide for themselves what they do with their life, because its THEIRS.
What does Mill think of personal autonomy?
Follow UT Rule, if w regard autonomy of the individual as paramount. The right to love or die is our ow so long as so harm is done to others. His work “On Liberty”, ask who’s life is it anyways?
who said “Over himself, over is body and mind, the individual is sovereign”
Mill on personal autonomy.
Criticises of personal autonomy
No decision is rational.
How can we be free and abuse us to suffer?
What f its all a misunderstanding/accident, what if a cure is found days after the patents death?
Impact on others.
