Euthanasia (Medical ethics 3)

Question 1

what is assisted dying

Answer 1

aiding someone to speed their death
e.g. by accompanying them to Switzerland or organising their death

(not the same as euthanasia)

Question 2

what is assisted suicide

Answer 2

person has volunteered to die, aiding them with that

Question 3

what is euthanasia

Answer 3

process where someone is killed by a doctor to ease suffering

Question 4

what are the 3 tyros and 2 ways of classifying euthanasia

Answer 4

voluntary
non voluntary
involuntary

active
passive

Question 5

what is voluntary euthanasia

Answer 5

when they’ve expressed a wish to die

Question 6

what is involuntary euthanasia

Answer 6

when they don’t want to die, but medical professionals think it is best they do to alleviate suffering

Question 7

what is non voluntary euthanasia

Answer 7

when they are unable to express a wish about dying

e.g. coma, severe brain injury

Question 8

what is active euthanasia

Answer 8

direct action to kill

e.g. lethal injection

Question 9

what is passive euthanasia

Answer 9

allowing someone to die

e.g. turning off life support or stopping treatment

Question 10

what types of euthanasia is legal in the uk

Answer 10

passive voluntary

passive non voluntary

Question 11

what is a weakness of involuntary euthanasia

Answer 11

violates sanctity of life and principle of autonomy

slippery slope

Question 12

what is palliative care

Answer 12

giving people the best possible care as health declines to death
instead of hastening death, ensure patient is as comfortable and pain free as possible as their life ends

Question 13

what to those who oppose euthanasia often advocate for

Answer 13

palliative care, but can advocate for both

Question 14

weakness of active euthanasia

Answer 14

violates sanctity of life
slippery slope
could be manipulated into consent
implies burden

Question 15

personhood idea about euthanasia

Answer 15

if someone were to be braindead/have dementia/be in a coma, they don’t fulfil the personhood criteria

euthanasia would not violate their personhood as their personhood is already diminished

Question 16

what is Johnathon Glover’s approach

Answer 16

combines a utilitarian approach with a Kantian emphasis, the principle of treating people as ends in themselves

Question 17

what does Johnathon Glover reject and why

Answer 17

sanctity of life
doesn’t have intrinsic value
has value because it is required for other things that make life worth living

Question 18

what distinction is Johnathon Glover critical of and why

Answer 18

the distinction between active and passive, no significant moral difference

Question 19

why is Johnathon Glover critical of the RCC argument

Answer 19

doctrine of the double effect

Question 20

what is the doctrine of the double effect

Answer 20

one action could have a number of consequences
good exterior act, and good interior act (intention)
as long as your intention is to cause the allowed outcome, you should not be held responsible for the prohibited outcome happening as well

Question 21

who is the thinker associated with doctrine of the double effect

Answer 21

Aquinas

Question 22

what normative ethics and religion is associated with the doctrine of the double effect

Answer 22

NML

RCC