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Philosophy and Ethics > Euthanasia - Pt 1 > Flashcards

Euthanasia - Pt 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What is Voluntary Euthanasia?

A
  • When a persons death is directly caused by another person at their request and with consent
  • Most arguments assume the person requesting to die is suffering from a life-threatening illness and in great pain
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2
Q

What is Passive Euthanasia?

A
  • When a doctor or physician withdraws life-sustaining treatment which indirectly causes death
  • Alternatively the physician allows the patients death by ‘letting nature take its course’
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3
Q

What is Non - Voluntary Euthanasia?

A
  • When a persons life is ended without their consent but with the consent of someone representing their interests
  • A doctor or state may decide someone in PVS should have life-sustaining treatment removed
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4
Q

What is Palliative Care, why do people not call it euthanasia?

A
  • Giving drugs and medicine to relieve pain but without directly causing death of patients
  • Indirectly hastens death but not called euthanasia
  • Treatment is passive (indirect killing)
  • Care is active (directly reducing pain and killing)
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5
Q

What is the 1961 Suicide Act?

A

1) The rule of law whereby it is a crime for a person to commit suicide is hereby arrogated
2a) A person who aids, abets, counsels to procures the suicide of another shall be liable to a term not exceeding 14 years
2b) If on trail for indictment for murder or manslaughter it is proved that the accused ended, abetted, counselled or procured the suicide of the person in question, jury may find him guilty of the offence

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6
Q

Is the 1961 suicide act respecting autonomy and is it vitalist?

A
  • May look like respecting autonomy, reinforces the principle of sanctity of life criminalising any form of assisted suicide
  • Is not vitalist, it doesn’t value life to always be preserved, there are some cases where death is the better course of action
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7
Q

What was the case of Diane Petty?

A

2002:

  • Paralysed form the neck down with motor neurone disease, asked for assisted suicide
  • Lawyers presented a case on the basis of right to self - determination under Human Rights Act (1998)
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8
Q

How did the European Court of Human Rights respond to the case of Diane Petty?

A
  • Denied, the law recognises the right to life, not corollary the right to death
  • Decided she was not suffering a life-threatening illness, if she had been assisted suicide was more plausible, doctors would have not been direct cause
  • Law valuing the Sanctity of Life?
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9
Q

What was the case of Baby Charlotte in 2005?

A
  • Born prematurely with severe brain damage, illustrates that the law does not consider life to be absolutely sacred
  • Against parents wishes the high courts ruled that doctors were to not resuscitate the baby if in a coma
  • Her underlying condition ddi not justify the medical assistance she was being given to stay alive
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10
Q

Quote the proposal for a bill to allow physician aid in dying?

A

“enable a competent adult… to die at his own considered and persistent request”

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11
Q

What are objections to the allowance of the physician aid in dying bill?

A
  • It will suffer from a slippery slope whereby what demeans as legitimate reasons for a persons death will also permit non-lethal conditions
  • 2004 letter to the times of Lawyers and Philosophers argued, including John Haldane and Alasdair MacIntyre
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12
Q

What were some of the slippery slope arguments that came about?

A
  • Supporters of the bills life from making the condition one of actual unbearable suffering from illness rather than the fear, discomfort and loss of dignity it brings
  • If quality of life is grounds for euthanasia with those who request it, surely it can be extended to those who do not
  • In the Netherlands where euthanasia is permitted there is evidence to show death against their wishes, this shows that the law cannot easily safeguard those who ignore them
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13
Q

How does Helga Kuhse oppose the slippery slope argument? (Quote)

A
  • She asks for empirical evidence to back up their cases
  • Most frequently cited argument is one of the non-voluntary euthanasia carried out by Nazis for eugenics
    “no evidence that this has sent Dutch society down a slippery slope” - Companion to Ethics
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14
Q

What is argued about a weak sanctity of life view?

A
  • It is just another version of the quality of life argument
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15
Q

What is the strong sanctity of life argument?

A
  • Set out by vitalists
  • A human life is always sacred because it possesses a God-given soul and that there are no ordinary or extraordinary means which justify its termination
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16
Q

Life is Set Apart by God? (Quote) (strong sanctity of life)

A
  • In Christian thought every human being is created in the image and likeness of God
  • This shows we are set apart from all other creatures and are made with a ‘spark’ of divinity
  • Incarnation of the Word of God (Jesus) affirms the sanctity, holiness and intrinsic value of human life
    “So God created humankind in his image” - Genesis 1:27
17
Q

Life is a gift from God and is on loan to humans? (strong sanctity of life)

A
  • God is author of life and therefore determines what happens with it
  • Not up to the individual to add or subtract life, its a loan from God
  • God is a providential God who through nature or other means can terminate a life
18
Q

An innocent life is to always be respected? (Quote) (strong sanctity of life)

A
  • Taking a life is broader than disobeying the 10 commandments
  • Not murdering is social glue and shows equal respect to all
    “Choose life” - Deuteronomy
19
Q

Life is always to be loved and protected? (strong sanctity of life)

A
  • Love requires the Christian to respect all humans regardless of their status, gender etc
  • Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan where he overcomes prejudice
  • Love is central to Jesus’ death therefore everyone must sacrifice their own well-being for others
20
Q

Why is suicide considered blasphemy in Christianity?

A
  • A deliberate rejection of God’s gift of life
  • Opposes the idea that redemption is possible
  • King Saul and Judas are condemned for this in that they rejected Gods love
21
Q

What did Pope St Paul argue? (Quote)

A
  • In Evangelium Vitae he argued that contemporary society has developed a ‘culture of death’
  • Devalued dignity, respect and marginalised the weak, ill and disabled
    “A kind of ‘conspiracy against life’ is unleashed”
22
Q

What is the Weak Sanctity of Life Principle?

A
  • Does not consider that killing an innocent person out of love is morally equivalent to murder
  • Murder implies an ulterior motive such as revenge, cruelty etc
  • Euthanasia as an act of love in exceptional circumstances is not wrong
23
Q

No one has a duty to endure a life of extreme pain? (Weak sanctity of life principle)

A
  • Paul calls Christian a ‘living sacrifice’ it does not mean enduring extraordinary pain or suffering
24
Q

Life is a gift not a burden? (Weak sanctity of life principle)

A
  • If life is a gift we may dispose of it accordingly as we wish
  • Not a gift if someone still has ownership of it
  • As humans are now owners they are allowed to do what they want with it
25
Q

What is the Quality of Life Principle?

A
  • An instrumentalist view of human life
  • Life has nothing intrinsically good except for being a means to experiencing things that make it worth living
  • Human life has to have certain attributes to have value
26
Q

Why does Singer reject the sanctity of life principle?

A
  • Developed John Lockes notion that the value of life depends on a persons ability to have desires and preferences
  • Not some mystical ‘enduring self’ which gives humans priority to humans above other animals
27
Q

In ‘Rethinking life and death’ Singer set out five quality of life commandments, what were these?

A
  • Recognise that the worth of human life varies
  • Take responsibility for the consequences of your decision
  • Respect a persons desire to live or die
  • Bring children to the world only if they are wanted
  • Do not discriminate on the basis of species
28
Q

What is the total happiness judgement? (Quality of life principle)

A
  • If a person is happy the longer they live the greater the quality of life
  • If person is in pain and sum of happiness cannot increase then their quality of life decreases, they should be allowed to die
29
Q

What is the average happiness judgement? (Quality of life principle)

A
  • If a persons average happens is at a high level and can be maintained then they have high quality of life
  • When average happiness decreases from a previous peak then life is not worth living
30
Q

What is the higher qualities judgement? (Quality of life principle)

A
  • Minimum standards are required for happiness and a good quality of life
  • e.g memory, forming relationships, reason and hope
  • If you cannot develop and lack these minimum qualities then your life is not worth living
31
Q

What did JS Mill propose about autonomy as a basis of the quality of life? (Quote)

A
  • Liberal principle, avoids ‘tyrannising’ the minority
  • Taking ones life is a matter of personal autonomy
  • Only interfere if there is going to be harm to others
    “in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise” - On Liberty
32
Q

What is the issue with what JS Mill is proposing?

A
  • How do we define harm, mental or physical?
  • If a person is acting irrational, disturbed or too young can you interfere?
  • Allows for paternalism, over-ride someones autonomy, there is a greater autonomy which rules
  • We cannot just let people do what they want if they are vulnerable
33
Q

What does Jonathon Glover argue? (Quote)

A
  • Instrumentalist view of the body, you must be conscious to be able to enjoy life
  • Killing is only wrong so long the life is conscious
    “life of permanent coma… no way preferable to death” - Causing death and saving lives
  • He supports non-voluntary euthanasia for PVS patients
34
Q

What is wrong with Jonathon Glovers argument?

A
  • What about cases of dementia and Alzheimers?
  • Severe brain damages reduces consciousness greatly
  • People can have reduced consciousness and be happy, they do not need to be euthanised

Philosophy and Ethics (35 decks)

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