Medical Ethics - Intro + Key concepts etc

Question 1

Sanctity of Life - Muslim Perspectives

1. What does Islam teach about life? + Finish the quote: “To Allah belong the kingdom…”
2. What do muslims believe Allah can only give and take? And if a person does take a life away what does that interfere with?
3. What does the Quran say about taking one life away? + Finish the quote “If anyone kills a person…” (5:32)

Answer 1

1. A scared gift from Allah + heavens and the earth. He creates what He pleases.
2. Life and taking away life interferes with God’s plan
3. as killing the whole of mankind + “unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption…it’s as if he had killed all mankind while if any saves a life…saves the lives of mankind”

Question 2

Sanctity of Life Pt 2 - Muslims Perspectives

4. How should muslims treat enemies even in war?
5. Which groups did the Prophet (PBUH) say not to kill in war?
6. How is abortion tackled + Finish the quote “Do not kill your children…”
7. What should muslims do when assessing the quality of life?
8. Why is Euthanasia not permitted in Islam?

Answer 2

4. Notably
5. old people, women or children

6.No explicit mention of abortion, but it’s generally forbidden + “for fear for of want/poverty) + Take not life Which God hath made Sacred

7. Consider the quality of life (health,disease etc)
8. Suffering may have a reason, don’t know God’s plan - goes against belief of Al-Qadr (predestination)

Question 3

Sanctity of Life - Christian Perspectives

1. What does the Bible teach about:
   - Humans? - Genesis 1:27
   - Giver of what? - “ Before I formed you in womb I knew you..before born” Jeremiah 1:5
   - Destined us to be what?
   - Murder is? 10 Commandments
   - God counted every something on our head? (why did Jesus use this?

Answer 3

• God created 1st humans in His own image
• Giver of life
• Destined for each of us to be born
• Murder is wrong
• Counted every hair on head - used by Jesus to remind followers each person is precious to God

Question 4

Sanctity of Life - Christian Perspectives pt 2

2. What is for Christians human life seen as because it’s what from God which means it should be and shouldn’t?

2.What does every life have from God, and what can God do what with life?

3. What does the RC Church teach about human life to be treated as moment from what? + Includes what?
4. What does Church of Eng (CofE) is typical of what and what do they have a great respects towards what but also feels needs to be balanced against ‘love thy neighbour’ because of topics like abortion?
5. What do CofE in support of experimenting during 1st 14 days?

Answer 4

1. Seen a sacred as it’s gift from God which is to be respected/protected and not destroyed
2. God given purpose, God gives/takes life as he pleases and should ultimately left in his hand
3. Sacred, even embryos to be treated as humans
4. Typical of protestant church, because although they disagree w abortion - can be seen as lesser of two evils
5. Supports experimentation of embryos in 1st 14 days

Question 5

Ensoulment
1. 2 Scholars who argued for Ensoulment?

2. What did they argue about a human person after 40 days of conception and 90 days after conception in case of a female?
3. What did Augustine argue about miscarriage early in pregnancy?

Answer 5

1. Augustine/Aquinas
2. Human person not formed until soul is implanted in the 40/90 days
3. if someone caused miscarriage early - not guilty of murder because of no soul yet and person not yet formed

Question 6

Ensoulment Pt 2

3. What Augustine say he was inclined to think about those who have begun life?
4. What did Aquinas say about an unborn soul receiving either 40 or 80 days after conception

• What does his assumption suggest about life?
• What did he say abortion was a violation of?
• Because of no matter what the soul may potentially?

Answer 6

3. inclined to think all who have begun life will rise again, even if ‘weren’t developed…to point of being formed’

• Assumption is life precedes form and this life is human in some way

4. Receives a soul (40-80 days) depends on gender

• violation of natural law/ always wrong
• a soul might be infused into developing child’s body

Question 7

Ensoulment - Muslim Perspective

1. Although Islam gives high priority to Sanctity of Life but what do muslims scholars agree about abortion?
2. What are valid reasons for abortion in Islam? But what do some communities believe life beings at what?
3. Most muslims believe about ensoulment + smaller opinion

4.After ensoulment what does Shariah law forbid except in what circumstance?

5. Hadith say about anyone who carries abortion or allowing it?

Answer 7

1. Permitted before ensoulment if there’s valid reasons
2. Mum’s life endangered by pregnancy, foetus to have severe disability/genetic disease causing relentless pain. But some communities believe life starts at conception /no tolerance of abort
3. Starts approx 120 days after preg, some say approx 40 days

4.Abortion but permitted if vital to save mother

5. Punished in hell

Question 8

Judith Jarvis Thomson - ‘A Defence of Abortion’

Little overview: Arg in favour of legal abortion - makes no status claim of embryo that’s developed.

1. What analogy does she give to make her point? (accident, 9 months, on hold)

Answer 8

1. Imagine if you were in a accident and in intensive care, told you were unconscious for a bit

BUT

a world-renowned violinist also in accident and only way to save him was use you as life support system - needs you stay in hosp to keep him alive for 9 months

AFTER

you can have a operation (with risk) to seperate you.

you may protest you never having consent to this
it’s unreasonable for one to put their life on hold for another
experience discomfort and take risks on their behalf

might get angry and demand operation to be carried straight away regardless to violinist

Question 9

’ A Defence of Abortion’

What is the doctors response? + Link to abortion?

Answer 9

How would you feel if doc replied it would be illegal, seeing as you happen to be in emergency room when violinist came in you have no choice over what happens.

Abortion - denied a abortion because you unexpectedly got pregnant and there is nothing you can do

Question 10

Thomson’ Arguments:

1. What does not matter of the baby , if the mother didn’t consent to what and what would it be seen as if she were to carry/birth it?
2. What does the foetus right to life not trump to Thomson?
3. What does basing a women’s right on accordance/refusal of a doc ignores what of the mother?
4. What do we fail to acknowledge if no one helps the mother obtain an abortion?

Answer 10

1. Moral status of the baby

• Mother didn’t specifically consent to being pregnant
• unreasonable to carry/birth it

2. Women’s right to have control over her body
3. Ignores mother’s full personhood/rights to body
4. Mother’s right over her body (or property)

Question 11

Peter Singer - Personhood/Sentient Beings
1. What is a sentient being?
Personhood?

Answer 11

1. S.B = someone able to feel/sense things (eg; pain) initiating idea things don’t have life don’t have feelings

P.H = quality.condition of being an individual person

Question 12

Personhood/Sentient Beings

1. What is to P.S moral status should depend on irrespective of what form?
2. What does P.S see no essential difference between human and animals?

3.What does P.S not believe because of the concept is to outdated/unscientific?

Answer 12

1. Sentience, irrespective of human/animal form and denied wherever it’s lacking
2. Between humans/animals only that humans have higher lvl of intelligence/consciousness than most animals
3. Sanctity of Life

Question 13

Personhood/Sentient Beings

4. What does P.S claim about newborns infants and cognitive disabilities and those who acquire C.D?
5. What is the difference of killing a ‘non-person’ than a ‘person?
6. What do newborns lack to P.S therefore it’s equivalent to what?

Answer 13

4. not “persons”, claims some ppl with lifelong cognitive disabilities never become ‘persons’ at anytime.

Those who acquire it through injury, Alzheimer’s or other means - cease to be persons

5. Not the same moral weight as killing a ‘person’
6. lack essential characteristics of personhood, rationality and autonomy & self-consciousness

• Not equivalent to ‘killing newborn is never equiv to killing person’ because that’s a being who wants to go on living

Question 14

Personhood/Sentient Beings

7. How must we treat all ‘persons’ according to what in order to ethical?
8. What are to P.S humans are all not and deserve as they must be ‘self-aware’, capable of perceiving themself as?
9. Why is Abortion/embryo acceptable because of the foetus?
10. Why should to P.S euthanasia to be allowed?

Answer 14

7. To moral guidelines
8. To be persons’s, since to be one you must ‘deserve moral consideration’ and perceive themselves as individuals through time
9. Provides in best interest of those concerned because foetus is not see as sentient
10. if person reached stage of not wanting have life worth living, they should be allowed to die.