Natural Law - application to voluntary euthanasia Flashcards
what is voluntary euthanasia
when a person has asked to be killed to ease their suffering. not allowed in uk
what does voluntary euthanasia require the assistance of
requires the assistance of another person when the patient cannot carry the act out themselves.
what does suicide act 1961 say
explicitly mentions that aid or assist to suicide in any way is still a crime.
what are the legal difficulties for doctors
- person in a coma who is being kept alive artificially, can still be showing signs of consciousness
- a patient refusing to have treatment would not be deemed to have the mental capacity
the philosophical difficulty
is there not a point in which life has been deemed to have lost its value.
an example in divine law of rejecting euthanasia
New Testament recounts when Jesus refused a narcotic substance to ease his pain when dying.
what primary precept does euthanasia break
preservation of innocent life. NL places emphasis on the speciality of a human and how that should be protected.
what would mercy killing be considered as
an apparent good
how would the doctrine of double effect permit euthanasia
a large dosage of morphine to relieve pain - intention wasn’t to kill them but to relieve their pain.
