Ethics: Euthanasia Flashcards
(41 cards)
What does Sanctity of Life mean?
Human life is God given and is therefore sacred- this means God can only take and give life
What does Quality of Life mean?
Life is meaningful in terms of experience and happiness
What does Personhood mean?
The consideration of humans as a person- it raises the question of when does a human become a person
What does Dignity mean?
Your self-worth and respect
What does Euthanasia mean?
The merciful killing to alleviate the pain of a person by ending their life
What does Active Euthanasia (Voluntary Euthanasia) mean?
When you give a person something to end there life e.g. a drug. This is at the persons request- this follows an Act of Commision
What does Passive Euthanasia mean?
When you withhold treatment from a patient and then allow nature to take its course- also known as the ‘Non-Treatment Decision’ and follows an Act of Omission
What does Autonomy mean?
Human freedom and free will
What does an Act of Omission mean?
Not doing something that would keep someone alive- this is seen is Passive Euthanasia
What does an Act of Commission mean?
Doing an action that will result in death- this is seen in Active Euthanasia
What does Advanced Directives mean?
This is a living will that states what should happen to you if you become incapacitated- In the Netherlands you can request to be killed if disabled
What does Double Effect mean?
An act needs to have good intentions, but the outcome may cause a bad effect- can be seen in Natural law as the Doctrine of Double Effect
What does Euthanic mean?
A drug suitable for killing someone
What does Physician Assisted Suicide mean?
A doctor prescribes a drug which the patient takes to kill themselves- also know as assisted suicide
What does Physicians Aid in Dying mean?
A persons death is hastened but not at the direct cause of the doctor
What does Voluntary Euthanasia (Active Euthanasia) mean?
A doctor administers a lethal injection to someone who requested euthanasia
What does Non-Voluntary Euthanasia mean?
When a person is unable to express their wish to die but there are reasons for their life to be ended painlessly
What does Involuntary Euthanasia mean?
When someone doesn’t give there consent to be killed- Murder
What does Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) mean?
A patient is brain dead but there body is being kept alive by a machine
What does Palliative Care mean?
End of life care- usually in a hospice
What does the Right to Refuse mean?
When competent adults have the right to refuse treatment, even if it results in their death.
Where is Euthanasia legal?
Netherlands, Switzerland, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington
Who is Tony Nicklinson?
A man, from the UK, who had a stoke in 2005 resulting in him getting ‘locked in syndrome’. This is where his body was unable to move but his mind was unaffected. He then went to the High court to ask if he could be euthanised (Voluntarily) but they said no as he wasn’t terminally ill and had a good quality of life.So he then refused food and water (An Act of Omission) and died in 2012.
Who is Dr Kevorkian?
He was a Dr who helped 130 people end there lives via suicide in USA. He did this by using a machine called ‘The Mercitron’, which he made from $30 worth of scrap metals.