Euthanasia Flashcards
(36 cards)
What is voluntary for euthanasia?
•When a person’s life is ended at their request
What is non-voluntary euthanasia?
•When a person’s life is ended without their consent, but with the consent of a relative or friend
What is active euthanasia?
•It is when a doctor directly ends the patient’s life
What is an example of active euthanasia?
•The lethal injection
What is passive euthanasia?
•It is when a doctor allows a patient to die by doing nothing to prevent their death
What is an example of passive euthanasia?
•The removal of medical treatment (life support) or basic needs (food)
What absolutist theory argues euthanasia is always wrong?
•Natural Law
- It argues this as Aquinas believes innocent life should be protected (primary precept)
What is the teleological concern for legalising euthanasia?
•Euthanasia could cause old or ill people to be treated with less respect or feel pressured into dying
Who was Diane Pretty?
•She was suffering with motor neurone disease which meant she was paralysed from the neck down and was unable to speak
•She went to the European Court of Human Rights and argued she should be allowed to die as it is her own choice
•However, her case was rejected as they argued quality of life does not determine the right to life/death or the right to choose
Who was Sarah Scantlin?
•She was in a car accident in 1984 and was in a coma for 20 years
•Her doctors told her family she was unlikely to wake up but her family kept her on life support anyway
•In 2005 she woke up from her coma but her mind and body were both in a weakened state so continued the need for medical care
What is the argument for the sanctity of life?
•It argues that life is sacred and should be treated with respect due to our lives being valuable since God created us
How does Genesis support the sanctity of life?
•It illustrates how God created humans in his image, meaning humans contain something of God
- This makes human life sacred and in need of protection
How do the 10 Commandments support the sanctity of life?
•They argue we cannot take innocent human life through the commandment of “Thou shalt not murder”
How does Jesus support the sanctity of life?
•It shows how God believes human life is so valuable that he sacrificed his son for us
How does Aquinas support the sanctity of life?
•He believes humans are unique due to their ability to reason which means only humans have the purpose to order society and worship God
- This means God also has his own purpose for each individual that we should not change
How does Kant support the sanctity of life?
•He believes all rational beings deserve respect due to being “law-making members of a Kingdom of Ends” where moral laws of freedom and dignity are created
- This means we can never be used as a means to an end
What is personhood?
•It is the argument of when we consider someone as a person who has human rights
Who argues personhood begins at conception and continues until the death of the body?
•Grisez (a Catholic)
- He argues this means a patient is always a person and must be treated with sanctity which disallows euthanasia
What is the quality of life argument with euthanasia?
•It is when someone’s quality of life can be low enough that euthanasia is justified
What theory is an example of relativism?
•Utilitarianism
How does Bentham support the quality of life argument?
•He argues for maximising pleasure over pain which means euthanasia would be allowed
Who argues consciousness is what determines the quality of life?
•Glover
- This means he believes killing is only wrong if that life is conscious as the body itself is not valuable and is only useful if it can fulfil its functions (for which consciousness is needed)
What does Singer argue about quality of life?
•He argues that if a patient with a poor quality of life wants to die then they should be granted that preference if all other things are equal
What is speciesism?
•It is the belief that humans think they are more important than other animals
