Euthanasia Flashcards
What is euthanasia
Mercy killing
The painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma
What are the two types of euthanasia based on who requested it
Voluntary: person requests it for themself, usually because they are terminally ill and don’t want to live anymore, advanced directives or living wills state under what circumstances they would no longer want their life to be extended.
Involuntary: cannot request it for themself, someone else (family or doctor), too ill, unaware, too young
What are the two types of euthanasia based on how it’s done
Active: actively being done to end someone’s life, deliberate intention, lethal injection, assisted suicide, assisted dying, unable to do it themself due to illness
Passive: treatment is withheld or withdrawn, not going to make them better or can’t bare it, e.g. turning off life support machine as family thinks it’s kinder
What’s the other type of euthanasia
Compulsory: someone’s life ended against their will, e.g. capital punishment or what hitler did to the Jews
What is a living will
A legal document which states under what circumstances you would wish doctors to stop
treating you
What is dignity
This refers to the control or autonomy that someone has - the sense of respect you have for your life
What is quality of life
How good or bearable you find your life. Some may believe that if it’s too poor then life may not be worth living
What is playing god
Some religious people say that humans have no right to make life and death decisions - these should be left to god
What’s the story and meaning of the sword of Damocles
Dangling sword above head, could kill at any moment
Represents how the elderly would feel, fear of dying, life taken out of their control, feel pressure
what is the slippery slope argument
euthanasia may start with only voluntary patients who are terminally ill and end up with those who feel a burden or those who are thought to be ‘better off dead’
what did the Methodist church say about euthanasia
“we need to provide better care for the dying rather than kill them off ‘early’.”
what do people worry about when debating euthanasia?
only a matter of time until it is abused and used on vulnerable people like the elderly or those with learning difficulties without consent
it’s changing the role of doctors from ‘life preservers to death controllers’
what did George Carey, the ex-archbishop of Canterbury, say about euthanasia
why should we force terminally ill patients to an unbearable point
in strictly observing the sanctity of life, the church could now actually be promoting anguish and pain
what did the catholic church say about euthanasia?
“humans are free agents but their freedom does not extend to the ending of their own lives. Euthanasia and suicide are both a rejection of God’s absolute sovereignty over life and death”
what did the church of england say about euthanasia
“God himself has given to humankind the gift of life. As such, it is to be cherished and respected. Those who become vulnerable through illness or disability deserve special care and protection.
what did the archbishop of canterbury, justin welby, more recently say about euthanasia
we should be devoting ourselves to care, not killing
sword of damocles hanging over the heads of elderly people
