Non-religious responses to moral issues Flashcards
(18 cards)
What do humanists believe about the afterlife?
Humanists believe that there is no life after death and that the present life is our only life. This implies that death is the end of a persons consciousness and so they should aim to get as much happiness out of this life as this is the only one.
Personal autonomy in Humanism
Humanists value personal autonomy very highly and believe everyone should be able to make decisions concerning their own body and life.
Happiness in humanism
For humanists they aim for human happiness when making decisions however unlike utilitarians this does not necessarily need to be thinking of everyone but can be purely personal happiness.
What do humanists use to assist them in moral decision making?
Humanists use reason, empathy and science when making decisions in order to make the right decision which is both evidence based but also takes into account the consequences and impacts it will have.
What is the humanist Quote showing belief in person autonomy?
“Humanists think it is important to respect human dignity and personal choice about one’s life.”- Humanist society Scotland
What is the greatest happiness principle?
It is a principle that utilitarians use when making decisions. They aim to achieve the most amount of happiness for the most amount of people with happiness being defined as the presence of pleasure and the absence of pain.
What do utilitarians think about when making decisions?
They think about the consequences of an action and how it could impact people. This implies that utilitarians don’t make rash decisions but instead carefully think about all the possibilities and consequences that action could cause
Difference between act and rule utilitarians
Act utilitarianism focuses on looking at the consequences of each individual action to determine what will bring the most overall happiness. Where as rule utilitarianism follows set rules which are thought to bring universal happiness if followed and applied correctly.
Utilitarians on equality
Utilitarians believe everyone’s happiness is equally important regardless of faith, gender or race.
Who are Dignity in Dying uk?
They are a campaign group who are campaigning for the law to change and make assisted dying for mentally competent, terminally ill adults legal.
Why do Dignity in Dying want assisted dying to be legalised?
They are concerned that the current law means people are dying in pain as not every terminally ill individual gets access to end of life care or if they do it is not enough. They also worry that people are taking their own lives without assistance due to assisted dying being illegal.
What is Dignity in Dyings response to people’s concerns over how the law could put disabled and vulnerable groups at risk?
Dignity in Dying have said in their website (dignityindying.org.uk) that the bill they are supporting would ensure strict protocols including drug used being monitored at all times. There will also have to be two doctors who agree that a person is eligible for assistance in dying to ensure the persons decision is “free from coercion”.
Who are not dead yet uk?
They are an organisation of disabled people who campaign for assisted dying to remain illegal in the uk as they worry it threatens vulnerable people in society.
What are not dead yet uk’s concerns about assisted dying?
Not dead yet uk are concerned that the legalisation of assisted dying will put into the question the value of disabled peoples lives. They believe this could lead to disabled people feeling pressured into ending their life by assisted dying as they feel like a burden or don’t feel like their life is worth living.
What issues are explored in the BBC documentary ‘Better Off Dead’?
Liz carr who is a disabled actress and disability rights activist that is also a part of the group not dead yet shared how her and many other disabled people are often met with remarks such as “it must be so hard to live like that” or “ I would just want to die”. This causes her to worry that society would encourage disabled people to end their lives as they view their life’s as less valuable.
Why is Liz Carr and other disabled people worried about the bill on assisted dying in England, wales and Scotland being legalised if it is for terminally ill people?
They are concerned that it could lead to a slippery slope where the bill opens up to more people such as mentally ill people or people in extreme suffering who aren’t necessarily terminally ill. An example of this is in Canada where assisted dying which was originally only for terminally ill people has since been opened up to people who’s death isn’t in the reasonably foreseeable future. This means that disabled people are eligible for assisted dying in Canada.
what is the British Medical Associations (BMA) stance on a system off presumed consent for organ donation?
The BMA has advocated for a soft opt out system since 1999 as they argue it can increase the number of organs available for donation and therefore increase the number of lives saved.
What do the British Medical Association (BMA) think the benefits of a soft opt-out system for organ donation is?
-They think that it will make the process simpler for people as rather than having to opt-in you are automatically presumed to be consenting. This means more people who are happy to be organ donors will become ones because there’s not the chance that they will forget or won’t get round to it.
-They also think it will alleviate pressure of family members
