Euthanasia
Covering euthanasia and applying it to utilitarianism, Natural Law, Kantian ethics and Christianity.
- Created by: Yamanam
- Created on: 20-04-13 16:12
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- Euthanasia
- The quality of life
- = For life to be worthwhile we must attain certain attributes e.g. ability to communicate
- Many people if in Stephen Hawkins position would feel they lack quality of life but obviously his ability to think means he retains in own quality of life
- Those who seek euthanasia often must meet conditions e.g. correct state of mind
- What the Hippocratic oath of the doctor?
- = The role of the doctor is to save lives and abstain from doing harm
- Slippery Slope Argument
- When a theory leads to something bad happening where the situation gets progressively worse
- = For life to be worthwhile we must attain certain attributes e.g. ability to communicate
- The sanctity of life
- = the sacredness of human life
- Life should be preserved
- As stated by the philosopher Ronald Dworkin
- Life should be of high quality
- He states if we are no longer able to achieve a eudaimonic quality of life it would be wrong to continue preserving their life e.g comas
- As stated by the philosopher Ronald Dworkin
- Life should be of high quality
- All lives should be treated as sacred
- A human being has no right to kill what God created
- All lives are sacred
- Each person is unique
- All life is sacred
- Without life, nothing can exist
- The right to life
- The issues of individual autonomy
- We have absolute right over our body so surely we can choose euthanasia if we so wish.
- Right to death?
- If we are suffering surely we should have a right to die?
- The issues of individual autonomy
- Christianity and Euthanasia
- General Christian View
- For
- End of lifecare
- Applies more to terminally ill patients
- Exception...
- For example respecting someones choice to die
- End of lifecare
- Against
- All human lives are equally valuable
- The process of dying is spiritually important, and should not be disrupted
- Humans are valuable because we were created in Gods image
- Life is a gift from God
- For
- Catholic View
- Qutes
- A pope "Euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God"
- "You shall not kill"
- "nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of an innocent human being, whether a foetus or an embryo, an infant or an adult, an old person, or one suffering from an incurable disease, or a person who is dying"
- Against
- The value of life is to precious
- We do not have a right to die
- The church regards it as morally acceptable to refuse extraordinary and aggressive medical means to preserve life. Refusing such treatment is not euthanasia but a proper acceptance of the human condition in the face of death.
- Qutes
- General Christian View
- Kantian Ethics and Euthanasia
- Disagree on grounds that we have a duty to protect one another
- Kant argued that if you stopped doing something every-time you felt pain, you wouldn't have much in life
- You feel pain in childbirth and sports
- Furthermore it opposes the Summum Bonum
- He was alive in a time where palliative care didn't really exist maybe he would approve?
- Utilitarianism and euthanasia
- Modern day utilitarians
- A mill approach (disagree)
- Oppose involuntary euthanasia because it opposed human freedom and autonomy
- "greatest good of greatest number"
- Mill apprach agree
- "Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign"
- Freedom of choice
- "Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign"
- A singer approach (agree)
- Except changed his view when it was his won mother...
- Keeping alive those with a poor quality of live is costly to society.
- Would achieve greatest good of greatest number.
- Life support machine = expensive
- Lethal injection = cheap
- Takes stress away from friends and family?
- Yet some may wish to care for someone
- Terry Pratchet wishes to have euthanasia but his wife still wants to care for him
- Yet some may wish to care for someone
- Would achieve greatest good of greatest number.
- A mill approach (disagree)
- Some more agreeing
- Double effect
- E.g.g giving high amounts of morphine to reduce pain but kills them as well
- Negative Utilitarianism
- Richard Ryder in 1990 came up with painism
- Prevention of pain is the sole moral issue in making a moral descion
- Rejects the idea of maximising of pleasures because it can justify gang ****
- Richard Ryder in 1990 came up with painism
- Double effect
- Modern day utilitarians
- Natural law and euthanasia
- Assisted suicide opposes the primary precept of preserving life.
- Therefore opposes God.
- Role of the Dr?
- Aristotle believed in final ends and purpose
- Doctors oath - how can suddenly kill, it goes against their purpose,
- Assisted suicide opposes the primary precept of preserving life.
- Therefore opposes God.
- Assisted suicide opposes the primary precept of preserving life.
- Doctors oath - how can suddenly kill, it goes against their purpose,
- Doctors oath - how can suddenly kill, it goes against their purpose,
- Aristotle believed in final ends and purpose
- Doesn't promote the key idea of a harmonious society
- Assisted suicide opposes the primary precept of preserving life.
- The quality of life
- Humans are valuable because we were created in Gods image
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