euthanasia

what is voluntary euthanasia?

when a person’s life is ended at their request or with their consent

what is non-voluntary euthanasia?

when a person’s life is ended without their consent but with the consent of someone representing their interests

what is sanctity of life?

a religious concept that human life is made in God’s image and is therefore sacred in value

what is quality of life?

a largely secular idea that human life has to possess certain attributes in order to have value

what are two Bible verses against euthanasia and in support of sanctity of life?

genesis 1:27 - imago dei
job 1:21 - God is the sole giver and taker of life

how does genesis 1:27 support sanctity of life?

“God created mankind in His own image”
humans possess a God-given dignity that sets them apart from rest of creation
therefore, terminating a life destroys something that uniquely reflects the divine creator

how does job 1:21 support sanctity of life?

“the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away”
places supreme authority over mortality entirely in hands of God
implies that using euthanasia to control timing of death rejects divine action

what are three criticisms of sanctity of life?

quality of life
autonomy
situation ethics

who talks about quality of life?

peter singer

what does peter singer say about quality of life?

killing is wrong because it violate preferences of a being to continue living
the reason killing is wrong does not apply in cases where quality of life is low or non-existent
if someone has a low quality of life and preference to die, made in a rational state of mind, then voluntary euthanasia is justified

what is a weakness of allowing euthanasia?

the slippery slope

what is the slippery slope argument?

if we allow euthanasia for low quality of life in clear cases of terminal illness, we are in danger of slowly starting to allow it in more controversial cases (e.g. mental illness)
hard to draw line on life that is worth living based on its quality

how does autonomy on euthanasia criticise sanctity of life?

nozick - each person owns their own body and can do what they want with it
singer concludes that we need to make sure that the autonomy is rational

how does situation ethics support euthanasia?

euthanasia can be morally good in situations where it maximises agape
values quality of life over sanctity of life
situation ethics would reject euthanasia however, if society has made a person feel like a failure or burden (Himself Might His Quietus Make)

what is the Himself Might His Quietus Make?

terminally ill patient has 6 months to live, doctors can prescribe pills that will keep him alive for three more years
life insurance expires in october so if he took piils, he would have no money to give to his family

what is fletcher’s quote on euthanasia?

“it is harder to justify letting someone die a slow and ugly death than it is to justify helping them escape from such misery” - humanhood

what is a case study in support of euthanasia for quality of life?

daniel james
killed himself by lethal injection in suicide clinic run by Dignitas in Switzerland
he was paralysed from chest downwards when a scrum collapsed on top of him, breaking his neck - low quality of life

what does jonathan glover say about euthanasia?

must consider several factors before deciding what to do when euthanasia is requested
the helper should be convinced the decision is serious
the helper should think the decision is reasonable
the circumstances in which the request comes needs considering

what is natural law’s application to euthanasia?

euthanasia violates primary precept to protect and preserve human life
intentionally terminating a life disrupts the natural harmony designed by God, leading to social disorder