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what is the religious (Christian) origin of sanctity of life
human life made in God’s image, based on Genesis 1
what is the secular origin of quality of life
humans must posses certain attributes for their lives to have value
what is voluntary euthanasia and when is it used
a person’s life is ended at their request/with their consent, used in the case of incurable/terminal illness
what is non-voluntary euthanasia and when is it used
a person’s life is ended without their consent but with the consent of someone representing their interests, used when a patient is in a persistent vegetative state
what is active euthanasia? give an example
deliberately bringing about a person’s death e.g. delivering a lethal injection
what is passive euthanasia? give an example
failing to prevent the death of a person even though intervention is in the agents power e.g. turning off a life-support machine
what does Pence argue, regarding voluntary euthanasia
it is a moral thing to do, as forcing someone to die a slow, suffering death is no different then forcing someone to die
what is the Catholic position on euthanasia, as set out in 1980
to ask for ones own euthanasia or to do it to someone else is not allowed, in accordance with the first primary precept of natural law
what is the first primary precept of natural law
preserve life
quote from the Catholic church about the importance of enduring suffering
“suffering has a special place in God’s plan of salvation”
how does the doctrine of double effect affect Catholic thoughts on euthanasia
all ordinary treatments must be accepted, but extraordinary, risky treatments may be rejected as the intention is preservation of life
what is Maguire’s counter-argument to sanctity of life
humans are not God’s property; he does not wield power over life and death
once the dying process has begun, euthanasia is justified
what does Singer argue regarding tradition and sanctity of life
a new etic needs to be established, as if a person judges their own life to be of poor quality it is not wrong to euthanise them
counterargument for Singer’s quality of life argument
medical quality of life is not the only factor; the contribution of a person’s life to others and to the community should also be considered
why might sanctity of life be irrelevant in 21st century
pluralistic or secular societies should not have their laws informed by one religious way of thinking
why might it be medically advantageous to avoid euthanasia
developments in medical field as new treatments can be tested
summarise the case of Houben
was determined by doctors to be in a persistent vegetative state after a car crash but he was actually conscious
summarise the case of Daniel James
paralysed in a rugby scrum, chose to die at Dignitas rather than live his life out as a paraplegic
give four possible criteria for personhood
independence, human genetic make up, self-awareness, rational thought
what does Boyle argue regarding personhood
every human who is alive has personhood
what does Mill argue regarding autonomy in euthanasia
humans have a right to live or die so long as no harm is done to others
what does Rachels argue regarding active and passive euthanasia
he saw no distinction between the two, or, if anything, passive is worse as it incites more suffering
what does natural law conclude, regarding euthanasia
it is always morally wrong
which tiers of law does euthanasia break? which parts?
divine law, 10 commandments
natural law, first primary precept
why is natural law helpful in regards to euthanasia
universalizable, sanctity of life generally accepted as moral anyway, application of doctrine of double effect
why might natural law not be helpful in regards to euthanasia
keeping someone on artificial life support is arguably not natural, decisions may be better made on a sense of duty or love than reason, naturalistic fallacy
which parts of situationism can be used to show euthanasia is not always wrong
agape, relativism, personalism
why might situationism be helpful in euthanasia
personalism, teleological, love and justice are the same, values pragmatism
why might situationism not be helpful in euthanasia
no absolute rules, too complex to rely on love as guidance, subjective and individualistic approach, biblical agape cannot be applied in 21st century
quote from Job 1:21 suggesting God to be in control of life and death
“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away”
3 of the 5 quality of life commandments Singer proposes to replace religious sanctity of life
Recognise that the worth of a human life varies
Take responsibility for the consequence of decisions (to save or end life)
Respect a person’s desire to live or die
argument about subjectivity in medical treatment made by Fletcher in ‘Morals and Medicine’ (1954)
any decision in medical ethics must come from the starting point of the individual’s medical condition
what is the slippery slope argument
the idea that legalising euthanasia will lead to a cultural decline in respect for human life and increase in pressure for people to choose to die
how does Singer respond to the slippery slope argument
case study of the Netherlands, where within 48,000 end-of-life decisions, only 2 could have been against the patient's’ will, and even this is explainable by poor documentation
example of an MP who promoted sanctity of life in recent assisted dying debates
Tim Farron: even if the assisted dying bill was passed Christians must continue to challenge it because sanctity of life is at stake
when did France pass the law of Separation of State and Church
1905
recent assisted dying bill in the UK
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (2024-25)
how does Jesus’ incarnation show sanctity of life
demonstrates sacredness and specialness of human nature
sacrifice for humanity shows human life’s value
what secular concept does Mill stress in ‘On Liberty’, giving a quote
autonomy, “Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign”