RS a level ETHICS - euthanasia

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

the intention of an action is important. 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

he contends that humans are not God’s property; he does not wield power over life and death. humans frequently use medicine to elongate or save life, so why is shortening it wrong? once the dying process has begun, he believes euthanasia is justified

what does Singer argue regarding tradition and sanctity of life

he believes a new etic needs to be established, as the modern view is if a person judges their own life to be of poor quality it is not wrong to euthanise them. he says that value of life varies with its quality

counterargument for Singer’s sanctity 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 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

what tier of law does euthanasia break? which part?

divine law. 10 commandments

why is natural law helpful in regards to euthanasia

universalizable, stress on value of life is 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 can be applied to show 10 commandments should be applied relative to the situation, 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”

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

Only bring children into the world if they are wanted

Do not discriminate on the basis of species

what does the distinguish between ‘acts’ and ‘omissions’ made by Rachels, Glover, and Singer mean

active vs passive action, which is not always clear-cut

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