Euthanasia

Active Euthanasia

Direct action to end a patient's life, such as a lethal injection.

Passive Euthanasia

Withholding or withdrawing life-prolonging medical treatment when it is futile.

Voluntary Euthanasia

Euthanasia performed at the explicit, competent request of the patient.

Non-Voluntary Euthanasia

Euthanasia when the patient cannot consent, decided in their best interests.

Involuntary Euthanasia

Euthanasia performed against a patient's wishes or without their possible consent.

Assisted Suicide

Providing the means or knowledge for a patient to end their own life.

James Rachels' Bathtub Example

A thought experiment arguing that active killing and letting die are morally equivalent.

Peter Singer's view on Sanctity of Life

He rejects it as "speciesism," or the unearned elevation of human life.

Preference Utilitarianism (Euthanasia)

Actions are right if they satisfy the preferences of the individuals involved.

Singer's "Person" vs. "Human"

A person must possess rationality, self-awareness, and a sense of the future.

Groningen Protocol

A Dutch medical checklist regulating non-voluntary neonatal euthanasia.

The "Dying Billionaire" Paradox

A slippery slope illustration where heirs pressure a relative into requesting euthanasia.

The Euthanasia Coaster

A hypothetical roller coaster design using fatal G-force to test quality-of-life limits.

Intrinsic Evil (Catholicism)

The belief that active euthanasia is inherently wrong and violates God's sovereignty.

Salvific Suffering

The Catholic belief that suffering allows the dying to share in Christ's sacrifice.

Ordinary vs. Extraordinary Means

Ordinary care must be provided; extraordinary care may be morally refused.

Humanist view on Euthanasia

Advocates for bodily autonomy and compassion over ancient religious dogma.

Suicide Act 1961

UK legislation making active euthanasia and assisted suicide strictly illegal.

Tony Bland (1993)

Landmark UK case allowing doctors to withdraw treatment from a PVS patient.

Doctrine of Double Effect (Medicine)

Permitting life-shortening pain relief if the primary intent is to alleviate pain.

Rachels' Bathtub Example: Smith vs. Jones

Smith actively drowns his cousin; Jones passively lets his cousin drown.

Belgium's policy on minor euthanasia

No age limit for terminal minors who request euthanasia.

UK Dignitas Membership (by late 2025)

Reached an all-time high of 2,385 members, a 69% increase since 2020.

Tony Bland Case details

Hillsborough victim in PVS; High Court allowed withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration.

Singer's justification for Non-Voluntary Euthanasia

Justified if it minimizes net suffering for family and society.

Imago Dei and Donum Vitae (Catholicism)

Theological concepts stating life is a gift from God, making active euthanasia an intrinsic evil.

Humanist argument of Bodily Autonomy

The belief that rational individuals own their bodies, including control over their death.

Involuntary Euthanasia status

Euthanasia done against a patient's wishes or without consent; legally condemned as murder.

Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) / Physician-Assisted Dying (PAD)

Pro-choice terms preferred over "suicide" to imply a rational, structured clinical choice.

Death with Dignity

Rhetorical pillar implying prolonged, technologically forced survival strips a human of independent identity.

The Sovereign Self / Bodily Sovereignty

Philosophical assertion that the individual is the absolute ruler of their own body and consciousness.

The Right to Self-Determination

Ethical framing that a person's life trajectory, including its final chapter, must remain in their hands.

Compassionate Release / Deliverance

Framing euthanasia as an act of mercy that breaks the chains of unmanageable physical torment.

Donum Vitae (The Gift of Life) in anti-euthanasia rhetoric

Belief that life is a sacred loan from God, granting humans stewardship rather than absolute ownership.

Divine Prerogative

The belief that because God creates life, determining its expiration belongs solely to the divine.

The Reclassification of Killing

Argument that calling euthanasia "mercy killing" is linguistic manipulation to desensitize society to termination.

A Culture of Death

Pope John Paul II's phrase warning that prioritizing utility over life leads to disposing of vulnerable individuals.

The Commodification of Mortality

Critique that legalizing euthanasia turns death into an engineered, sterile service subject to economic pressure.