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Study Notes on Euthanasia

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Study Notes on Euthanasia
Euthanasia – Proxy Decisions
Means beautiful death
The termination of a beings life on compassionate grounds
Candidates for euthanasia are terminally ill with death being imminent that face uncontrollable pain and suffering. Typical criteria for euthanasia
What are the procedures?
Are they morally equivalent? (deontological issue)
If not, why not?
Passive vs. Active Euthanasia
1. Cause of death
2. Manner of death
3. Procedure
4. Perceived moral status
5. Justification for perceived moral status
Passive Euthanasia
1. Nature – underlying illness
2. Omission to act – letting patient die from underlying illness
3. Refusal of treatment or ongoing treatment is withdrawn
4. Permissible
5. Respect patient autonomy
Alleviate further suffering
Not killing
Active Euthanasia
1. Human activity
2. Commission “Killing”
3. Physician assisted suicide
Physical administered (“Active euthanasia proper”)
4. Not permissible
5. Injunction against killing people
Injunction against physicians killing (violates aims medicine)
Consequential reasons
James Rachels
Deontological issue – Is killing intrinsically worse than “letting” a person die?
He says NO.
What determines moral status:- intentions and motives
What matters is why, not how.
Smith
Smith has 6 year old cousin, if cousin dies he gets huge inheritance
Drowns child
Clearly kills
Motives and intentions are malevolent
Jones
Goes to kill child
Before he does anything the child slips, falls, and drowned
Let die
Motives and intentions are malevolent
Killing – taking a life
Murder – unjust taking of a life
Consequentially speaking: Active Euthanasia is actually preferable; more effective in bringing out the ___ motive.
Criticism about a practice: allowing someone to die on irrelevant grounds in the most horrible possible way
Down Syndrome: not operating based on blocked intestines.
Using DS as an excuse to NOT operate
Passive euthanasia can be done by withholding basic necessities
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