Euthanasia

• What does euthanasia literally mean?

  good death (mercy killing)
• Define euthanasia


  the act of deliberately ending a person's life to relieve suffering
• Define assisted suicide


  the act of deliberately assisting another person to kill themselves

  the person performs the act which results in death
• What are the principles of a good death?

  To know when death is coming and what is expected

  To have dignity and privacy

  To have control over where the death occurs

  To have access to info and expertise

  To have access to spiritual and emotional support

  To have access to hospice care

  To have control over who is present

  To be able to issue advance directives which ensure wishes are respected

  To be able to leave when it is time to go and not to have life prolonged pointlessly
• Define voluntary euthanasia


  when a person makes a conscious decision to die and asks for help to do so
• Define active euthanasia

  when a person deliberately intervened to take actions to cause a person's death such as injecting them with a large dose of sedatives
• Define passive euthanasis


  when a person dies because something which is necessary to maintain life is withheld or stopped for example switching off life support or disconnecting a feeding tube
• Define the right to life

  the belief that everyone has a right to life and therefore shouldn't have the option of euthanasia
• Define the right to die

  the belief that everyone has the right to die with dignity and they should have the option of euthanasia
• What is personal autonomy?

  the right to make decisions for yourself
• What is a terminal illness?


  an illness with no hope for recovery and will result in eventual death
• What are the benefits of euthanasia?

  gives people control over all aspects of a good death

  saves healthcare resources

  relieves suffering

  better for family and friends

  they can die with dignity

  stops people from taking their lives without medical involvement
• What are the difficulties of euthanasia?

  would we lose doctor/patient trust?

  medical staff may be uncomfortable performing euthanasia

  would they change their mind?

  slippery slope

  would it lead to a less caring society?

  people may feel like they're a burden on society and that they have to do it

  the dying process is important
• What is a slippery slope?

  when something is first started, all may go well

  however as time moves on, things gradually start to get worse

  just as you travel downhill, you get faster the further down you go
• What is an alternative to euthanasia?

  palliative and hospice care
• What is palliative care?


  the range of specialist support given to a person with a life threatening illness or condition

  
  

  it is physical, emotional and spiritual care for a dying person with support extended to family and friends
• Where can palliative care be provided?


  at a hospice
• Where is euthanasia legal?

  Belgium

  Canada

  Columbia

  Luxembourg

  The Netherlands
• Where is assisted suicide legal?

  Switzerland and some states in the USA
• What is the law in the UK?

  palliative care

  no treatment if it is of no medical benefit to the patient

  palliative sedation - when medicines are given to the patient to relieve pain and suffering making the patient unconscious

  
  

  performing euthanasia or assisted suicide in the UK risks 14 years in prison
• Where is active euthanasia legal?


  Belgium

  Holland

  Luxembourg
• What is DIGNITAS?

  an organisation in Switzerland that offers assisted suicide to people from abroad
• What are the aims of palliative care?


  to approach death as positively and naturally as possible

  to provide relief from pain and other distressing symptoms

  to integrate the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care

  to offer a support system for families and friends
• What are the views against palliative care?


  pain management is not perfect

  perhaps euthanasia provides a less painful death

  it may be a long process with strains and stresses
• What is religious authority?

  people look to other people in positions of authority to tell us what is right and wrong for help or guidance
• Why might religious people look to other people in their religion to help or guide them?

  they might be able to relate to the situation the person needs help with

  they might feel they wouldn't judge them
• What is divine command theory?

  The view that God's commands create morality
• What are the five terms used to describe God and what do they mean?

  omnipotent - all powerful

  omnipresent - everywhere

  omniscient - all knowing

  eternal - was not created but will always exist

  benevolent - good/loving
• What are the strengths of divine command theory?

  moral guidance for christians

  god can never be wrong because...

  traditional

  easy to follow

  shows faith for your religion

  God can never be cruel or tell you something that won't help you because he is benevolent

  he knows your problems because he is omniscient
• What are the weaknesses of divine command theory?

  you aren't able to have your own opinions on moral issues

  sometimes arguments can lean both ways

  some info isn't relevant to today's issues

  depends on belief in God
• what is a quote from the bible which supports the sanctity of life?

  'Do not commit murder' - Exodus 20:13

  
  

  'God created humans in his own image' - Genesis 1:27
• What are christian arguments against euthanasia?

  sanctity of life

  suffering may be God's purpose or present for others to show compassion

  it is God who gives life and takes it away - we should not 'play God'

  compassion - preference of hospice care, supporting the dying process, providing spiritual support at this time
• What are christian arguments for euthanasia?

  'love thy neighbour' - if someone is suffering with no hope of recovery - compassion

  God does not want people to suffer unnecessarily

  some christians would allow a life support machine to be turned off - extraordinary measures should not be taken to prolong life - distinction between killing and letting die

  God gave us free will to make decisions and choices
• What is the famous utilitarian saying?


  the greatest good for the greatest number
• What is consequentialism?


  An action is considered right or wrong according to its consequences or likely outcomes
• What is the aim of Utilitarianism?

  to maximise pleasure or happiness and minimise suffering or pain
• What is act utilitarianism?

  each action is judged individually to see if it will bring about the greatest good for the greatest number
• What is rule utilitarianism?

  many rules are made to ensure the greatest good for the greatest number, therefore following these rules is the right moral choice
• What are utilitarian arguments for euthanasia?


  slippery slope argument is weak because there has not been a wide scale abuse of guidelines

  laws which forbid euthanasia take away a person's rights to control their own life

  greatest good for the greatest number - would relatives be happier to see their loved one free from pain and suffering

  greatest good for the greatest number for society as there are more resources

  if it is legal in your country then rule utilitarians would support it
• What are utilitarian arguments against euthanasia?

  greatest good for the greatest number - would the person who performed the act feel terribly guilty?

  would the family be happy to lose a loved one?

  the negative effects on those around the patient would outweigh the benefit to the patient

  rule utilitarians - euthanasia is not legal therefore it is not okay

  it wouldn't bring about the greatest good for the greatest number because society might worry that we were a country that didn't care about the ill and people might start to feel like a burden