euthanasia

• Sanctity of life

  based on the supreme and intrinsic specialness of human life in itself

  • life is the most precious gift of a human - ability to act, show compassion, be conscious
  • once life is gone all gifts are lost

  religious origins:

  • imago dei - Genesis 1:27 - humans are set apart from other mammals - sentient ability
  • life is God's gift
  • Old Testament - God makes covenants with humans
  • Genesis 22:2 - God spared Isaac for a ram - human life shouldn't be sacrificed
  • alternative cases: Sodom and Gomorrah, God's command for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac
• slippery slope argument

  • sanctity of life: once life is considered as less than sacred in some cases then it undermines all human dignity and allows people to be treated as disposable
  • elderly, life support patients, people with Down syndrome (Fletcher)
• personhood

  the extent to which a life has some quality about it

  perhaps it is about how we connect with others - we are part of a community - we have a purpose in others lives

  • is a newborn a person - it is incapable of looking after itself - almost like a foetus - viability
  • however it has potential to become something/ someone - but are they people or potential people
• NML application

  • sanctity of life - human life is a sacred gift from God - evident in Divine law - Genesis 1:27
  • euthanasia is an apparent good - seem to offer a good outcome - alleviate pain - but it is not a real good
  • absolutist theory - no alternatives - euthanisa is and always will be wrong - influenced Catholic teaching
  • primary precept - preserve life
  • synderesis rule - do good -
  • Catholic Church: no obligation for people to go to great lengths to keep someone alive at the end of a person's natural life - God's plan
• NML application

  HOWEVER, NML can be used to justify euthanasia

  • DoDE - end-of-life treatment to relieve the pain (intention) that has the double effect of shortening life (outcome)
  • personhood - if a person can't reason anymore then they could be said to not to be a person - same rules don't apply - leads to the slippery slope argument
• NML app

  S

  • respects religious beliefs about sanctity of life
  • avoids slippery slope where human dignity becomes less important over time
  • absolutist - clear stance on euthanasia

  W

  • can be seen to be unsympathetic to people in pain/ with no quality of life
  • medical advances make it difficult to know if treatment is extraordinary or burdensome - eg resuscitation, life support - where do we draw the line
• SE application

  • Fletcher was in favour of legalised euthanasia
  • SE rejects absolute rules and so rejects an absolute ban on euthanasia
  • the ethical thing to do is to look at each situation individually
  • if euthanasia brings about the most loving consequence then it is justifiable
  • Fletcher thought that quality of life is more important than sanctity of life - life is not worth living if you don't have basic functions - eg minimal intelligence, self-awareness
• SE app

  S

  • more compassionate than a blanket ban on euthanasia - relativist
  • less discriminatory to disabled people - agape
  • greater emphasis on autonomy

  W

  • no recognition of SOL
  • the most loving action is not always evident
  • allowing on case-to-case basis makes legislation difficult
  • slippery slope - justify specific situations on the basis of diminished human dignity - Kant would not agree
  • ignores sacred nature of human life - NML