Ethics Case Studies

Question 1

Dax Cowart

Answer 1

• Badly Burned following car gas explosion
  “I was burned so severely an in so much pain that I did not want to live even in the early moments following the explosion.”
• after 10 years of treatment, still believes denying request was wrong.

Question 2

Dianne Pretty

Answer 2

Suffer motor neurone disease, request denied by both UK and European Court of Human Rights
“I want to have a quick death without suffering, at home surrounded by my family.”

Question 3

Jack Kevorkian / Doctor Death

Answer 3

Advertised services to help people die

• Helped 130 die
• Failed multiple court cases and was imprisoned for 10-25 years.

Detroit free press - 60% of his patients were not terminally ill. Jack failed to refer 17 patients to pain specialists for chronic pain, and “made no real effort to discover whether his patients really wished to end their lives.”

–> Countered allegations saying, “What difference does it make if someone is terminal? We are all terminal.”

Question 4

Office of National Statistic (2010)

Answer 4

• Number of partners has risen by 4 for women, 3 for men from 1990-2010
• 1990, 25% of men + women thought same sex was fine, number is now half.
• before 1983, 3/10 cohabited. Now 8/10 married couples.
• 84% of people still think extra-marital is wrong. No change there.
• 28% thought premarital wrong 1990. Now 11%