Strong sofl
All human life sacred to god all have an absolute right to life that must never be taken away
Weak sofl
All life is sacred but not absolutely have a god given right to autonomy, so have right to decide
Strengths of vol euth
- have right to avoid pain + should be able to choose a gentle painless death as long as decision is made rationally
- each person has a right to control body and life and so should be able to determine at what time in what way by who they will die
Weaknesses of vol euth
- it puts doctors in an impossible decision, right to die doesn’t mean we have right to force people to kill us
- allowing vol euth will encourage people to put pressure on sick relatives to end their life when they don’t want to
Strengths of non vol euth
- most compassionate course of action when no prospect of an acceptable standard of brain function
- spending limited resources on those in pvs is not morally desirable, can’t invest in research
Weaknesses of non vol euth
- there is never a point where medical proff can be totally certain is no hope of improvement
- leads to slipppery slope amd more people will be killed just because someone else decides qofl is t good enough
What is active euthanasia
A deliberate action performed by a 3rd party to kill a person
What is passive euthanasia
Intentionally letting a patient die by withdrawing or withholding artificial life support
What is voluntary euthanasia
When persons life is ended by 3rd party at own request
What is non voluntary euthanasia
When a person is unable to express their wish to die but there are reasonable grounds for ending their life painlessly
What is involuntary euthanasia
When a person wants to live but someone else (doctor/family member) decides would be in persons best interest if life was ended
What is the sanctity of life belief
Life has intrinsic worth as gift from god that only he has right to remove
Quotes to support sanctity of life principle
Made in “imago dei”
“Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you + was given to you by god. You do not belong to yourself” - don’t have right to take own life
What are some issues with euthanasia
- Life is too precious
- devalues life
- patient might get better
- sets precedent that gives people authority to end another persons life
Strengths of sanctity of life
- Christians would argue life doesn’t belong to us it belongs to god (euthanasia is playing god)
- can’t fully predict if death is inevitable, may be likely but always uncertainty
Weaknesses of sanctity of life
- Daniel maguire - rejects idea that god alone has power over life and death, implies are gods property
- we interfere to preserve and save life no difference between that and ending
- person no longer experiences a high quality of life so would be wrong to preserve life at all costs (dragging out discomfort)
What is the nl response to euthanasia
- moral absolutes (primary and secondary precepts) - can’t be broken regardless of situation, p.p = preserve life, s.p = do not kill so euthanasia wrong
- the end never justifies the means, no amount of suffering can justify and evil act
- doctrine of double affect could allow - giving pain relief + secondary effect is they die
What is the se response to euthanasia
- most loving thing to do may well be giving someone a peaceful death
- is personal, puts people before rules
- is pragmatic, allows to do whatever works best in situation
- ignores any rules + acts out of love
What is the principal of the quality of life
Refers to how happy or unhappy a life is, notion a life must posses certain attributes inorder to have value (subjective). Argues should be able to live dignified lives and end life with dignity
Factors affecting quality of life
- pain
- not mobile
- loss of self awareness
What are QALYs and hoe can they be used
A measure of how someone is going to live, provide a framework to asses the balance between the quality and quantity of life ( can highlight limited benefits of prolonging life)
What is personhood according to John Locke
Person is someone who is not only able to have conscious (awareness of self as an independent being: ability to feel pain and pleasure) and rational thought, but also remember themselves doing son
What was singers thoughts on euthanasia and personhood
Believed if quality of life is bad should have right to decide to end life as being alive isn’t necessarily good. Believed humans and people are different, humans = members of species, people = rational, self conscious beings
Strengths of quality of life
- an individual has human dignity, many illnesses remove this - physically and mentally incapacitating - principle allows to maintain dignity
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Definitions27
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Defs Pg 114
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Defe Pg214
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Defs Pg314
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Act utilitarianism Provides A More Successful Moral Framework Than Rule Utilitarianism9
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Utility Is Not A Useful Concept Upon Which To Base An Ethical System9
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Does Utilitarianism Provide A Helpful Method Of Moral Decision Making9
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Pleasure Cannot Be Measured, And Therefore Utilitarianism Cannot Give Useful Moral Guidance9
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Nl20
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Euth30
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Situation Ethics16
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Utilitarianism23
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How effective is Kantian ethics when applied to business13
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good is a meaningless term9
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to what extent is intuitionism correct in stating that good is self evident12
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in meta ethics the term good has objective factual basis11
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defining good is the most important question within ethics11
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business ethics46
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kant19
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metaethics24
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Conscience30
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sexual ethics38
