Euthanasia

Question 1

Euthanasia

Answer 1

-a gentle or easy death; the controversial and sometimes illegal action of allowing a terminally ill person to die with dignity, avoiding pain and suffering.

Question 2

Non-voluntary euthanasia

Answer 2

–ending someone’s life painlessly when they are unable to ask, but you’d have good reason for thinking they would want you to do so.

Question 3

Voluntary euthanasia

Answer 3

–ending someone’s life painlessly when someone is great pain asks for death e.g. giving them an injection which ends life.

Question 4

Passive euthanasia

Answer 4

–withholding treatment that could prevent the person from dying, resulting in sooner death.

Question 5

Assisted suicide

Answer 5

–providing a seriously ill person with the means to commit suicide e.g. buying them drugs.

Question 6

Active euthanasia

Answer 6

–when active steps are taken to end someone’s life e.g. death by lethal injection.

Question 7

UK law

Answer 7

-euthanasia and assisted suceed are both illegal in the UK and can lead to a charge of murder.
-however, the law now agrees that withdrawing artificial nutrition and hydration or withholding treatment that could prolong the life of someone who has a little or no change of survival is not murder.
-doctors can also switch off life support when patients have no sign of brain activity.

Question 8

The euthanasia debate

Answer 8

-there are two central principles at stake: should killing be allowed in any circumstances, the value that is given to life in respect of issues such as the sanity of life and quality of life.
-the problems with establishing the ‘end of life’ can be similar to those with showing the ‘start of life’ (abortion).
-such a situation calls into question the definition of ‘life’ and whether or not it can physically be defined.
-again, the same issues are raised around the quality of life.

Question 9

Ethical dilemma

Answer 9

-consciously refusing treatment knowing that it will result in death is even as acceptable.
-consciously willing medication of which the consequence is also death is unacceptable.