NET Euthanasia

Question 1

living will

Answer 1

• similar to ‘do not resuscitate’
• refusal of specific treatments ahead of time, explaining the cirumstance

Question 2

natural moral law and euth (synderesis)

Answer 2

• dont kill: sanctity OL, primary precepts
• it is evil to prolong a life that doesnt want to continue/is suffering and is in pain

Question 3

natural moral law and euth (teleology)

Answer 3

• euthanasia: death doesngt allows a person to achieve their telos; their illness had a higher purpose to develop as a moral agent through virtue development (fellowship with God)

Question 4

natural moral law and euth (primary precepts)

Answer 4

• W: SOL
• D: do not commit
• O: allowed causes a slippery slope, and no order
• if illegal people may need to go to extreme dangerous methods, and is discrimination of the weak

Question 5

natural moral law and euth (deontology)

Answer 5

• doctors take the Hippocratic oath to preserve their patients life
• ‘love thy neighbour’ –> if they want assistance they should treat them with the same love

Question 6

natural moral law and euth (secondary precepts)

Answer 6

• do not commit suicide
• do not commit murder, do not assist in a suicide as it is against god

Question 7

natural moral law and euth (real and apparent goods)

Answer 7

• an apparent good would be helping someone to die if they wish –> alleviating their pain, and putting resources that would keep them alive elsewhere
• the real good is suffering like jesus did on the cross

Question 8

natural moral law and euth (interior and exterior acts)

Answer 8

• interior: taking into account the feelings of the patient
• exterior: deontologically still murder

Question 9

natural moral law and euth (God)

Answer 9

• god gave us a telos to fulfill; suffering like jesus is his plan and we cannot overule
• only god can take life –> SOL
• in death we cannot achieve his plan or reach fellowship with him

Question 10

natural moral law and euth (double effect)

Answer 10

• needs to have a good exterior act, but death can be seen as positive or negative –> hard to justify
• can work with a morphine overdose, that was to alleviate pain

Question 11

natural moral law and euth (reason)

Answer 11

• should use reason, can come to both conc
• aquinas would say no –> anyone with reason would say this

Question 12

sit ethics and euth (teleological)

Answer 12

• e is providing good as it alleviates pain –> better end than suffering

Question 13

sit ethics and euth (situationist as opposed to legalist/antinomian)

Answer 13

• situation ethics, case by case, most loving, can E if needed –> not following laws or no regulation

Question 14

sit ethics and euth (agape)

Answer 14

• need to demonstrate love for the person who wishes to end their life

Question 15

sit ethics and euth (four working principles)

Answer 15

• Prag: realistic solution if implemented already in some countries, good for people in palliative care if they want to end illness
• Rel: case by case: if a person wants to end their life, they should; should consider all the affected parties tho, like family
• pos: shows gods love as relieving chronic pain but agaisnt SOL and telos etc
• pers: the person can have a dignified death, comforting the family

Question 16

sit ethics and euth (six fundamental principles)

Answer 16

• love only is always good: if it brings love its okay, can alleviate the pain of dying
• love is the only norm: euthanasia is the only right decision if it brings about love for all parts (rejection of the absoolute)
• love and justice are the same: loving=just=law, law is just and loving so it should be followed (not allowed) –> not just has not proportionately available as it is expensive
• love is not liking: do not need to agree with it or the persons choice to allow it
• love justifies the means: action becomes irrelevant as it is loving to carry out
• love decides there and then: based of a persons unique decision in that moment

Question 17

virtue ethics and euth (teleology)

Answer 17

• end purpose cannot be achieved if dead

Question 18

virtue ethics and euth (eudaimonia)

Answer 18

• can be happy if released from suffering, but will never achieve it in life

Question 19

virtue ethics and euth (pleasure, honour, contemplation)

Answer 19

• people who live for pleasure become ill –> want to die as life is no longer pleasurable (selfish as you leave behind loved ones)
• contemplation: reflect on actions, autonomy

Question 20

virtue ethics and euth (reason)

Answer 20

• subjective, current situation can influence critical thinking (illness/medication)

Question 21

virtue ethics and euth (community)

Answer 21

• ALLOW IT: euthanatos (good death)
• should choose how you die
• no, people may try to take their lives in dangerous ways

Question 22

virtue ethics and euth (doctrine of the mean)

Answer 22

• deficiency and excess, can society be too extreme (dignitas vs banned in the UK)

Question 23

virtue ethics and euth (moral virtues)

Answer 23

• courage: is it facing your pain and suffering or is it committing suicide

Question 24

virtue ethics and euth (intellectual virtues)

Answer 24

• phronesis: judgement, practical wisdom

Question 25

virtue ethics and euth (friendship)

Answer 25

- dead = no friednships - can foster friendships with shared experience