Euthanasia

Objective: What is Euthanasia?

¨ Lit. "good death" euthanasia come from the Greek roots eu- meaning well or good and thanatos, death

¨ What counts as a good death?

¨ One we have control over?

¨ One sudden and unexpected?

¨ Probably not one long and dragged out…

¨ Active vs. Passive euthanasia

¨ Passive euthanasia generally refers either to the withholding or the discontinuation of medical treatment, allowing a medical condition to cause death

¨ Active euthanasia generally refers to the administration of a lethal drug or some other means to cause death

¨ Also there is physician-assisted suicide (e.g. Dr. Jack Kevorkian)

¨ Other relevant distinctions

¨ Voluntary - Involuntary

¨ Ordinary measures - extraordinary measures

¨ Intended vs. foreseen effects (e.g. the administration of pain medication when a sufficient dose to alleviate pain will also have the effect of killing the patient)

Objective: Moral Judgments and Euthanasia

¨ Consequentialist considerations

¨ Individual case vs. general rule

¨ Personal control

¨ Others affected

¨ Nonconsequentialist considerations

¨ Personal autonomy

¨ Loss of rational capacity, depression, etc. influencing decisions

¨ Active vs. passive euthanasia

¨ Ordinary vs. extraordinary measures

¨ Infant euthanasia

¨ Who should decide

¨ On what basis

Objective: J. Gay-Williams - The Wrongfulness of Euthanasia

¨ The argument from nature

¨ The essential nature and goal of humans (and all living things) is to live

¨ Euthanasia acts contrary to that nature

¨ The argument from self-interest

¨ Death is final and irreversible

¨ Mistaken diagnoses are possible

¨ Experimental procedures might work

¨ Spontaneous remission sometimes happens

¨ Knowing that we can take our life might incline us to give up too easily

¨ The argument from practical effects

¨ Euthanasia might alter the commitment of doctors and nurses to saving lives

¨ Euthanasia is a slippery slope - it could lead to nonvoluntary euthanasia, directed euthanasia as a part of social policy, etc.

Objective: James Rachels - Active and Passive Euthanasia

¨ The AMA's position on euthanasia could lead to severe moral dilemmas for medical personnel

¨ Perhaps, active euthanasia is the more preferable option, if it is to be allowed at all

¨ The distinction between active and passive euthanasia leads to life and death decisions being made on irrelevant grounds

¨ E.g. Downs' syndrome children allowed to die due to intestinal blockage, when such blockages are easily treatable (and would be in any other infant)

¨ There is no significant moral difference between killing and letting die