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Flashcards in Euthanasia Deck (44)
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Define 'non-treatment decision' / passive euthanasia

Medical professionals withdraw medication or life support because the patient won't get better


Define 'active euthanasia'

A deliberate action performed by a third party to kill a person


Define 'sanctity of life'

The belief that life is intrinsically sacred and holds such worth that it should not be within human power to take it


Define 'quality of life'

A way of weighing up the extrinsic experience of life that affects or justifies whether or not to continue living


Define 'personhood'

The quality of human life that makes it worthy


Define 'autonomy and the right to die'

Human freedom should extend to be able to choose the time and manner of death


Define 'voluntary euthanasia'

When a person's life is ended painlessly by a third party


Define 'non-voluntary euthanasia'

When a person is unable to express their wishes but there is reasonable ground to end their life


Define 'dignity'

Worth or quality of life linked to sanctity of life and freedom


Define 'palliative care'

End-of-life care to make a person's remaining moments of life as comfortable as possible


Define 'involuntary euthanasia'

A person is killed beyond their wishes e.g. Nazi doctors killing people because they were disabled


What are Daniel Maguire's views of euthanasia?

Euthanasia to shorten a person's time taken to die by not prolonging life is legitimate because it allows people to have power whilst not denying their sanctity of life


What are Peter Singer's views of euthanasia?

The traditional concept of sanctity of life must be neglected as quality of life can justify a wanting to take their own life


How do some people believe medical science can help decide when a person no longer exists?

Medical science can help us decide when sanctity is no longer a factor as the person no longer exists. Protecting life is one thing but keeping the body alive when the person is gone is another


What is 'imago dei'?

Using the quote 'Man was made in the image of God' as a foundation of thinking when arguing cases of euthanasia


"Humans have to be a (1) of priests and a (2) nation" - Old Testament

1 - Kingdom
2 - Holy


What did Lactantius believe?

God made humans sacred with dignity which is proven by Jesus' resurrection


How do some believe that taking your own life endangers others?

Because it undermines the value of life and puts others at risk of euthanasia being an option to them


Give three quality of life arguments that support euthanasia

- Humans should live and die with dignity
- Self-respect rather than dying in pain
- Compassion e.g. humans have the power to put pets down when they are irrecoverable


Give an argument related to quality of life that discourages euthanasia

Miracles can happen e.g. Steven Hawking


Give a quote from the Ancient Roman play 'Prometheus Bound'

"It were better to die once and for all than to drag out my lingering days in anguish"


Give a quote from Hippocrates

"Refuse to treat those who are overmastered by their disease... medicine is powerless"


Give a quote from Kevin Smith

"... euthanasia must be a personal decision between the terminally ill and their family... it is ethically wrong to toss guilt... into a tragic situation"


Why do some people consider someone on life support to be no longer living in regards to personhood?

They are incapable and self-unaware


Give four disadvantages of the arguments of personhood in favour of euthanasia

- neglects potential
- a person, though on life support, can connect with others
- a person never stops being part of a greater community
- a person will always have a purpose


Give a quote by John Stuart Mill on autonomy and right to die

"In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute... the individual is sovereign"


Give a quote by Jack Kevorkian (a doctor administering euthanasia)

"What counts is what the patient wants and judges to be a benefit... that's primary"


Give a quote by Hans Kung (Christian and theologian)

"All merciful God... left to dying people the responsibility for making a conscientious decision about the time and manner of their death"


Why is Gregory E Pence in favour of euthanasia?

Killing humans who don't want to live is not wrong because it is not wrong to help the dying to die because they are already dying"


Give three criticisms of Gregory E Pence

- Right to die can become a threat
- Cases of doctors using their authority to kill against will
- It is wrong to oblige health professionals to be in institutions causing death