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Euthanasia - Coggle Diagram
Euthanasia
Utilitarianism
alleviates suffering so greater happiness (but cancels out future happiness, physical pain does not equate suffering esp. with palliative care)
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rule utilitarianism may be against legalisation - case that brings more happiness offset by negative effects
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Situation ethics - rationality key to human so can use free choice to die - most loving action must take into account affect on wider community
BUT : too vague, does not give any clear guidance, conflict of agape who do we priorities, relative so hard to make applicable law
personalism : reduce pian, respect wishes
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STRENGTHS : emphasis on dignity of person, love is intuitive response, appreciates emotions, relative so can be adapted
love for individual : reduce pain, dignity in. dying
Kant
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universalisation of maxim is contradiction in law of nature - unless maxim more specific but this is not Kantian
CRITCISMS : no emotion, undermines reason of individual as reducing free will, confusion over who has personhood, situations too relative for universal rule
Voluntary, involuntary, non-voluntary
voluntary - person asks someone to help them die, eg. write living will that explains wish to die if. they can no longer communicate
non-voluuntary : person no longer able to make decision eg. in coma - decision by relatives or medical experts
involuntary : person able to provide consent but does not (do not choose to, were not asked), usually described as murder
Natural Law
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aligns with Christian view - should respect SoL, only God can judge and control human lives "the lord gave and the lord has taken away"
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Active vs. Passive
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passive : death caused by an omission eg. withdrawing treatment - switching off machine, withholding treatment - not carrying out surgery that may extend life
consequentialism
limited medical resources, hospice care is expensive so this would be reduced
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the law
QALYS : qualitative measure for someones quality of life p measure psychological state, level of pain and mobility - what drugs could help and are good value for money
BUT : removes emotion, undermines human life, life should be more important than monetary threshold
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Wider reading
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Peter Vardy
Right to life implies right to choose manner of death, personal autonomy BUT is this true if others are involved
Grisez and Boyles NL : basic human goods constitutive to human wellbeing (life) - never right to act against one of these basic goods - euthanasia not allowed as wrong to assume choice for death over life
Proportionalsim - Maquire - life basic good not absolute good - respected by not necessarily prolonged - against absolutism of "thou shalt not kill" have to weigh up proportional values to discover greater good
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Charles Curran - dying process indicates life has reached its limit so euthanasia does not go against respect for life
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