Euthanasia-Morally Right or Wrong?

Euthanasia

• Euthanasia- the act of killing someone painlessly (especially someone suffering from an incurable

illness)• There are three types of Euthanasia:

1. Voluntary Euthanasia: When a terminally ill person requests death

2. Involuntary Euthanasia: When a person is killed to save them from more

pain, even if they don’t request it 3. Non-Voluntary Euthanasia:

When a person is unable make the request themselves

Euthanasia-Facts

• Euthanasia is illegal in the UK, as it is in other European countries apart

from the Netherlands.

• morality - ethical motive: motivation based on ideas of RIGHT and WRONG

BIBLICAL ETHICS • ‘Thou shall not kill’ • ‘So God created man in his own

image’• ‘Whoever sheds the blood of man, by

man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made them.’

Sanctity Of Life

• Euthanasia is can be deemed as morally wrong because of the sanctity of human life.

• All human beings are to be valued, irrespective of age, sex, race, religion, social status or their potential for achievement

• Human life is a basic good as opposed to an instrumental good, a good in itself rather than as a means to an end

• Human life is sacred because it's a gift from God

Morally Incorrect

• Some non-religious people also believe that suffering has value. They think it provides an opportunity to grow in wisdom, character, and compassion.

• Suffering is something which draws upon all the resources of a human being and enables them to reach the highest and noblest points of what they really are.

• Suffering allows a person to be a good example to others by showing how to behave when things are bad.

Eastern Religions

• Several Eastern religions (Buddhism) believe that we live many lives and the quality of each life is set by the way we lived our previous lives.

• Those who believe this think that suffering is part of the moral force of the universe, and that by cutting it short a person interferes with their progress towards ultimate liberation.

Immanuel Kent

• The philosopher Immanuel Kant said ‘that rational human beings should be treated as an end in themselves and not as a means to something else. The fact that we are human has value in itself.’

SITUATION ETHICS

• Situation Ethics is based on the single maxim of agape love. An action is deemed right if it results in love, wrong if it results in selfishness – its morality is dependent on the situation.

‘Million Dollar Baby’-2004

‘Million Dollar Baby’-Emotion as a way of knowing

• Maggie Fitzgerald: I do have one favour to ask of you boss. Frankie Dunn: Anything you want. Maggie Fitzgerald: Remember what my daddy did for Axel? Frankie Dunn: [long pause] Don't even think about that. Maggie Fitzgerald: I can't be like this, Frankie. Not after what I've done. I've seen the world. People chanted my name. Well, not my name... some damn name you gave me. But they were chanting for me. I was in magazines. You think I ever dreamed that'd happen? I was born two pounds, one-and-a-half ounces. Daddy used to tell me I'd fight my way into this world, and I'd fight my way out. That's all I wanna do, Frankie. I just don't wanna fight you to do it. I got what I needed. I got it all. Don't let 'em keep taking it away from me. Don't let me lie here 'till I can't hear those people chanting no more.

Morally Incorrect

Euthanasia is wrong (a selfish act): If a greedy relative puts pressure on an elderly person in order to gain money from the will.

Devalues some lives

• Some people fear that allowing euthanasia sends the message, "it's better to be dead than sick or disabled".

• It puts down the sick or disabled, it also downgrades their status as human beings while they are alive.

Nazis

• The Nazis are a moral example, because their actions are almost universally regarded as morally wrong

• The Nazis embarked on involuntary euthanasia as a deliberate political act - they didn't slip into it from voluntary euthanasia (although at first they did pretend it was for the benefit of the patient)

People have the right to die

• In...cases where there are no dependants who might exert pressure one way or the other, the right of the individual to choose should be paramount. So long as the patient is lucid, and his or her intent is clear beyond doubt, there need be no further questions.

• The Independent, March 2002

Emotion as a way of knowing

• The decision to die by euthanasia will affect other people - our family and friends

An utilitarian argument for euthanasia

• From a utilitarian viewpoint, justifying euthanasia is a question of showing that allowing people to have a good death, at a time of their own choosing, will make them happier than the pain from their illness, the loss of dignity and the distress of anticipating a slow, painful death. Someone who wants euthanasia will have already made this comparison for themselves.

Morally correct-Perception

• Some Christians would support euthanasia. They might argue:

• God is love. Christianity is love and compassion. Keeping someone in pain and suffering is not loving, it is evil. Euthanasia can be the most loving action, and the best way of putting agape love into practice.

• Humans were given dominion over all living things by God (Genesis 1:28), i.e. we can choose for ourselves.

• Jesus came so that people could have life “in all its fullness” John 10:10: this means quality of life. If someone has no quality of life, then euthanasia could be good.

• God gave humans free will. We should be allowed to use free will to decide when our lives end.

• “ Do to others as you would have them do to you”.