British Humanist Society

ARGUMENTS FOR

Humanists are non-religious people who live by moral principles based on reason and respect for others, not obedience to dogmatic rules.

They promote happiness and fulfillment in this life because they believe it is the only one we have.

Humanist concern for quality of life and respect for personal autonomy lead to the view that in many circumstances voluntary euthanasia is the morally right course.

Most humanists support legalising voluntary euthanasia

Human beings have the right to die when and how they want to

Many people think that each person has the right to control his or her body and life and so should be able to determine at what time, in what way and by whose hand he or she will die.

Personal Autonomy

Behind this lies the idea that human beings should be as free as possible - and that unnecessary restraints on human rights are a bad thing.

And behind that lies the idea that human beings are independent biological entities, with the right to take and carry out decisions about themselves, providing the greater good of society doesn't prohibit this.

Allied to this is a firm belief that death is the end (no heaven/re-birth etc.)

The principal argument is that a person who is suffering from a terminal illness and who may be in considerable pain and limited in many activities of daily living, and who may be entirely reliant on their family or friends for their day-to-day care, should have the right to end their lives when they choose.

Quality of Life

The apparent benefits of this are that the person is relieved of the necessity to live the remainder of their life in pain and with minimal quality of life and also removes the burden which they place on their family.

There is also the argument that a person should have the right to end their life with dignity, and in comfort in whatever location they choose rather than in a hospital.

Death with Dignity

Euthanasia allows someone to die with dignity rather than to ‘fade away’ while suffering pain and indignity.

It is an opportunity for family to show their love by helping someone to carry out their final wishes.

Diane Pretty Case

Love & compassionSometimes the most loving and

compassionate thing someone can do is to help a person to die who is in pain and suffering . Can be seen as a last act of kindness

Euthanasia is not murderVoluntary Euthanasia is not murder It is not wrong to help the dying to die

because they are already dying.

Burden of care on family

Euthanasia relieves burdens on families who might otherwise have to support a dying relative.

This could be time consuming, expensive and emotionally difficult.

Burden on Medical Resources

Euthanasia may be necessary for the fair distribution of health resources

In most countries there is a shortage of health resources.

As a result, some people who are ill and could be cured are not able to get speedy access to the facilities they need for treatment.

At the same time health resources are being used on people who cannot be cured, and who, for their own reasons, would prefer not to continue living.

Allowing such people to commit euthanasia would not only let them have what they want, it would free valuable resources to treat people who want to live.

Abuse of this would be prevented by only allowing the person who wanted to die to initiate the process (voluntary), and by regulations that rigorously prevented abuse.

Euthanasia will always happen. Voluntary Euthanasia Society (VES) hold

that it would be more honest and much safer if voluntary euthanasia was legal and regulated.

They argue that there is no ethical difference between withdrawing treatment and delivering a lethal injection.

Safer to regulate

British Humanist Society

Arguments Against

Sanctity of life

Not just a religious argument Sanctity or ‘special-ness’ of human life

If this is the only life we have then we should value and preserve it.

Many people worry that if voluntary euthanasia were to become legal, it would not be long before involuntary euthanasia would start to happen.

If we allow something relatively harmless today, we may start a trend that results in something currently unthinkable becoming accepted.

Concern that vulnerable people - the elderly, lonely, sick or distressed - would feel pressure, whether real or imagined, to request early death.

Doctors may soon start killing people, especially old people, without bothering with their permission.

Rising health care costs could lead to doctors killing patients to save money or free up beds.

Slippery Slope

Euthanasia devalues lives Euthanasia makes life seem disposable and less

valuable Some people fear that allowing euthanasia

sends the message, "it's better to be dead than sick or disabled".

The subtext is that some lives are not worth living. Not only does this put the sick or disabled at risk, it also downgrades their status as human beings while they are alive.

Part of the problem is that able-bodied people look at things from their own perspective and see life with a disability as a disaster, filled with suffering and frustration.

Not in best interests

A serious problem for supporters of euthanasia are the number of cases in which a patient may ask for euthanasia, or feel obliged to ask for it, when it isn't in their best interest. Some examples are listed below:

the diagnosis is wrong and the patient is not terminally ill

the prognosis (the doctor's prediction as to how the disease will progress) is wrong and the patient is not going to die soon

the patient is getting bad medical care and their suffering could be relieved by other means

the doctor is unaware of all the non-fatal options that could be offered to the patient

the patient's request for euthanasia is actually a 'cry for help', implying that life is not worth living now but could be worth living if various symptoms or fears were managed

the patient is depressed and so believes things are much worse than they are

the patient is confused and unable to make sensible judgements

the patient has an unrealistic fear of the pain and suffering that lies ahead

the patient is feeling vulnerable

the patient feels that they are a worthless burden on others

the patient feels that their sickness is causing unbearable anguish to their family

the patient is under pressure from other people to feel that they are a burden

the patient is under pressure because of a shortage of resources to care for them

the patient requests euthanasia because of a passing phase of their disease, but is likely to feel much better in a while

Love & Compassion

Emotional argument: It is wrong to kill someone you love.

Duty to provide love and care to the end.Palliative Care

Palliative Care

Palliative care has advanced sufficiently to provide pain relief in the majority of cases.

It can be administered in the home allowing the person to be treated in familiar surroundings.

Specialist nurses (McMillan Nurses) can visit the home to administer medical care and counselling

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Hospices

Hospices are specialist hospitals for those suffering from terminal illness.

They provide support and the possibility of a dignified death

Specialist medical staff provide good care for the patient helping them to face up to their situation with dignity

They also provide support to family and friends

BENEFITS of Palliative Care Proper palliative care makes euthanasia

unnecessary as it improves quality of life and helps others with burden of care

Palliative care is physical, emotional and spiritual care for a dying person when cure is not possible.

It includes compassion and support for family and friends.

The patient is treated as a whole person, not as a set of symptoms, or medical problems.

Difficulties

Expensive Not funded by NHS Hospices generally operated in this

country by relying on charity funded Inconsistent quality of care within different

centres across the country

Euthanasia puts pressure on the vulnerable

This is another of those arguments that says that euthanasia should not be allowed because it will be abused.

The fear is that if euthanasia is allowed, vulnerable people will be put under pressure to end their lives. It would be difficult, and possibly impossible, to stop people using persuasion or coercion to get people to request euthanasia when they don't really want it.

The pressure of feeling a burden

People who are ill and dependent can often feel worthless and an undue burden on those who love and care for them. They may actually be a burden, but those who love them may be happy to bear that burden.

Nonetheless, if euthanasia is available, the sick person may pressure themselves into asking for euthanasia.

Pressure from family and others

Family or others involved with the sick person may regard them as a burden that they don't wish to carry, and may put pressure (which may be very subtle) on the sick person to ask for euthanasia.

Increasing numbers of examples of the abuse or neglect of elderly people by their families makes this an important issue to consider.

Financial pressure

The last few months of a patient's life are often the most expensive in terms of medical and other care. Shortening this period through euthanasia could be seen as a way of relieving pressure on scarce medical resources, or family finances.

It's worth noting that cost of the lethal medication required for euthanasia is less than £50, which is much cheaper than continuing treatment for many medical conditions.

Some people argue that refusing patients drugs because they are too expensive is a form of euthanasia, and that while this produces public anger at present, legal euthanasia provides a less obvious solution to drug costs.

If there was 'ageism' in health services, and certain types of care were denied to those over a certain age, euthanasia could be seen as a logical extension of this practice.

Euthanasia is illegal in Britain. To kill another person deliberately is

murder, even if the other person asks you to kill them.

It is also a criminal offence in Britain, punishable by 14 years' imprisonment, to assist, aid or counsel or assist somebody in relation to taking their own life.

ILLEGAL

Utilitarian Viewpoints

Utilitarianism (KU) Utility means an action is determined by its

‘utility’, or ‘usefulness’ Utilitarian ethics focus on consequences of

actions rather than actions themselves Actions not good/bad in themselves- it is

the consequence of the action which is considered

A moral theory which says that what is morally right is whatever produces the greatest overall amount of pleasure or happiness to the greatest number of people.

The moral consequence of good actions promote the greatest happiness/well-being and the minimising of unhappiness/pain for the greatest number of people

Based on the assumption/idea that happiness/pleasure is the desired end of all human activity

Formulated by Jeremy Bentham and developed by John Stuart Mill

Act Utilitarianism Maintains that the good action is the one

that leads to the greatest good in a particular situation

Is flexible, being able to take into account individual situations at a given moment.

Problems- has the potential to justify virtually any act

Might be impractical to suggest that we should measure each moral choice every time we act.

Rule Utilitarianism Looks at potential rules of action. To determine whether a rule should be followed,

he/she looks at what would happen if it were constantly followed.

If adherence to the rule produces more happiness than otherwise, it is a rule that morally must be followed at all times.

The distinction between act and rule utilitarianism is therefore based on a difference about the proper object of consequentialist calculation: specific to a case or generalized to rules.

Happiness is maximised and pain is minimised in the case of a terminally ill patient

The death of the patient brings benefits to the many others needing treatment and a hospital bed

Euthanasia is right because at a stroke it reduces suffering in the world

Some might say that fear of being euthanized means a utilitarian can’t support it because fear brings suffering rather than happiness

Utilitarianism Principles applied to Euthanasia

Risk of abuse (slippery slope) brings more suffering than happiness, therefore euthanasia is wrong.

A change in the law could work both ways- happiness for those who want it and unhappiness for those who could be affected by a law change – which would be the greater number?

Conscience of medical staff, patient and family should be accounted for.

Kantian Viewpoints

Reason and Duty Kant is best known for this Do right without any reference to rules or

emotions- detached action Uses human reason- establishes moral

absolutes Do good without any thought about the

consequences- that is duty. Categorical Imperative= can my act be

universalized? Don’t treat people as a means to an end and act

as if you are a law-maker in a free society Anything we ought to do we must be able to do.

Kantian Principlesapplied to Euthanasia

Duty – not to kill, therefore categorical imperative states it is always wrong to killEuthanasia is killing, therefore euthanasia is

wrong Using people as a means to an end is

wrong- if euthanasia is performed only to remove burden from others it is wrong.

Duty – not to allow anyone to suffer, therefore categorical imperative states it is always wrong to let someone sufferEuthanasia removes suffering, therefore

euthanasia is always the right action if it removes suffering

However, it could also mean it is your duty to always provide care for those suffering a terminal illness and therefore it is always right to provide palliative care for everyone suffering.

Essay Questions

1. Evaluate secular viewpoints on the issues of voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide (10 AE)

2. “Non-voluntary euthanasia can bring benefits to society.”

Do you agree with this statement? (10 AE)