Killing & Letting Die - Euthanasia · 2013. 9. 2. · Killing&LettingDie Killing&LettingDie...

b

Killing & Letting Die

Killing & Letting DieEuthanasia

Dr. Clea F. Rees

[email protected]

Centre for Lifelong LearningCardiff University

Autumn 2013

mailto:[email protected]

[email protected]

b

Killing & Letting DieOutline

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible

Principles & Distinctions

EuthanasiaRachels: Initial QuestionsKey Distinctions

Rachels on EuthanasiaArgumentationEvaluation

b

Killing & Letting DiePrinciples & Distinctions

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


The Doctrine of Double EffectP may permissibly do A, foreseeing both good and bad effects iff1:1. A is not itself morally wrong;2. P intends the good effect but not the bad effect;3. the bad effect is not the means of producing the good effect;4. the good effect is sufficiently good to compensate for the

harm of the bad effect.

1‘iff’ means ‘if, and only if’

b


Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible

Principles & DistinctionsThe Doctrine of Double Effect

ExampleA doctor may prescribe a drug to a terminally ill patient which willboth relieve pain and hasten death iff:1. prescribing pain medication is not wrong in itself;2. she intends to relieve pain but not to hasten death;3. the patient’s death is not the means of relieving the pain;4. the good of relieving the pain compensates for the harm of

hastening death.

b


Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


Acts vs. OmissionsA distinction between:

I acts which are actions one performs;and

I omissions which are failures to act.

Example

I Omitting to give a dying patient with pneumonia antibiotics.I Acting to bring about her death by giving her a lethal

injection for this purpose.

b


Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


Doing vs. AllowingA distinction between:

I what one does or brings about;and

I what one (merely) allows.

Example

I Allowing somebody to go hungry when one could have fedher.

I Bringing about her hunger by blowing up her pantry.

b


Rachels: Initial Questions

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible

EuthanasiaRachels: Initial Questions

What is Rachels’s main thesis or conclusion?

b


Rachels: Initial Questions

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible

EuthanasiaRachels: Initial Questions

Terminology (question 2):

b


Key Distinctions

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible

EuthanasiaKey Distinctions

Voluntary/Non-Voluntary/Involuntary Euthanasia

Voluntary: A brings about B’s death with B’s consent.Non-Voluntary: A brings about the death of B, who isunable to consent.Involuntary: A brings about B’s death against B’s wishes.

b


Key Distinctions

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


Active/Passive Euthanasia

Active: A actively brings about B’sdeath.e.g. Beth administers a lethal injection

to David.Passive: A withholds or withdrawstreatment necessary to sustain B’slife.e.g. Ann does not call the crash team

when Jenny’s heart stops.e.g. Ann switches off Jenny’s

life-support machine.

b


Key Distinctions

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


Varieties of EuthanasiaVoluntary Non-Voluntary Involuntary

Active A actively ends B’s lifeB consents B cannot consent B refuses consent

Passive A ends B’s life by withholding/withdrawing treatmentB consents B cannot consent B refuses consent

b

Killing & Letting DieRachels on Euthanasia

Argumentation

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible

Rachels on EuthanasiaArgumentation

First argument (question 3):

b


Argumentation

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


b


Argumentation

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


Second argument (question 3):

b


Argumentation

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


Treatment DecisionsBaby has Down’s? Baby has an intestinal blockage? Baby lives?

8 8 4

8 4 4

4 8 4

4 4 8

b


Argumentation

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


Third argument (questions 3, 4):

b


Argumentation

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


What’s meant to be analogous?I The six-year old’s death.

⇒ The patient’s death.I Smith’s killing the child.

⇒ Active euthanasia.I Jones’s letting the child die.

⇒ Passive euthanasia.

Does the analogy show there is no morally relevant differencebetween killing and letting die?

b


Argumentation

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


Objections to, and defence of, the third argument (questions 5, 6):

b


Argumentation

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible


Arguments for the opposition (question 7):

Responses to those arguments (question 8):

b


Evaluation

Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible

Rachels on EuthanasiaEvaluation

How good is Rachels’s argument?

Killing & Letting Die - Euthanasia · 2013. 9. 2. · Killing&LettingDie Killing&LettingDie...

Documents

Transcript of Killing & Letting Die - Euthanasia · 2013. 9. 2. · Killing&LettingDie Killing&LettingDie...