Euthanasia

• Sanctity of life
• Quality of life
• Voluntary euthanasia
• Non-voluntary euthanasia
Key terms
• Read through the different key terms for euthanasia
Do you agree with sanctity of life and quality of life?
Should all of the different forms of euthanasia be allowed? Why?
Why not?
Should we have complete autonomy (control)
over our own lives? Why? Why not?

Is there any difference between passive

(medical non-intervention) and active (medical
intervention) euthanasia? Why? Why not?
 Law in Britain
1961 Suicide Act
1. The rule of law whereby it is a crime for a person to commit suicide
is hereby abrogated.
2. (1) A person who aids, abets, counsels or procures the suicide of
another or an attempt by another to commit suicide shall be liable
for a term not exceeding 14 years (2) If on the trial of an indictment
for murder or manslaughter it is proved that the accused aided,
abetted, counselled or procured the suicide of the person in
question, the jury may find him guilty of that offence
What does this make illegal?
• Suicide is no longer against the law
• Assisted suicide is against the law and can carry up to 14 years in
prison
• Passive euthanasia is permitted but active euthanasia is not
• There are campaigns to make assisted suicide and voluntary
euthanasia legal following the legalisation of them in the Netherlands
and Belgium
What are the positives and negatives to legalisation of euthanasia?
Legalisation
• Positives: It would allow for people who are in a lot of pain with a
terminal illness and have a low quality of life to end their lives with
dignity. It also gives humans autonomy over their own lives
• Negatives: Vulnerable people could be pressured to seek euthanasia
options, patients may ignore hospice or palliative care, suicide will
become more socially acceptable (slippery slope) and it could also
undermine trust between patients and health professionals
Which is the stronger argument? Why?
Helga Kuhse’s response to slippery slope objection using the Nazi
euthanasia programme:
While the Nazi ‘euthanasia’ programme is often cited as an example of
what can happen when a society acknowledges that some lives are not
worthy to be lived, the motivation behind these killings was neither
mercy nor respect for autonomy; it was, rather, racial prejudice and the
belief that racial purity of the Volk required the elimination of certain
individuals and groups. As already noted, in the Netherlands a ‘social
experiment’ with active voluntary euthanasia is currently in progress.
As yet there is no evidence that this has sent Dutch society down a
slippery slope.
Sanctity of life
Is life valuable?
How do we know?
Why does euthanasia go against a belief in
sanctity of life?
Arguments for a sanctity of life
• Life is a ‘gift’ or ‘loan’ from God who created all beings and
pronounced them ‘very good’ (Gen 1.31) We are also created in the
image or likeness of God (Gen 1.27)
• Jesus was incarnated
• Job teaches that it is only God who has full wisdom of the world and
humanity. We shouldn’t question evil and suffering and should trust
in God’s wisdom
• All humans are equal in the Bible-value of life is unconditional
• Through Christ’s resurrection God showed his plan for us (euthanasia
is a lack of trust in this plan)
• Vitalism-view that human life is sacred as it possesses a God-given
soul
Is life sacred for a Christian? What is the strongest argument?
According to the Bible suicide is blasphemy
because it is a deliberate rejection of God’s gift of
life. Is this right?
What do you think is the difference between
a strong and weak sanctity of life?
Strong and weak sanctity of life
• Strong sanctity of life-all life should be protected and there are no
exceptions
• Weak sanctity of life-all human life is sacred, however there may be
some situations where it would cause more harm that good to
continue with it. Evidence for this is that humans are given life as a
gift, but it is up to humans to decide how to be good stewards of life
(Gen 1:28) and Paul calls Christians to be a ‘living sacrifice,’ (Rom
12:1) but not to endure extraordinary pain
Can a weak sanctity of life be orthodox?
 Criticisms of sanctity of life
1. Sanctity of life suggests that life is sacred and there is nothing worth
dying for, yet the Church honours martyrs. A Christian should not be
concerned about living, but dying for the right thing (Joseph Boyle)
2. If artificially ending my life trespasses on God’s position as the giver
and owner of life, the same could be said about artificially
prolonging someone’s life by, for example, giving life saving medical
treatment? (David Hume)
3. When someone gives you a ‘gift’ you are entitled to do what you
want with it. If life is painful, surely you are entitled to end it?
Are any of these convincing?
Pope John Paul II in his letter
Evangelium Vitae:
Suicide ‘is as morally objectionable as
murder’ and is a ‘grave violation of
the law of God’ that produces a
‘conspiracy against life’
What is he saying here?
Do you agree?
Karl Barth argued that ‘self-murder’ is
a violation of God’s command ‘thou
shall not kill.’ He says in some
exceptional cases, God might
command someone to take his own
life as God is sovereign but God’s
command cannot be second guessed
by humans
‘Killing’ however does not have this
exception and can never be within
God’s plan
What is he saying here?
Do you agree?
• Kant says suicide is forbidden
according to the categorical
imperative. What was this?
• He says the maxim ‘From self-
love I make it my principle to
shorten my life if its
continuance threatens more
evil than it promises pleasure’
could not be made universal.
Quality of Life

Do some people have a better quality of life than others? Why? Why
not?
Rate these people’s quality of life out of 10 (1 being the worst, 10 the
best)

Woman with
Alzheimer's who
A new-born cannot remember
baby her husband

Boy who’s been in a

wheelchair since he
was 6-will never be
able to walk

Man who’s just

Girl with a loving won the lottery
family living under
poverty line

What is wrong with this task?

The question of quality of life has gained increasing amounts
of attention in the modern world. Modern
technology/medicine has meant life expectancy has
increased. This is not always an entirely positive thing
though as some people feel their lives have been prolonged
by medical care but they have a terribly poor quality of life
(overwhelmed by suffering)
Can someone have such a bad quality of life that their life
is no longer worth living? Why is this a dangerous concept?
 Peter Singer
• Believes we should abandon the sanctity of life argument in
favour of quality of life
• In decision making, we should seek to satisfy the preferences
of all concerned. If some people feel their life is a terrible
burden, euthanasia could be the decision that most fully
satisfies the preferences of the interested parties. Is this
convincing?
He sets up 5 new quality of life commandments:
1. Recognise that the worth of human life varies
2. Take responsibility for the consequence of your decision
3. Respect a person’s desire to live or die
4. Bring children into the world only if they are wanted
5. Do not discriminate on the basis of species

Do we agree with these?

 John Stuart Mill
• Mill’s liberal principle: the idea that humans are the best judge of
their own happiness and they should be given maximum freedom to
live their lives as they consider appropriate.
• From this he formed the argument from autonomy-adults should be
free from the interference of others in the way they live their lives, so
long as their choices do not cause harm to others. Can you think of
any issues with this?

Issues: how do you clarify harm to others?

Is it then ok to take away someone’s freedom?
John Glover
• Life itself is not a sufficient condition for life to be valuable
• Life to be worthwhile must also be conscious
• Killing a life is only wrong if that life is conscious
• His argument supports non-voluntary euthanasia for PVS patients.

Issue: What about where consciousness is reduced but still apparent?

E.g. Alzheimer’s
Happiness as the basis for quality of life
• Someone has a bad quality of life if their unhappiness outweighs their
happiness. What ethical theory does this follow?
• Judgement of quality of life can also depend on certain minimum
standards which are necessary to live a happy life e.g. memory, ability
to form relationships, ability to reason and hope for the future
• Is this a good way of judging quality of life? Why? Why not?
Criticisms of quality of life
1. Surely quality of life is subjective? Who decides if someone has a
good enough quality of life?
2. Christian community tries to train and equip its members to endure
suffering and hardship (Jesus did)
3. Sanctity of life
4. Palliative care (healthcare to relieve the pain and suffering of
terminal diseases) and hospice movement as ways to increase quality
of life
 Case Studies

What issue does the case

concern?
What was the result?
Was the result right?
Case of Dianne
Pretty (2002)
Case of baby
Charlotte (2005)
Case of Dr David
Moor (1997)
Case of Tony Bland
I would like you to read for next
lesson this passage from Hans S.
Reinder’s passage and we will do a
seminar on it
-Highlight/underline/annotate
-Come with any questions you have
about the text
What would natural law and situation ethics
say about euthanasia?
Natural Law
• What were the primary precepts? How can you relate these to
euthanasia?
• Situationism?
• Virtue ethics?
• Telos?
• Principle of double effect?
Aquinas
Aquinas claimed suicide was wrong for 3 reasons:
1. Is contrary to natural law
2. Harms the community to which a human belongs
3. ‘It wrongs God whose gift life is and who alone has power over life
and death’
Situation Ethics
• Four working principles?
• Six propositions?
• Agape?
• Altruism?
• Eudaimonia?
Joseph Fletcher said that euthanasia is not inherently wrong (no
universals) as sometimes it may be the most loving action. ‘In a few
words, it is whether we can morally justify taking it into our own hands,
as human beings, to hasten death for ourselves (suicide) or for others
(mercy killing) out of reasons of compassion. The answer in my view is
clearly yes, on both sides of it. Indeed, to justify one, suicide or mercy
killing, is to justify the other.’
‘It is harder to justify letting somebody die a slow and ugly death,
dehumanised than it is to justify helping him escape from misery.’
Euthanasia Forum
Immanuel Kant

Joseph Fletcher

Thomas Aquinas

John Stuart Mill

Evaluation Statements
• Whether natural law or situation ethics provides a better response to
euthanasia
• Whether the religious concept of sanctity of life has any meaning in
twenty-first century Christian ethics
• Whether or not a person should have complete autonomy over their
own life and decisions made by it
• Whether or not there is a difference between medical intervention to
end a patients life or medical non-intervention
 Homework
Essay question: ‘It should be a human right to have complete
autonomy over your own life’ Discuss [40]

In all your responses, you should:

1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including:
knowledge and understanding of religious thought and teaching
influence of beliefs, teachings and practices on individuals, societies and
communities
cause and significance of similarities and differences in belief, teaching and
practice
approaches to the study of religion and belief [16]
2. analyse and evaluate aspects of, and approaches to, religion and belief,
including their significance, influence and study. [24]