PHI 2396 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Daniel Callahan, James Rachels, Barbiturate
24 Nov 2015
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James rachels (active and passive euthanasia) versus daniel callahan (when self- Rachels" main argument is that there isn"t really a distinction between passive and active euthanasia from a moral point of view. If we allow passive euthanasia, we should also allow active euthanasia, yet it appears as though the medical community and society in general seem to accept passive euthanasia as legally and morally permissible. Passive euthanasia is the cessation of treatment that would otherwise prolong the life of a seriously ill patient, so that the illness takes over the patient. This can be justified because some patients suffer from intolerable, debilitating pain that turns them into non-functional human vegetables. They often have an extremely low quality of life and anticipate their death with horror and so, deserve to die with dignity and be relieved of their existence. Active euthanasia involves intentionally ending the life of the patient with a lethal dose of barbiturates, as they have requested.
