PHIL 2408 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Euthanasia, Morphine, Palliative Care
25 May 2016
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Arras is addressing the arguments that lead from passive euthanasia to physician assisted suicide (does not mention active euthanasia) Physician assisted suicide: providing a patient with means to end their own life, or to administer the means. Active euthanasia: killing by administering medication to bring about the patient"s death, ex. injection of excess morphine. Passive euthanasia: letting die by withdrawing all (non palliative) medical treatment with the intention of bringing about the patient"s death. It is illegal to engage in active euthanasia but not passive euthanasia if given consent. Example: a train is moving down a track where 5 people are located. We don"t let our dogs live in agony, why humans: utilitarian. Empirical considerations: loss of control: intent of dnr or advanced directive is to retain control. Moral objections: religious: our death is in god"s hands; killing, and suicide is always wrong. Sanctity of life: medical: undermines the role of physician as healer, slippery slope #1: (conceptual)
