PHILOS 1B03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Involuntary Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide, Pain Management
1 Sep 2016
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Deliberately acting with intention of causing patient"s death i. e lethal dose of drugs. Patient allowed to die when able to forestall death. E. g. withholding treatment (dnr) & let nature take its course . Patient unable to make informed choice e. g. comatose, very young; choice made on patient"s behalf. Patient chooses to live but is killed anyway. Some standard argument for pas: relief of unnecessary, prolonged suffering nature acts uncivilized towards the patient and patients suffers for a while, respect for autonomy of patient control over important decisions regarding one"s own life. Including when life not worth continuing: consistency of principle: denial of pas inconsistent with recognition of legal and moral right to refuse treatment even when death, or accelerated death, foreseen consequence. Suffering of dying patients can be relieved through proper pain management and palliative care. Cause death of 1 by ipping switch vs allowing 5 to die by doing nothing. Casually contribute to s"s easy death (pas) vs.
