PHIL 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Slippery Slope, Principle Of Double Effect, Down Syndrome
Document Summary
*intentions of the agent* --> doctrine of double effect. In order to allow something to occur, you would have had to know about it and let it happen (possess the means) Slippery slope: vulnerable populations; extension to people who could get better. Determine is a decision is autonomous: advanced directive. Down syndrome without intestinal blockage -down syndrome with blockage. Crash victim in terrible pain (but can breathe on their own) Crash victim in terrible pain but needs a ventilator -right to refuse. For any two actions (or types of actions), if there are exactly the same reasons for and against one as there are for and against the other, then they are equally good or equally bad. One is neither better nor worse than the other. There are the same reasons for and against killing as there are for and against letting die. die. Therefore, killing is neither better nor worse than letting die.
