Euthanasia
Part II
Ethics
Dr. Jason M. Chang
Active vs. Passive Euthanasia
American Medical Association’s (AMA) policy
“The intentional termination of the life of one human being by
another – mercy killing – is contrary to that for which the
medical profession stands and is contrary to the policy of the
American Medical Association […] The cessation of
employment of extraordinary means to prolong the life of the
body when there is irrefutable evidence that biological death is
immanent is the decision of the patient and/or immediate
family.” (AMA, Opinions of Judicial Council, 1973)
Active vs. Passive Euthanasia
“The State has reaffirmed the line between ‘killing’
and ‘letting die’ ”
-U.S. Supreme Court, Vacco v. Quill
The Difference Thesis
There is a moral difference between killing
and letting die: it is morally worse to kill than
to let die.
James Rachels, “Active and Passive
Euthanasia”
Objective of article:
•
To refute the Difference Thesis
•
To argue that there is moral difference between active
and passive euthanasia
James Rachels, “Active and Passive
Euthanasia”
Point #1: Active vs. Passive Euthanasia
•
Patient with throat cancer
•
Rachels’s point
o
Active euthanasia is sometimes preferable to
passive euthanasia
James Rachels, “Active and Passive
Euthanasia”
Point #2: No moral difference between killing and
letting die
•
Smith and Jones example
•
Rachels’s point
o
Difference Thesis is false
Winston Nesbitt, “Is Killing No
Worse Than Letting Die?”
Objective of article:
•
To refute the examples presented by Rachels that
presume to show that the Difference Thesis is false
Winston Nesbitt, “Is Killing No
Worse Than Letting Die?”
Revisiting Rachel’s Example:
•
Nesbitt concedes that we both Smith and Jones equally
reprehensible
•
Nesbitt asks, “What are the grounds for judging Smith
and Jones as reprehensible”
Grounds for judging
Smith
Grounds for judging
Jones
He killed his nephew
for personal gain
He was prepared to
kill his nephew, and
would have done so
if necessary
Images from: www.typetoken.com/140/140_Class8.ppt
Winston Nesbitt, “Is Killing No
Worse Than Letting Die?”
•
Nesbitt’s revised example – Jones slips and hits his head
•
In revised example, Jones is just as reprehensible as
Smith
•
What makes each equally morally reprehensible is that
each was fully prepared to kill for motives of personal
gain – NOT because killing and letting die are morally
equivalent.
Winston Nesbitt, “Is Killing No
Worse Than Letting Die?”
•
Nesbitt’s second revised example – Jones draws the line
at killing
Bibliography
Lewis Vaughn. “Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide”, in
Contemporary Moral Arguments, 2nd edition, Oxford,
(2013), 264-268
“Is Euthanasia Wrong III”. Retrieved from:
<www.typetoken.com/140/140_Class8.ppt>