3. Applied Ethics: Euthanasia

The application of ethical theory, including religious ethical perspectives, to an issue of importance.

3.1 Content

• Key ideas, including
– sanctity of life
– quality of life
– voluntary euthanasia
– non-voluntary euthanasia

3.2 Knowledge

• the religious origins of sanctity of life (that human life is made in God’s image and is therefore sacred in value)
• the secular origins of quality of life (that human life has to possess certain attributes in order to have value)
• what voluntary euthanasia is (that a person’s life is ended at their request or with their consent) and its use in the case of incurable or terminal illness
• what non-voluntary euthanasia is (that a person’s life is ended without their consent but with the consent of someone representing their interests) and its use in the case of a patient who is in a persistent vegetative state

3.3 Issues as the basis of exam questions

• the application of natural law and situation ethics to euthanasia
• whether or not the religious concept of sanctity of life has any meaning in twenty-first century medical ethics
• whether or not a person should or can have complete autonomy over their own life and decisions made about it
• whether or not there is a moral difference between medical intervention to end a
patient’s life and medical non-intervenion to end a patient’s life

3.4 Suggested scholarly views, academic approaches and sources of wisdom and authority

Learners will be given credit for referring to any appropriate scholarly views, academic approaches and sources of wisdom and authority, however the following examples may prove useful:
• Glover, J. (1977) Causing Death and Saving Life, London: Penguin Books, Chapters 14 and 15
• Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (5th May 1980) Declaration on Euthanasia
• Singer, P. (1995) Rethinking Life and Death: The Collapse of our Traditional Ethics, Oxford: OUP, Chapter 7