What’s So Wrong With
Killing People?
By Robert Young
Things To Consider
Young starts out by talking about why murder is
justifiably wrong in some cases.
He uses an example of killing someone being the only
way to defend yourself, and if that is justifiable.
He goes on to tell us that he will be discussing
abortion, euthanasia of animals and humans, and
murder.
What Do You Think?
What is considerable to be justified in killing someone?
Do you think that you could live with yourself if you
committed a justifiable murder?
A Right To Life
Young goes on to speak about Michael Tooley, that says
that an organism can not have a right to life, if it can’t
strive for goals, ambitions, and can envision a future
for itself.
He makes a point that Tooley doesn’t consider things
like, if someone is in a coma and can’t resume their life
goals or continue to envision their future. If we had the
technology to bring him back it would be okay, but
what if we didn’t? Could we kill him?
Life Imprisonment
What if someone is imprisoned for life?
Wouldn’t that violate their ability to continue their
goals, and aspects in their life?
So according to Tooley, they would be dead.
Attempted Murder Vs. Rape
Young starts out his second point with two examples
for moral justification.
The first is a man kills an attacker because that attacker
was trying to murder the man, so they see this as a
justified kill.
But he brings up a case where if a girl is about to get
raped, and she knows the intent is not murder, she still
kills the rapist. He sees this as non-justifiable.
Killing For The Good Of
Other People
Is it justifiable to kill one person, in order to save ten?
If killing one person in a situation to save other lives,
the people think this is right, but the man that will get
killed sees it as a wrong.
What do you think?
Euthanasia
Euthanasia is described in this article as “assisting
death” rather than “letting them die”.
There are two types of Euthanasia.
Passive and Active
Active Euthanasia
Active Euthanasia must have four criteria in order to
be performed.
An illness that is presently incurable.
Beyond any cure that could be possibly invented within
their life expectancy left
In excruciating pain, or escaped from this pain by
becoming unresponsive.
And of a fixed and rational desire for death. Before the
three conditions above
Active Euthanasia
The problem with this is making the decision whether
the person is rational enough to make this decision.
Young talks about how many people assume that they
aren’t rational because life is good, whether sick or not.
Suicide
Briefly spoken about, is the act of suicide in this
article.
If a person wants to commit suicide, we automatically
try to jump in and stop it.
Young says this is because we want to save their
autonomy, even if they can’t recognize it.
Although, if someone commits suicide with no one
around to help, they have selfishly committed an act of
irrationality.
In-Voluntary Euthanasia
Young gives an example of a baby being born by C-Section
after it’s parents die in a car crash. As a result from the
trauma, the child will have no bladder control, severe brain
damage, and will have to live a “pitiful existence” in a home
for the mentally retarded.
He sees this as a justifiable reason to do an involuntary
Euthanasia, as the child will have no normal life and will
have hardships and pain forever.
Although, he mentions he could be persuaded that killing
the child is not the maximally just act to perform.
Is Animal Killing Justified?
Do you believe that it is justifiable to hunt animals,
when it is not necessary for living?
But say if you are out hunting with your son, and a
bear comes out of the woods right beside him ready to
attack, would that be oaky?
Young says that the second scenario is okay because
you are killing the animal in order to preserve a longer
and more fulfilling life expectancy.
Abortion
From my point of view, Young does not believe it is
justifiable to have an abortion for no reason at all.
There are exceptions to this, such as a child having
severe deformities or it endangering the mothers
health.
He states that there should be more preventive
measures for abortions that have no reasoning to them.
What I’ve Taken From This
Young believes that some types of killing is morally
justifiable.
There will ALWAYS be exceptions to certain aspects
such as abortions, or euthanasia.
He states at the end of this article that all of this is
about morals. As humans, we must have morals when
it comes to situations as serious as killing people, or
animals.