Lesson Objective: Euthanasia –
Should people be given the right
to choose when to die?
Lesson Outcomes:
• know what the sanctity of life means
• understand the different types of euthanasia and why
some people may consider it
•recall the laws surrounding euthanasia in the UK.
Is human life
always precious?
Euthanasia
Translates literally as a ‘good death’ – what do
you think this means?
Why might someone
want to die?
Euthanasia is a way of bringing about a peaceful death of a
terminally ill person. It is not legal in the UK but it is in Holland
(see the Dutch nurse's caption in the cartoon).
There are four types of euthanasia. We
will look at each throughout the
course
• a-Active
• Euthanasia raises agonising moral
questions like these:
• b-Passive
• is it ever right for another person to
end the life of a terminally ill patient
who is in severe pain or enduring
other suffering?
• c-Voluntary
• d-Involuntary
• if euthanasia is sometimes right,
under what circumstances is it right?
• is there any moral difference between
killing someone and letting them die?
How?
• Euthanasia can be carried
out either by doing
something, such as giving
a lethal injection.
• Or by not doing
something necessary to
keep the person alive (for
example failing to keep
their feeding tube going).
Active
Passive
• Active euthanasia is when a doctor ends a patient’s
life by administering a legal injection or any other
way.
• passive euthanasia is not doing anything to stop the
death of a person. It is when a doctor withholds any
means in order to prolong the life of a patient.
• voluntary euthanasia is a patient’s desire to end his
life and it is clearly his decision to die
Voluntary euthanasia -Chantal
Sebire was denied her request for
euthanasia by a French court
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUhBsvEsroQ
• How did this clip
make you feel?
• Can you
understand why
Chantal Sebire
made the decisions
she did?
• There are two main reasons
behind euthanasia.
• 1. People feel that they
should have a ‘quick end’ to
relieve the suffering of their
loved ones.
• 2. People who are
terminally ill and who have
no more hope of a decent
life choose to die on their
own terms.
Moral Dilemma
• Many people (philosophers in particular)
believe that active euthanasia is morally more
acceptable than passive euthanasia.
• Why do you think they think this? Do you
agree with them? With your table buddy
discuss for two minutes why this may be the
case.
Euthanasia
Dianne Pretty suffered from motor
neurone disease which can lead to a
slow and painful death.
She wanted her husband to help her
commit suicide and took her case to
court as it was against British law.
She had lost most of her human dignity
and felt that she no longer had a quality
of life.
Dianne lost her case, but died eventually
of natural causes in 2002.
Should we have the right to die? Why?
Sky Documentary – Right to die!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWy6pKVendQ
• Sky recently showed a documentary of Craig
Ewert undergoing assisted suicide.
• The programme caused outrage.
• Here are his thoughts....
Clarification of the Law
• Debbie Purdy, a woman suffering of MS has long been
trying to get clarification of the law on the issue of
assisted suicide abroad and the possible prosecution of
the person who helps you get there.
• She recently was successful and there is now a law in
place to protect family/friends who help someone end
their life with assistance in a country where is is legal.
• It is still ILLEGAL in the UK
RELIGIOUS VIEWS
All monotheistic religions are 100% against euthanasia.
Judaism, Christianity and Islam view both euthanasia
and suicide as crimes just like any other murders.
• The Sanctity of Life.
• According to Christianity + Islam, “God is the owner and giver of life and
death.” WE can preserve life because life is precious, but we can’t end a
human life because that is murder.
• (note – abortion is classed as different because the foetus is a potential
human – it is not yet independently alive).
• For Jews, Christians
and Muslims suicide and
euthanasia are two
unspeakable sins.
• Euthanasia is an
unthinkable sin
because it clearly
shows man’s
defiance towards his
creator, and man is
not allowed to play
‘god’.
Christian views on Euthanasia?
• Are all Christians against euthanasia?
Christian Attitudes
• Most Christians believe that
Euthanasia is wrong, but do not regard
switching off life support machines
when someone is technically ‘braindead’ as wrong.
They believe this because:
• Sanctity of life
• Euthanasia as murder (thou shall not
kill)
• Switching off machine of brain-dead
not murder (God has already taken)
• Doctrine of double effect
• Genesis – God gives life
• We have a soul and are made in the
image of God
What if someone was
terminally ill but in great
pain and you knew that the
pain killers would shorten
their life so that they would
eventually die? How might
a Christian respond to this
outcome?
An alternative –
The Hospice Movement
Why might some
Christians prefer this
method of caring for
the individual?
Palliative care is an alternative to
Euthanasia.
• They are cared for by a wide
range of medical staff and
volunteers.
• Pain relieved through drugs.
• Talk through fears about dying.
• Care offered on a personal
level.
• Often patients feel calmer and
more positive after spending
time in the hospice.
Why might some people prefer to have an
assisted suicide over palliative care in a
hospice?
Watch the following clip to help you with your answer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/a-story-of-assistedsuicide/459.html
Does Euthanasia give doctors too
much power?
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t4n07
• Read this article and watch the trailer – What
do you think about the issues raised?
Task – Make a Judgement...
Should we legalise Euthanasia in the UK?
• Imagine you are the High court judge and
it has been left to you to give clarification
on the issue of Euthanasia in the UK.
• Weigh up the arguments for and against.
• Come to a conclusion – will you allow
people to have assisted deaths in the UK?
• Write the different arguments on the
scales
• Write your conclusion on your judges
hammer!