CS 10-12
 Bringing about the death of an individual, by act or
omission, for that individual’s own good.
 Term comes from the Greek “eu” meaning “well” and
“thanatos” meaning death.
 Passive vs Active
 Passive = death brought about an omission (refusing treatment,
turning off a machine).
 Active = death brought about by an act (taking an overdose of pain
medication).
 Traditionally passive euthanasia is considered less bad
than active euthanasia.
 Is this a worthwhile distinction? Is inaction a type of action?
 Voluntary vs. involuntary.
 Voluntary = occurs at the request of the person who dies.
 Non-voluntary = person is incapable of making a decision and
someone decides for them.
 Involuntary = person who dies chooses life, but is killed
anyway. Tantamount to murder.
P1: Some people suffer terribly from untreatable conditions.
P2: Active euthanasia best ends this suffering.
P3: If an act best ends suffering, then it’s morally justified.
C: Therefore, active euthanasia is morally justified.
Are there any problems with this argument?
 Premise three is false.
 Just because an act is most merciful, doesn’t mean it’s
justified.
 Implies that killing someone when they don’t want to die is
okay (involuntary).
P1: An act is morally justified if it respects a person’s ability
to make her own decisions.
P2: VAE respects a person’s ability to make her own
decisions and violates no one’s rights
C: VAE is justified.
P1: In some cases VAE can be freely chosen, violate no one’s
rights and be most merciful.
P2: If an act best ends suffering, is freely chosen, and
violates no one’s rights, then it is morally permissible.
C: In some cases VAE is morally permissible.
P1: God is the only one who may make life and death
decisions.
P2: Performing VAE is to make a life and death decision.
C: VAE is wrong because it’s a usurpation of God’s authority.
 Not everyone believes in God.
 If we can’t interfere with God’s plan concerning death, why
do we do it when it concerns life?
P1: Suffering is part of God’s plan.
P2: It is wrong to interfere with God’s plan.
P3: VAE interferes with God’s plan.
C: VAE is wrong.
Problems?
P1: It is wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human being.
P2: VAE is the intentional killing of innocent human beings.
C: VAE is wrong.
 Problem lies in the first premise.
 Why is it wrong to kill humans?
 Do these same reasons apply to VAE?
 Causes fear in others.
 Goes against someone’s preferences.
 Goes against someone’s rights.
 Goes against their autonomy.
 Do these reasons apply to VAE?
 Read J. Gay-Williams article “The Wrongfulness of
Euthanasia.”
 Outline the premises of his arguments (He has three
arguments against VAE).
 Are the arguments valid? Sound? Explain.
 Discuss with the people around you.