Lecture IX
Euthanasia:
Spiritual and Religious
Perspectives
definition of euthanasia
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“the killing of those who are incurably ill
and in great pain or distress in order to
spare them further suffering.” (Peter
Singer, 1979, p.127)
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Convergence of philosophy and medicine
Growing Medicalization of Life
-- are these medical conditions?
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Aging
Gray or white hair
Bags under eyes
Baldness
Jet lag
Road rage
Big ears
Pregnancy
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Cellulite
Freckles
Childbirth
Ugliness
Hangover
Loneliness
Boredom
Unhappiness
British Medical Journal
http://www.ardms.org/newswire/09202004/09202004.htm#sick
Pain and Suffering
-- Spiritual and Religious Perspectives
Christianity on
suffering
 John Hick, Philosophy
of Religion, 1973,
pp.41-42

Suppose, this world were a
hedonistic paradise
All possibility of pain and suffering were
excluded.
 Consequences?

No one could ever injure anyone else
Murderer’s knife  paper
 His bullets  thin air
 The bank safe, robbed of a million dollars,
would miraculously become filled with
another million dollars (yet would not lead
to inflation)
 Fraud, deceit, conspiracy, and treason
would somehow always leave the fabric of
society undamaged

No one would ever be injured by
accident
The mountain climber or playing child
falling from a height would float unharmed
to the ground
 The reckless driver would never meet with
disaster
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No need to work
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No harm could result from avoiding work
No call to be concerned for others in
time of need or danger
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This is because in such a world there
could be no real needs or dangers
Laws of nature would have to be
extremely flexible
Sometimes gravity would operate,
sometimes not
 Sometimes an object would be hard and
solid, sometimes soft
 There could be no sciences, for there
would be no enduring world structure to
investigate

Our present ethical concepts would
have no meaning in it
No possibility of harming someone  no
wrong action  no right action in
distinction from wrong
 Courage or fortitude would have no point
in an environment in which there is, by
definition, no danger or difficulty
 Generosity, kindness, unselfishness, etc.,
could not be formed
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Such a world, however well it might
promote pleasure or minimize pain, would
be very ill adapted for the development of
the moral qualities of human personality
“It would seem, then, an environment
intended to make possible the growth in
free beings of the finest characteristics of
personal life must have a good deal in
common with our present world. It must
operate according to general and
dependable laws; and it must involve real
dangers, difficulties, problems, obstacles,
and possibilities of pain, failure, sorrow,
frustration, and defeat.”
“It is to understand that this world, with all
its ‘heartaches and the thousand natural
shocks that flesh is heir to,’ an
environment so manifestly not designed
for the maximization of human pleasure
and the minimization of human pain, may
nevertheless be rather well adapted to the
quite different purpose of ‘soul making’.”
(p.42)
“tragedy, though truly tragic, may
nevertheless be turned, through a man’s
reaction to it, from a cause of despair and
alienation from God to a stage in the
fulfillment of God’s loving purpose for that
individual.” (p.42)
 “so the Christian response to calamity is to
accept the adversities, pains, and
afflictions which life brings, in order that
they can be turned to a positive spiritual
use.” (p.43)
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A sparring partner
“No pain, no gain.” (English Proverb)
 “Learn without pain”?
 無痛學習法 vs.苦讀、苦練、勤苦
 良藥苦口
 吃得苦中苦, 方為人上人
 苦盡甘來
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Buddhism on suffering
四聖諦
 八苦
 十二因缘
 Suffering motivates us to seek nirvana
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孟子
故天將降大任於是人也，必先若其心志，
勞其筋骨，餓其體膚，空乏其身，行
拂亂其所為，所以動心忍性，曾益其
所不能。人恒過，然後能改；困于心，
衡於慮，而後作；徵于色，發於聲，
而後喻。入則無法家拂士，出則無敵
國外患者，國恒亡。然後知生於憂患，
而死于安樂也。(孟子·告子下)
「外體雖然毀壞，
內心卻一天新似
一天。」（林後
4:16）
雖然我們外在的身軀
漸漸衰敗，我們內在
的生命卻日日更新。
（現代中文譯本）
“Once you learn how to die, you
learn how to live.”
Lessons of “Gattaca”
Proper Perspectives in the Genetic Age
Genetic determinism is wrong
 The triumph of the human spirit in those who
are genetically “inferior”
 What is lacking in Nature is more than made
up for by sufficient Nurture
 “There is no gene for the human spirit”

Physical health is certainly not a sufficient
condition for a good life; it might not even
be a necessary condition for a good life.
 There should not be prejudice against the
“unhealthy”

Brett Eastbum
born without arms and legs.
 One would think this would
restrict Brett's life greatly.
Brett apparently doesn't
realize this. (Maybe he
doesn't know he's supposed
to have arms and legs).
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The words, "I can't", are not in Brett's
vocabulary.
 If there is anything he has not yet accomplished,
it's only because he has not yet tried.
 This is evidenced by the fact he is an
accomplished swimmer, has played basketball,
has played baseball, has played football, and is
currently a member of his high school varsity
wrestling team. He also placed 4th in the AAU
(Amateur Athletic Union), national wrestling
competition in 1988.
 In addition to his athletic accomplishments, he is
a talented artist.
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Brett was born with no arms and no
legs, but more importantly, he truly
believes that he was also born with
no handicaps!
 Brett believes you're a success only if
you choose to be.
 He also believes you are handicapped
only if you allow yourself to be.
 Brett considers his body a very
special gift to be used to inspire
others to be the best they can be!
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