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Different Types of Euthanasia
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x providing treatment
(usually to reduce
pain) that has the
foreseeable side effect
of causing the patient
to die sooner
Jassive Euthanasia

x Involves withdrawing or withholding life-

prolonging medical treatment with the intention
to hasten death in the patient's interests because of
their expected negative quality of life.
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This is where the person is unable to ask for
euthanasia (perhaps they are unconscious or
otherwise unable to communicate), or to make a
meaningful choice between living and dying and
an appropriate person takes the decision on their
behalf, perhaps in accordance with their living
will, or previously expressed wishes.
„ituations in which the person cannot make a decision or
cannot make their wishes known, includes cases where:

x The person is in a coma.

x The person is too young
(e.g. a very young baby).
x The person is senile.
x The person is mentally
retarded to a very severe
extent.
x The person is severely
brain damaged.
x The person is mentally
disturbed in such a way
that they should be
protected from themselves.
Terri „chiavo·s Case
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x Terri „chiavo collapsed in her home

in 1990, suffering from heart failure
that led to severe brain damage
because of lack of oxygen and
already diagnosed as being in a
persistent vegetative state (J „) for
several years and after 15 years of
sufferings she·d been disconnected
from her life-sustaining feeding tube,
which subsequently resulted in her
death by dehydration.
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x The argument of autonomy does not
justify the legalization of voluntary active
euthanasia.

x Autonomy requires that the individual

lives according to rationally conceived
decisions, and the free conditions by
which these decisions or plans are made
are compromised by the act of euthanasia.
Individuals cannot voluntarily and
irreversibly surrender the conditions
necessary for autonomy.

x Euthanasia requires a lethal act by

another individual to end the patient·s
life, so the argument of autonomy does
not justify the legalization of euthanasia.
u
 

x The argument of beneficence is
also often used as a justification for
the legalization of euthanasia.

x It is argued that even with the best

palliative care, and the best pain
management, that there will still
be a small group of patients for
whom there is no relief from their
suffering, and so for whom the
most humane option is to end their
life

x Euthanasia may be a
compassionate act in a handful of
extreme cases, this does not mean
it should be legalized under the
guise of promoting the wellbeing
of patients in general.
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O The crux of the argument that there is a difference

between actively killing (E.g. in euthanasia) and
knowingly shortening a patient·s life as a side
effect of treating their suffering (E.g. ¶double
effect) is intention.
 p 
 










 



   


O If euthanasia were legalized, any reported abuse of the protocol

would lead all patients to question their physicians· motives and
care. To guarantee that there is no abuse would require anything
short of monitoring all patient visits with a physician. This would
mean the intrusion of courts, prosecutors, and the police into
medical practice, and the erosion of the privacy of the doctor-
patient relationship.
J 
 


 x It ends a person·s
suffering in this world.
x Euthanasia may even
bring about happiness
in that it is what the
person desires and
wants, in order to no
longer to be a burden
to his/her family
O Depression, family
conflict, feelings of
abandonment, and
hopelessness, are
emotional burdens on
family members seeing a
person suffer. Committing
euthanasia may be the
humane act to do for the
afflicted family member in
this case.
O The euthanized person
may even be of use to
society in a utilitarian
manner, if his/her
bodily organs are to
promote the welfare of
others, one life saves
the lives of others.
Ô
 


It goes against natural law ethics
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 0It is God who remains
the sovereign master of
life. We are obliged to
accept life gratefully and
preserve it for his honor
and the salvation of our
souls. We are stewards,
not owners of the life
God has entrusted to us.
It is not ours to dispose
of."
[