Euthanasia

“Gentle or easy death”

Physician- assisted suicide

Your life is ended by your choice

Or by people acting on your behalf with your interests at heart

History

• In past people died quite quickly and in pain

• Serious injuries, diseases had no cures, no medicines

• Now often can be cured, so life expectancy is greatly raised

• Doctors pledge to all that is necessary to help suffering patient

Critical questions

• Do we have the right to life? • Basic human right and moral value• Usually upheld by people and generally

protected by laws of the country

• Or

• The right to die? • Should doctors be allowed to help people who

no longer wish to live?

However – the dilemma

Need to preserve live

Versus

Help someone who is suffering

• Can the doctor do any more to preserve life?

• What should he do if there is little or no hope of recovery?

Hippocrates

• Born 460 BC in Kos, Greece• Believed that illness had physical causes and

rational explanation – not by evil spirits etc• Believed body should be treated as a whole and

not just parts• Believed in natural healing processes such as

fresh air, good diet cleanliness• Thoughts feelings etc come from brain and not

heart

Hippocratic Oath

• “I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgement, but never with a view to injury or harm. Neither will I administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a course… But I will keep pure and holy both my life and art.” (The Hippocratic Oath)

Sanctity of life

• Life is valuable as long as you are alive

• Quality is not important

• Life is sacred and should always be preserved as long as possible by whatever means possible.

• No one has the right to make judgements about the quality of life and so end it

Tasks

1. Write down the Hippocratic Oath.

2. Explain why the Hippocratic Oath creates a problem in relation to euthanasia.