Euthanasia

1
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

2
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

3
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?

4
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?

5
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

6
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)

7
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

8
Tasks

• 1. Write down the Hippocratic Oath.
• 2. Explain why the Hippocratic Oath creates a
  problem in relation to euthanasia.