...Kant is incorrect in saying that euthanasia is wrong because someone utilizing euthanasia is treating their humanity not merely as a means, they are making the decision and by doing so, recognizing and respecting theirs and others capacities as rational beings. One of Kant’s main arguments is that suicide is using yourself as a means to an end. By using your own capabilities to end your life, you are not treating yourself as an end. The means is ending your life and the end, in the case of terminal illness, is ending pain and suffering. However, if you read Kant’s humanity formula, you see it says that you cannot use someone as merely a means (Timmons, pg. 16). Merely is using them as nothing else than for your own ends and disregarding the ends they have themselves. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states that we can’t avoid using people as a means, but it is acceptable as long as they are “at the same time being treated as an end in itself” (Johnson, SEP). In this way, the patient considering euthanasia is both a means and an end, but not merely a means. Though they are using themselves as a means, they are also pursuing their own ends and treating themselves as an ends. The humanity formulation also says that humanity, not humans, should be treated as an end. Humanity is defined in an article from the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy as “ the capacity for autonomous action” (Gentzler, p. 462). A person with autonomy makes decisions and imposes laws on themselves...
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...Against Assisted Suicide Physician Assisted Suicide is met with much opposition from medical professionals and patients alike. Some of the main arguments people have against assisted suicide is based solely on the idea that it is “morally wrong.” There are arguments about how doctors could potentially kill the wrong people, (Feldman, 1998) referring to assisting suicide for mentally ill patients rather than terminally ill. Some argue that doctors are supposed to be healers and it’s not a healer’s job to end a life. (Feldman, 1998) Arguments about how legalizing assisted suicide for the terminally ill could potentially mean legalizing suicide for whomever requests it. (Feldman, 1998) The number one argument against assisted suicide, however, is that assisting in another person’s suicide would be playing God. (Feldman, 1998)...
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...number of things, whether it is suicide or physician assisted suicide. Throughout this class, we have discussed various articles that dig into this issue and that I will be using in this paper to demonstrate what is accepted, and what is not by some of society’s leading scholars. Also, I will insert my own input to these views and offer more insight on what I believe is reasonable when it comes to active voluntary euthanasia. To begin, I will start off with Immanuel Kant’s article, “The Morality of Suicide.” Kant first discusses his views on people’s obligations to their own bodies. He talks about the right of freedom that we are all given, and that this freedom is to be used so as to protect life in a way. He argues that using freedom in ways that “abolish life” is “producing lifelessness,” and is therefore “self-contradictory” (385). To sum this part up, Kant believes that human beings should not “have the power to dispose of” their lives (385). After establishing his thoughts in this region, he moved on to that of suicide, which is his almost entirely against. He first comes across the argument saying that suicide is acceptable because “man is a free agent” (385). He counters this argument by explaining that yes man is a free agent, but that we are free to the point of “self-preservation” (385). To me, this means that we do things in life by our own choice, but usually these choices are made with the intent of keeping our own self safe. Kant explains that acting in ways that...
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...Applied Philosophy,Suicide Intervention and Non-Ideal Kantian Theory Vol. 19, No. 3, 2002 245 Suicide Intervention and Non-Ideal Kantian Theory MICHAEL J. CHOLBI Philosophical discussions of the morality of suicide have tended to focus on its justifiability from an agent’s point of view rather than on the justifiability of attempts by others to intervene so as to prevent it. This paper addresses questions of suicide intervention within a broadly Kantian perspective. In such a perspective, a chief task is to determine the motives underlying most suicidal behaviour. Kant wrongly characterizes this motive as one of self-love or the pursuit of happiness. Psychiatric and scientific evidence suggests that suicide is instead motivated by a nihilistic disenchantment with the possibility of happiness which, at its apex, results in the loss of the individual’s conception of her practical identity. Because of this, methods of intervention that appeal to agents’ happiness, while morally benign, will prove ineffective in forestalling suicide. At the same time, more aggressive methods violate the Kantian concern for autonomy. This apparent dilemma can be resolved by seeing suicide intervention as an action undertaken in non-ideal circumstances, where otherwise unjustified manipulation, coercion, or paternalism are morally permitted. 1. The chances are good that each of us will some day confront a person close to us contemplating suicide. Every year in the...
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...euthanasia. This presents us as philosophers with problems as, even prior to any ethical approach, the idea of assisted death or euthanasia would have been a difficult decision to make on the grounds that there are arguments for both sides, both with valid sway when it comes to doing the morally correct thing. For the most part, arguments for whether euthanasia is the right thing to do take into account personal relationships, in light of compassion and love. This however, is not a Kantian method. Kant’s approach is far more impersonal as, for Kant, the outcome of an action is not relevant to whether or not it is ethical. We must therefore question, can an ethic that fails to address the importance of personal relationships ever be applicable to modern ethical issues, which more often than not, require a personal, situational solution? It also follows, that for an issue like euthanasia, can we have objective morality? It is important to note that Kant believes there are three things that decide whether someone’s choice is rational: It must be voluntary (not coerced or restrained), knowledgeable (the person making the choice must know all the relevant facts necessary) and rational (clear-headed, sane, not overcome by emotion and not...
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...the morality associated with this sort of situation. Kant’s theory associated with integrity suggests that all human beings possess the power associated with determination, and we have been ultimately responsible for generating the best view even though identifying in case your actions are usually moral. They highlights the definition of: the express essential, which in turn becomes an unconditional steps and this can be applied to virtually any situation. The actual hypothetical essential is surely an steps used as a way to spark a certain end. Kant emphasize make fish an steps can easily merely become moral in case it uses the express essential. Kant furthermore highlights another search phrase: the belief, a “golden rule” that needs to be followed. That “golden rule” concept most of us can review yet again soon. The actual Honorable amount of an steps may then become outlined by the belief of which dictates every single steps. Kant says belief must be primarily based off from two basic concepts. The primary currently being: Solely really should which in turn it will become any general legislations associated with dynamics or the “golden rule”. As you move the 2nd requires obligation – carrying out an steps not regarding individual gain or interest but aspects another person’s interest also. I will be working on the next a single during your talk. Any kind of steps to be...
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...Immanuel Kant was born April 22, 1724 and died February 12, 1804. He lived throughout his life in what we know today as Kaliningrad, Russia. He is a well-known and studied philosophical researcher, lecturer, and writer whose main interests include epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and logic. After learning of David Hume, Kant began to develop his own ideas of morals and values. Although Kant has many writings one of his greatest pieces is his, “Critique of Pure Reason” (1781). He is also well known for his moral cade, ‘The Categorical imperative’ and ‘Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, Grounding of the Metaphysics of Morals, and Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals.’ Knowledge Kant has many theories on knowledge in which are interesting, in my opinion. Kant states that, “In the order of time, therefore, we have no knowledge antecedent to experience, and with experience all of our knowledge begins, but although all of our knowledge gins with experience, it does not follow that it all arises out of experience.” I feel that knowledge and experience are connected but to have pure knowledge there are other sources other than experience. Kant calls these judgments or absolute truths,a priori.According to Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, “Necessity and universality are sure criteria of a priori knowledge,and areinseparable from one another”. According to Wikipedia.org, a priori is “knowledge or justification id independent of experience”. For example, saying all household...
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...Explain how the various formulations of the Categorical Imperatives might be applied to an ethical issue? [25] Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is best known for his ‘Copernican Revolution’ in the theory of knowledge. He argued that space, time and causality were features of the way our minds organise experience, rather than features of the external world. Kant’s ethical theory was deontological and absolute. We use reason for morality acceptance. His categorical imperatives are part of Kant’s ethical theory, they require the sense of reason (which he believed that a human possess). He believed that if you combined ones duty with goodwill it will result in a moral act. Mixed emotions will not do in a moral situation, you need to exclude all possible emotions to make a perfect moral action. This will then result to summum bonum (an afterlife with God). However, to work out what your duty is, is an ethical dilemma. We can link Kant’s Categorical Imperatives (CI) to euthanasia. Euthanasia is terminating a patients life, painlessly, who is suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. Terminating someone's life can be voluntary (someone helps a person die) or involuntary ( where a patient is capable of ending their own life). Euthanasia can also be passive (food and water deprivation) or active (injected a patient with a medicine which will painlessly kill them). There are many churches and religions which will deny this mercy killing. Natural law followers...
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...Anusha Garimella PHIL 114 The Ethics of Euthanasia The ethical nature of euthanasia, or assisted suicide, in the United States has been contested for decades, which brings about the proliferation of biomedical morality. According to the New Health Guide, as of June 2015, euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia and Luxembourg. Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Albania and in American states of Washington, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana. Because euthanasia is not legal throughout the United States, there is a divisive public controversy over the moral, ethical, and legal ramifications. In order to establish a clear understanding of these issues, I will define the terms in question and provide an all-encompassing interpretation. There are only slight differences between euthanasia and assisted suicide, and that is a disparity in the degree of involvement and behavior. Assisted suicide entails making the lethal mechanism available to the patient to be used at a time of the patient’s own choosing. By contrast, euthanasia entails the physician taking an active role in carrying out the patient’s request, and usually involves endovenous, or within a vein, delivery of a lethal substance. For the sake of this paper, I will consider both of them equal issues in the bioethical paradigm, and use them interchangeably. The objective of this paper is to outline two ethical theories, utilitarianism and Kantianism, in regards to the concept...
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...Philosophical Ethics 1. Show how Kant arrived at the conclusion that a good will is the highest good. Kant believes that good will is the highest good, because an advantage can be use for evil means. Example: Slavery Europeans, not having good will to guide them, and the pursuit of wealth, used their advantages in education, weapons, and ship building to enslave the people of Africa. A person with intelligence, Witt, and judgment must have goodwill to guide them. Kant also believed that fortune and wealth, if not solidify by good will and can lead to evil intentions. Wealth can lead to a life of arrogance and envy. A person with wealth can use their wealth to purchase the evil services of others. 2. State the Categorical Imperative and recapitulate in a step-by-step fashion how Kant arrived at it as the basis of all moral action. The Categorical Imperative – according to Kant – is the conviction that one should act so that the Maxim of his or her action can be a universal law. In a step by step fashion, good will is defined as a will motivated by a sense of duty. - What is Duty? Duty is defined as reverence or respect for the law. - What type of law? Moral law; This can be looked at as the same as the golden rule “do onto others as you would like them to onto you” 3. Why, for Kant, are good and generous deeds not in themselves virtuous? Kant believes that good and generous deeds are not in themselves virtuous because without...
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...practice medicine honestly and to uphold a number of professional ethical standards. (Miles, 2005) From early times, the medical profession has had a strong commitment to ethical behavior in professional practice. In modern times, physicians argue that” the Hippocratic Oath is inadequate to address the realities of a medical world that has witnessed huge scientific, economic, political, and social changes, a world of legalized abortion, physician-assisted suicide, and pestilences unheard of in Hippocrates' time.” (Tyson, n.d.) The Declaration of Geneva was adopted by the General Assembly of the World Medical Association at Geneva in 1948. It was felt that the Hippocratic Oath needed some modernization of the humanistic goals of medicine in lieu of the tragedies experienced in World War II. The precepts of the Oath of Geneva include this sentence, I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity; the health of my patient will be my first consideration. Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide and more loosely termed mercy killing, means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable suffering. (Lavi, 2007) Early Americans coined the term “euthanasia” and viewed it as a beautiful passage into heaven. The medical euthanasia debate began in 1870 when Samuel Williams, ironically a schoolteacher, wrote that chloroform be used to hasten...
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...Immanuel Kant argued that morality must be derived from practical principles. It is based on the premise that some behaviors are morally obligatory or prohibited regardless of the benefits that may be achieved by doing or not doing them. Deontologists prohibit active or passive killing and thus euthanasia. It preaches the importance of respecting an individual’s rationality and humanity as an end to itself. He distinguished between perfect or obligatory duties that can never be breached and imperfect duties that aim at a specific outcome. Kantian ethicists believe that the intention of the act is more important than the act itself. Kant would view Euthanasia as a formula of an end in itself and an imperfect duty. He stressed that it is important to act out of a sense of duty in order to achieve the best outcome (Sober, 2005). Kant asserted that people must be treated as an end in themselves and not as means to accomplish a task. Kant’s first formulation of categorical imperative portrays man as a rational being who must act in accordance with the universal law. He also asserts that we must not act in a way that distresses other human beings in order to accomplish our task. By denying Ms. Rodriguez her appeal to take her life and in keeping with both the universal and constitutional law the court acted in accordance with the Kantian principles of morality. Kant would agree with the court’s decision to dismiss Sue Rodriguez’s...
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...Explain the main principles of Kant’s Categorical Imperative. (25) Kant believed that a moral action is made up of duty and good will. Without duty, an action cannot be morally good. This is how he developed the duty-based Categorical Imperative, also known as moral commands, as a foundation for all other rules and will be true in any circumstance purely based on reason. These tell everyone what to do and don’t depend on anything else, such as personal desires. Within the Categorical Imperative, Kant outlines three important maxims in ‘The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals’ which test how morally acceptable an action is. The first maxim states: “Always act in such a way that you can also will that the maxim of your action should be a universal law”. This can be interpreted to mean that only do something if it can be universalised and if it’s something that will always be acceptable for anyone to do. If it can’t be universalised then it is not a valid moral rule. To illustrate this, Kant uses the example of suicide, claiming that it is always wrong because it can’t be made a universal law. He asks us to consider if we would want everyone to take their own life in any situation, even if it is to escape a state of suffering and despair. Stealing would also be considered never to be morally acceptable in Kantian Ethics since it cannot be universalised as well. If it was to be universalised, everyone would be stealing from each other, therefore human relationships would...
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...discusses the occurrence and practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide in three first-world, industrialized, developed nations: The Netherlands, Germany, and the United States. All three of these countries have one important factor in common that makes them ideal for studying euthanasia: aging populations who primarily die of degenerative diseases, rather than parasitic or infectious diseases (Battin 579). In the United States, outright euthanasia is illegal. Rather, the accepted form of ending a patient’s life is withholding or withdrawing any forms of treatment which were previously keeping said patient alive (Battin 580). In the Netherlands,...
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...18th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) presents a criterion of moral obligation, which he calls the categorical imperative. Kant rejects these traditional theories of morality and argues instead that moral actions are based on a "supreme principle of morality" which is objective, rational, and freely chosen: the categorical imperative. Kant’s clearest account of the categorical imperative is in the Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals. Kant argues against traditional criteria of morality, and explains why the categorical imperative can be the only possible standard of moral obligation. He begins with a general account of willful decisions. The function of the human will is to select one course of action from among several possible courses of action (for example, my choice to watch television right now instead of going jogging). Our specific willful decisions are influenced by several factors, such as laziness, immediate emotional gratification, or what is best in the end. Kant argues that in moral matters the will is ideally influenced only by rational considerations, and not by subjective considerations such as one’s emotions. This is because morality involves what is necessary for us to do (e.g., you must be benevolent), and only rational considerations can produce necessity. The rational consideration, which influences the will, must be a single principle of obligation, for only principles can be purely rational considerations...
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