1. Active vs. passive killing
What is the difference? The Smith and Jones example (James Rachels, 1975, p.493) runs as follows; Smith and Jones would be in line to get an inheritance if their 6 year old cousin wasn’t around. The pair separately decide to try and kill the young man, thereby clearing the way for them to receive the inheritance. In one scenario and outcome Smith waits for the cousin to have a bath, and then sneaks in and drowns him, making the death look accidental. In the other scenario and outcome, Jones waits for the cousin to have a bath, but as he walks into the bathroom to drown him, finds the cousin has slipped over, knocking himself unconscious and lying face down in the bath, already in the process of drowning. Instead of helping him (or assisting with the drowning process already occurring), Jones merely lets the cousin drown ‘accidentally’ thereby accomplishing the deed without action. Is there a moral difference?

2. Rachels’ point is that there is no moral difference between Smith’s action of drowning the cousin (killing) and Jones inaction of stopping the cousin from drowning (letting die), each of them are just as (morally) responsible for the cousin’s death. How far do you agree? Summarise the example in your notes and write down how far you agree with Rachels. How does this link to the issue of euthanasia?

3. The sanctity of life vs. the quality of life
Learning objective:
To know what is meant by the sanctity of life and the religious origins of this concept.
To know what is meant by quality of life and to evaluate which is more important.
Key Words
Quality of life
Sanctity of life

4. Is life special? What makes it special?

5. Why do Christians think life is special?
(Genesis 1.27)
Genesis )
(Genesis 22.2)
(Exodus 20.13)
(John 3.16)

6. Why do Christians think life is special?
Humans are made in the image and likeness of God – imago dei. We are set apart from other creatures and in some aspects are similar to God (Genesis 1.27)
God made a covenant with humans.(Genesis )
God commands that human sacrifice should not take place (Genesis 22.2)
One of the 10 commandments/decalogue forbids taking life. (Exodus 20.13)
Jesus came to save humans (John 3.16)

7. Is the sanctity of life ever justifiably set aside for some higher claim? (consider self-sacrifice, self-defence, greater good).

8. Quality of life – that human life has to have certain attributes for it to have value. What might these attributes be? In what circumstances might we say that someone has a poor quality of life?

9. What is a person? Now consider…
If someone has a low quality of life, are they still a person?
If the human body is living but many higher functions are missing, is the body still a person?

10. John Locke defined as person as…
‘a thinking, intelligent being, that has reason and reflection, and can consider itself as itself’. Do you agree? Does this mean then that babies are not persons? Or a body in a vegetative state? Someone fully paralysed? An elderly person with Alzheimer’s disease? What about when we are sleeping?!

11. How does personhood link to euthanasia?

12. Write an answer to this question.
What is a more important consideration – the sanctity or quality of life?
Write an answer to this question.
Include some explanation of what is meant by both terms and reasons for your own judgement about which is more important.

13. Homework
Learn the definitions of the key terms on page 230 of the blue book.
Read pages of the blue book on autonomy and complete the following:
Copy down the quote from John Stuart Mill and explain what he means in your own words.
How far do you agree with Jack Kevorkian’s view?
How far do you agree with the view of Hans Kung?
What are the worries of opponents of euthanasia?
How far do you agree that these are legitimate concerns?