Should euthanasia and assisted suicide be legalised?
Should euthanasia and assisted suicide be legalised? My main focus is to argue the points for and against whether euthanasia should be legalised in this country. There are many contexts in which the relationship between law and morality may be explored. Euthanasia is one area, which has many moral and legal concepts to consider. Euthanasia is the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependant human being for his or her alleged benefit. If the death is not intended it is not an act of euthanasia. Using this distinction if a third party performs an act, intentionally causing a patients death, euthanasia has occurred. For example, giving a patient a legal injection or putting a paper bag over their head allowing him or her to suffocate, this would be seen as an act of euthanasia. However, in order for assisted suicide to take place, a person must swallow an overdose of drugs that have been provided by a doctor for the purpose of causing death. Assisted suicide is when a doctor provides a patient with the means to end his own life, but the doctor does not administer it. The law does not allow us to authorise our own humane death, for example, by lethal injection, when suffering from a painful terminal disease. Any doctor who is involved in a 'mercy killing' may be prosecuted for murder or manslaughter as seen in R v Cox (1992). A consultant was charged with attempted
Comparison of the Moral Status of Fetus's and Animals.
Philosophy 230: Comparison of the Moral Status of Fetus's and Animals Devin Pratt #0131759 Essay #2 March 26th, 2003 What is important when comparing the moral status of things is to first have a good definition of what gives a thing moral status, and then see to what degree these requirements are filled. At the bare-bones level, we can say that a thing has moral status if we can label things done to it as good or bad. This does not mean that we can call actions done to it good or bad for the sake of the actions themselves, or for us, but rather for the thing itself. So the thing must have the faculty for judging some things as good and some things as bad for itself. It is obvious that we cannot know for certain whether or not a thing is reacting to what it considers good or bad because we are not that thing, and maybe the reactions the thing gives are purely mechanical. We can only assume that when a fetus or animal behaves a certain way that it is reacting to what it considers to be good or bad. We can not let this discourage our inquiry however, because in the same way, we cannot even be certain that another adult human is really feeling anything that we think they are. Maybe they cry and so it seems as if they are sad, but they cry when they are not sad, or they just cry at random. If we must make judgments about a thing's moral status,
Ethnography - A Christian Youth Group
Ethnography: A Christian Youth Group ? Veronica Diaz-Reinhagen Ethnography Seminar Professor Janet Siskind April 23, 2002 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my informant, Amanda Q. for taking the time and energy to follow through on her commitment to each of our scheduled interviews for this project. She has made the experience of developing this work, a truly enjoyable one. I would also like to thank Professor Siskind for her guidance and advice on this ethnography. She has also help me discover a newfound excitement and interest in Cutural Anthropology. The Informant My informant for this project is Amanda Q. Amanda is a bright, articulate and "bubbly" seventeen year old senior at Albertus Magna High School, in New York. She is an honor-roll student who enjoys participating in all kinds of sports and also belongs to the Spanish Club. She recently received a scholarship from Hofstra University where she eagerly plans to pursue a career in journalism, beginning this fall...or maybe Drama...or maybe Film... But above all, like most teens, she is looking forward to "flying the nest", to live on campus in Long Island, and "explore her freedom" for the first time. Amanda also has a part-time job, working three times a week, at a Starbucks coffee shop, in Suffern, NY. The short hours of her shifts give her enough time to engage in some other kind of
What are the characteristics of Buddhism in Australia?
Question from Week 11: What are the characteristics of Buddhism in Australia? Is it important to draw the differences between Buddhism & Western Buddhism in the Australian context? Why is it so hard to establish precisely just how much Buddhism or the broader cultural influences of Buddhism may have grown? This essay will attempt to delineate the direct characteristics of the ancient religious practice of Buddhism in the Western context with an implicit emphasis on the Australian context. In addition to this, the piece will also establish the differences between Buddhism as practiced in the East and Buddhism as practiced in the West again in the contextual time and space of contemporary Australia. The argument will be directed positively toward the question of if it is important to draw the differences between Eastern Buddhism and Western Buddhism in the Australian context. These topics will be brought to light by discourse on the characteristics of Eastern and Western Buddhism, the prevalence of Buddhist practice within Australia and the characteristics of Buddhism from a feminist perspective. Discourse on the causal factors towards the increased prevalence of Buddhist practice in the West will be explored through the theory of globalisation and the theory of the 'Easternisation' of the West as well as through the lens of New Age spiritualities and postmodern religious
"Suicide statistic are social facts".
"Suicide statistic are social facts" Suicide is the act when "one kills themselves". The reasons for why someone would want to do this is a question which brings out many different view points from many different theories. For instance whether we, the individual really has any free will or whether our actions are deterministic as a result of how we have shaped and moulded by our society. The use of statistics also asks the question of how suicide is determined, which shows how statistics are often reliant on an individuals viewpoint, in the case of suicide the coroner. In this essay I aim to highlight how suicide is the effect of different variables in different societies. And how different theorists highlight important flaws in the way suicide cases are determined and looked upon. From a positivistic perspective we see how Durkheim highlighted how suicide was a result of society because of the way we had been socialised by society and its institutions. Durkheims theory is very deterministic and believes we have no free-will so suicide is a idea which was born from society and then socialized into us. This emphasises the positivistic idea that we are "puppets on the strings of society", which says that we are predictable as we have all been shaped and moulded in the same way. So all of our actions are a result of societies shaping and moulding of us. Evidence of this theory
Is the influence of religion in western society declining? Can we reasonably measure its decline? If it is declining, what is replacing it?
Is the influence of religion in western society declining? Can we reasonably measure its decline? If it is declining, what is replacing it? Functionalist sociologists have claimed that religion has always been important in our society and that it continues to be. It is argued that religion has only ever been important to a relatively small number of people in society. While it is clear that religious practices and institutional organisations have changed, the question of whether the influence of religion in western society is declining is debatable. There are two main ways in which religion is defined. Substantive definitions define a religious belief system as involving relations between the natural and the supernatural ideas defining religion in terms of structure and content of people's beliefs not what religion does for them. The other way it is defined is as a functional definition, which defines religion in terms of the function it performs for society. Many sociologists have tried to define secularisation, Bryan Wilson (1966), describes secularisation as, the process whereby religious thinking, practices and institutions is becoming less prominent in society and its institutions less important and influential in the lives of individuals. Wilson (1966) stated that those who defined religion in substantive terms are more likely to support the secularisation thesis
What is the nature of Ethics? What is the purpose of studying Ethics? Distinguish moral philosophy from Religion.
What is the nature of Ethics? What is the purpose of studying Ethics? Distinguish moral philosophy from Religion. Essay plan Definition of Ethics Ethics is utilized to refer to the consensually shared points of intersection within the personal morals of a group or society. Morals are personal, ethics are societal (in some cases even trans-societal), though this begs the question "what are morals?" Morals are one's personal set of guidelines for determine "right" actions from "wrong" actions. Ethics brings the dilemma of deciding what or not to do. There is a conflict of pursing my self-interests or not or whether to pursue the interest of others. In choosing how to act, one should acknowledge that many of their actions affect others, even if only indirectly. This only sets the stage where morality can play. Morality is personal to each individual because our concept of good and bad varies immensely to the next person. Religion, race and environment are only few elements that I may find it acceptable to kill someone because he upsets me and I didn't like him while to my own brother it is an unthinkable act to do. Concerns for our self-interest can blind us to the ways our behaviour significantly affects other's interest or lead us to give inadequate weight to others interests. But failing to question our moral status can make us overlook just how wrong some of our
Discuss Mills concept of utilitarianism as a moral theory.
Griffiths, Jodi Louise - Halifax College Discuss Mills concept of utilitarianism as a moral theory. John Stuart Mill - Utilitarianism Although today the concept of Utilitarianism is identified with the writer John Stuart Mill the idea of utility was fully developed by the earlier thinker Jeremy Bentham. Mills essay 'Utilitarianism' was effectively a response to the early criticisms of Bentham's work and it recognises some of the difficulties utilitarianism encounters in both a theoretical and applied sense. Mill holds a teleological view believing that 'all action is for the sake of some end'(Chapter I) and it is on this basis that utilitarianism makes utility the foundations for morality. Mill reminds us in the first chapter of 'Utilitarianism' what is indeed meant by utilitarianism, namely it 'holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness'. Utility is the equivalent of happiness or pleasure and it is this that has intrinsic value and worth. He dismisses the idea of any theory that suggests that ultimate principles are known a priori such as deontological theories hold. He doesn't believe that moral actions can be deemed right or wrong in themselves. Mill dismisses such claims, as he believes they cannot be compliant with any proof. Utilitarianism on the other hand is a concept
1st Amendment: Freedom of religion The freedom of religion has been a source for a lot of controversy also while being the foundation of our country, which is why I have chosen this topic for discussion.
Hunter Hallock 0/6/2009 Written Assignment Dr. Williams st Amendment: Freedom of religion The freedom of religion has been a source for a lot of controversy also while being the foundation of our country, which is why I have chosen this topic for discussion. The freedom of religion means that the people have the freedom to manifest religion or belief, practice, worship, and observance. This gives much freedom but often this freedom is taken advantage of. This amendment gives the right for anyone to establish a religion, no matter how out of the ordinary it may be as long as it abides by the laws. An individual could make up a religion to gain advantages in his or her life and it can also be used for an individual who has a legitimate practice. Either way, the freedom of religion is used to avoid persecution from the government. The interpretation of the amendment has drastically changed over the course of history. In the beginning, the freedom of religion had a biased look at "freedom" and the government would shun some practices and stick to formal ideas of religion. Today, the amendment has a more strict sense of "freedom" because of all the religions that are available. In my opinion, there should be some reform because there are many people who try to get away with things because of their "faith" that they truly don't practice (I.E: the church of euthanasia, where
Critically examine the contribution of studies of suicide to a sociological understanding of deviance in society.
Critically examine the contribution of studies of suicide to a sociological understanding of deviance in society. A number of sociologists have studied the topic of suicide both in a positivistic way (Durkheim) and in a phenomenological way (Douglas and Atkinson). Deviance is an activity that is not seen as 'normal' in society, this generally means that it does not coincide with the common norms and values of society. In this sense suicide is seen as deviant as it is not a practice that is seen as the norm. This essay will examine the contribution of studies of suicide to a sociological understanding of suicide in society. To explain suicide Durkheim uses a positivistic approach. This means that he uses quantitative research to compare the incidences of various social factors with the common incidence of suicide this is known as multivariate analysis. Durkheim believed that suicide is directly linked to the levels of social integration and he placed societies into four levels depending on their level of social integration. An egoistic society is where people are encouraged to look after themselves and those close to them at the expense of the wider society. This means that social bonds are weak and there is a low level of social integration and is generally found in protestant societies as Protestantism stresses the need for people to make their own decisions and to accept