2.5.2

Discussion Points: Natural Law & Situation Ethics

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Situation Ethics and Natural Law Applied to Euthanasia

Here we look at how situational ethics and natural law are applied to euthanasia.

Illustrative background for Situation ethics and euthanasiaIllustrative background for Situation ethics and euthanasia ?? "content

Situation ethics and euthanasia

  • The debate over euthanasia relies on one basic question according to Fletcher.
  • For the situationist, the issue is whether it is harder to justify letting someone die a slow and ugly death, dehumanised than it is to justify helping them escape from such misery.
Illustrative background for Natural law and euthanasia Illustrative background for Natural law and euthanasia  ?? "content

Natural law and euthanasia

  • When applying natural law, the primary precepts should be recalled.
  • In the case of euthanasia, the key precept to do good and avoid evil and the primary precept to preserve life, which upholds the sanctity of life and consequently the belief that only God has the right to give and take life, are particularly important.
Illustrative background for Catholic teaching on euthanasiaIllustrative background for Catholic teaching on euthanasia ?? "content

Catholic teaching on euthanasia

  • According to the Bible, we are created in God's image and knitted together by God in the womb (Psalm 139:13).
  • The Catholic Church's teachings on euthanasia conclude that euthanasia is wrong (Pastoral Constitution, Gaudium et Spes, no. 27, 1965) as life is sacred and a gift from God, 'which they are called upon to preserve and make fruitful' (Declaration on Euthanasia, 1980).

Jump to other topics

1Philosophy of Religion

1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato

1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle

1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body

1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation

1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason

1.6Religious Experience

1.7The Problem of Evil

1.8The Nature & Attributes of God

1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic

1.10Religious Language: 20th Century Perspective

2Religion & Ethics

3Developments in Christian Thought

3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings

3.2Death & the Afterlife

3.3Knowledge of God's Existence

3.4The Person of Jesus Christ

3.5Christian Moral Principles

3.6Christian Moral Action

3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology

3.8Development - Pluralism & Society

3.9Gender & Society

3.10Gender & Theology

3.11Challenges

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