2.5.4
Discussion Points: Autonomy & Medical Intervention
After reading these notes, test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
Should People Have Total Control Over Their Lives?
To have autonomy means to have the right or condition of self-government. This debate looks at whether or not people should or can have total autonomy over their lives.
People should have autonomy
- In Genesis, humans are given dominion over the earth. This implies they have complete autonomy and should be allowed to make decisions for themselves.
- In his work In Rethinking Life and Death (1994), Peter Singer sets out five quality of life commandments to replace those of the traditional sanctity of life position.
- For example, Singer believes we should recognise that the value of human life varies from case to case.
- We should also respect a person’s right to live or die.
People should not have autonomy
- Voluntary euthanasia is the start of a slippery slope that leads to involuntary euthanasia and the killing of people who are thought undesirable.
- Natural law and Kantian ethics argue that we do not have complete autonomy.
- Kant would argue that the categorical imperative is clear – if we do not want killing people universalised, then we should not accept euthanasia.
- Likewise, Aquinas’ precepts say that society should be orderly and innocent life should be protected. Autonomy goes against this.
Medical Intervention vs Medical Non-Intervention
This debate looks at whether or not it's morally different to medically intervene to end life and to not intervene to end life.
Morally different - religious view
- If someone takes direct action to end a person’s life, they are acting as if they were God.
- If God is the author of life, then it follows that he is the one who determines when it should end. It is not up to the individual whether he or she might add or subtract from his or her life or anyone else’s because life is a gift or a loan from God.
Morally different - legal view
- The law in the UK clearly states that there is a moral difference between medical intervention and non-intervention.
- Any act that directly ends a person’s life (whether voluntarily or not) is illegal.
Not morally different
- Joseph Fletcher would argue that the outcome determines whether something is morally acceptable or not.
- Fletcher would argue that there is no moral difference between intervention and non-intervention if the outcome is positive and loving.
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
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
2.6Business Ethics
2.7Meta-Ethical Theories
2.8Conscience
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
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
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
2.6Business Ethics
2.7Meta-Ethical Theories
2.8Conscience
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
Practice questions on Discussion Points: Autonomy & Medical Intervention
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1
Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium
Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions
Mini-mock exams based on your study history
Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books