Deck 10: Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide

Question 1

Some argue that directly intending a patient's death may be permissible because, to the patient, death may

A) be a great harm.
B) be what the family wishes.
C) release physicians from responsibility.
D) not be a harm.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

One question of particular interest has been whether vulnerable groups-the elderly, the poor, uninsured people, racial and ethnic minorities, people with psychiatric illness, women, people with little education, and others-have been at greater risk of physician-assisted death. Research in both Oregon and the Netherlands has found _______ evidence that this is the case.

A) little or no
B) definitive
C) substantial
D) some

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Peter Singer views the issue of euthanasia as a

A) classic utilitarian.
B) natural law theorist.
C) Kantian.
D) preference utilitarian.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Proponents of active voluntary euthanasia believe that the right to die

A) compels others to help someone die.
B) does not compel others.
C) justifies involuntary euthanasia.
D) applies only to the nonreligious.

Question 5

In the Cruzan case, the Supreme Court recognized the right

A) of patients to commit suicide with assistance.
B) to physician-assisted suicide provided in the U.S. Constitution.
C) of patients to refuse treatment.
D) of active euthanasia.

Question 6

_______ euthanasia is bringing about someone's death against their will or without asking for their consent while they are competent to decide.

A) Voluntary
B) Nonvoluntary
C) Involuntary
D) Passive

Question 7

At the request of the patient, a physician prescribes lethal doses of drugs for the patient to take to cause their death. This scenario is best described as

A) active voluntary euthanasia.
B) active nonvoluntary euthanasia.
C) passive voluntary euthanasia.
D) physician-assisted suicide.

Question 8

According to the _______, an individual should be considered dead when the brain operations responsible for consciousness permanently shut down.

A) higher brain theory
B) whole brain view
C) traditional view
D) mind-body theory

Question 9

According to the _______, an individual should be considered dead when their breathing and heartbeat cease.

A) higher brain theory
B) whole brain view
C) traditional view
D) mind-body theory

Question 10

The argument that we have a duty to relieve the severe suffering of another through euthanasia if it will not cause excessive cost to ourselves is based on the principle of

A) autonomy.
B) beneficence.
C) nonmaleficence.
D) justice.

Question 11

Giving a dying, suffering patient extremely high doses of analgesics to the point of unconsciousness and accelerated death is known as

A) the doctrine of double effect.
B) active euthanasia.
C) passive euthanasia.
D) terminal sedation.

Question 12

The argument that allowing active euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide will inevitably lead to heinous extensions or perversions of the original practices is best characterized as a(n)

A) slippery slope argument.
B) red herring argument.
C) argument from mercy.
D) argument from utility.

Question 13

Physician-assisted suicide is permitted in

A) the Netherlands.
B) Oregon.
C) both the Netherlands and Oregon.
D) neither the Netherlands nor Oregon.

Question 14

Active voluntary suicide is permitted in

A) the Netherlands.
B) Oregon.
C) both the Netherlands and Oregon.
D) neither the Netherlands nor Oregon.

Question 15

Passive voluntary suicide is permitted in

A) the Netherlands.
B) Oregon.
C) both the Netherlands and Oregon.
D) neither the Netherlands nor Oregon.

Question 16

Some argue that there is no morally significant difference between mercifully killing a patient and mercifully letting the patient die.

Question 17

There is considerable agreement about the moral rightness of allowing a patient to die.

Question 18

The human rights approach is the idea is that we can best achieve just distributions of health and health care by ensuring that human rights in general are respected.

Question 19

James Rachels argues that there is no morally significant difference between killing and letting die.

Question 20

For doctors and nurses, death has always been easy to correctly define.

Question 21

Rule-utilitarian approaches always oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Question 22

Under Catholic principles, a physician must use every means possible to prolong a person's life in every case.

Question 23

Kant would clearly prohibit nonvoluntary euthanasia on persons who have lapsed into a persistent vegetative state.

Question 24

A large majority of adults in the U.S. think that when a person has a disease that cannot be cured, doctors should be allowed by law to end the patient's life by some painless means if the patient and the patient's family request it.

Question 25

Active euthanasia refers to situations in which competent patients voluntarily request or agree to euthanasia.

Question 26

The thought behind the whole brain standard of death is that individuals are dead when they are no longer persons, regardless of what physiological activity persist.

Question 27

Most people who support the autonomy argument think that having a right to die forces a duty on others (e.g., physicians) to help in the dying.

Question 28

In the Netherlands, physician misconduct in euthanasia cases is extremely rare.

Question 29

In the Netherlands, the percent of all deaths resulting from euthanasia rose between 1990 and 2015.

Question 30

Most people on both sides of the euthanasia debate agree that the mere possibility of abuses arising from allowing euthanasia or assisted suicide is in itself a good reason to ban the practices.

Question 31

What kinds of factors would an act-utilitarian have to consider when determining whether euthanasia is morally permissible?

Question 32

The natural law view in Roman Catholicism condemns both active and passive euthanasia. However, the doctrine of double effect offers another possibility for terminal patients struggling with severe pain. Explain how the doctrine of double effect might play a role in these cases.

Question 33

Explain Kant's view on suicide and euthanasia.

Question 34

Define the four kinds of euthanasia that have been the main focus in bioethics.

Question 35

Present one serious obstacle to the argument that allowing active euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide will inevitably lead to heinous extensions or perversions of the original practices.

Question 36

The Following Questions For Readings: "Death and Dignity: A Case of Individualized Decision Making," Timothy E. Quill
-Quill thinks that all terminal cancer patients should

A) be treated as he treated Diane.
B) be treated with chemotherapy.
C) not necessarily be treated as he treated Diane.
D) take part in assisted suicide.

Question 37

The Following Questions For Readings: "Death and Dignity: A Case of Individualized Decision Making," Timothy E. Quill
-Quill says that thinking that people do not suffer in the process of dying is

A) a sound deduction.
B) realistic.
C) rational.
D) an illusion.

Question 38

The Following Questions For Readings: "Death and Dignity: A Case of Individualized Decision Making," Timothy E. Quill
-Quill says that for the dying, suffering can be lessened by a competent, caring physician

A) and sometimes it can be eliminated.
B) but it can in no way be eliminated or made benign.
C) and it can be made benign.
D) but its complete elimination takes time.

Question 39

The Following Questions For Readings: "Voluntary Active Euthanasia," Dan W. Brock
-Dan W. Brock argues that the possible good consequences of establishing a public policy of permitting voluntary active euthanasia

A) cannot outweigh the bad.
B) can outweigh the bad.
C) are negligible.
D) are irrelevant.

Question 40

The Following Questions For Readings: "Voluntary Active Euthanasia," Dan W. Brock
-Brock argues that voluntary active euthanasia is morally permissible because

A) it is legal in most states.
B) of the value of the sanctity of life.
C) all voluntary actions are morally permissible.
D) of the values of self-determination and personal well-being.

Question 41

The Following Questions For Readings: "Voluntary Active Euthanasia," Dan W. Brock
-According to Brock, self-determination is valuable because it

A) always trumps all other values.
B) permits people to live in accordance with their own conception of a good life.
C) allows people to resist the intrusion of physicians.
D) is recognized by the American Medical Association.

Question 42

The Following Questions For Readings: "When Self-Determination Runs Amok," Daniel Callahan
-Callahan maintains that there is an important moral difference between

A) killing and letting die.
B) allowing and letting to die.
C) killing and causing death.
D) culpability and blameworthiness.

Question 43

The Following Questions For Readings: "When Self-Determination Runs Amok," Daniel Callahan
-Callahan thinks that abuse of a law permitting euthanasia

A) is probable but not inevitable.
B) not necessarily inevitable.
C) is inevitable.
D) is avoidable.

Question 44

The Following Questions For Readings: "When Self-Determination Runs Amok," Daniel Callahan
-Callahan argues that a policy that lets physicians practice euthanasia will lead to

A) the hardening of moral judgments about killing and letting die.
B) better laws regulating physician-assisted suicide.
C) perversion of morality generally.
D) perversion of the profession of medicine.

Question 45

The Following Questions For Readings: "Active and Passive Euthanasia," James Rachels
-Regarding the traditional distinction between active and passive euthanasia, Rachels urges doctors

A) to practice civil disobedience.
B) to flout the law.
C) not to write it into official statements of medical ethics.
D) not to allow moral arguments to influence their views.

Question 46

The Following Questions For Readings: "Active and Passive Euthanasia," James Rachels
-To argue against the traditional distinction between active and passive euthanasia, Rachels offers a famous thought experiment involving

A) John and Mary.
B) a famous violinist.
C) Baby Doe.
D) Smith and Jones.

Question 47

The Following Questions For Readings: "Active and Passive Euthanasia," James Rachels
-Rachels argues that there really is no moral difference between active euthanasia and

A) direct killing.
B) passive euthanasia.
C) mercy killing.
D) killing to ease suffering.

Question 48

The Following Questions For Readings: "Dying at the Right Time: Reflections on (Un)Assisted Suicide," John Hardwig
-Hardwig argues that due to several problems near the end of life, we may have a duty to

A) die.
B) persevere.
C) live as long as possible.
D) help someone live.

Question 49

The Following Questions For Readings: "Dying at the Right Time: Reflections on (Un)Assisted Suicide," John Hardwig
-Hardwig asserts that someone can be better off dead even if

A) their terminal illness goes into remission.
B) they have no terminal illness.
C) everything in their life is perfect.
D) their life is painless and purposeful.

Question 50

The Following Questions For Readings: "Dying at the Right Time: Reflections on (Un)Assisted Suicide," John Hardwig
-Hardwig rejects the "individualistic fantasy" about ourselves that leads us to imagine that

A) our lives are intimately interwoven.
B) one life affects all the others.
C) we are tied together by multiple relationships.
D) lives are separate and unconnected.

Question 51

The Following Questions For Readings: "The Philosophers' Brief," Ronald Dworkin, Thomas Nagel, Robert Nozick, John Rawls, Thomas Scanlon, and Judith Jarvis Thomson
-In "The Philosophers' Brief," the philosophers argue that state interests do not justify a categorical prohibition on all

A) living wills.
B) right-to-life petitions
C) assisted suicide.
D) suicides.

Question 52

The Following Questions For Readings: "The Philosophers' Brief," Ronald Dworkin, Thomas Nagel, Robert Nozick, John Rawls, Thomas Scanlon, and Judith Jarvis Thomson
-In "The Philosophers' Brief," the philosophers maintain that each individual has a right to make the most intimate and personal choices central to

A) the laws of the state.
B) personal dignity and autonomy.
C) the consensus of public opinion.
D) the values of one's family.

Question 53

The Following Questions For Readings: "The Philosophers' Brief," Ronald Dworkin, Thomas Nagel, Robert Nozick, John Rawls, Thomas Scanlon, and Judith Jarvis Thomson
-In "The Philosophers' Brief," the philosophers say that the liberty interest asserted by the patient-plaintiffs is protected by the

A) Privacy Clause.
B) previous rulings of lower courts.
C) Freedom Clause.
D) Due Process Clause.

Question 54

The Following Questions For Readings: "Legalizing Assisted Dying Is Dangerous for Disabled People," Liz Carr
-Carr says that, unfortunately, people see assisted suicide for healthy, non-disabled persons as a tragedy, but they see assisted suicide for disabled persons as

A) understandable.
B) disastrous.
C) horrible.
D) intolerable.

Question 55

The Following Questions For Readings: "Legalizing Assisted Dying Is Dangerous for Disabled People," Liz Carr
-Carr says that given such attitudes toward disabled persons, legalizing assisted dying could for them be

A) problematic
B) dangerous.
C) discriminatory.
D) upsetting.

Question 56

The Following Questions For Readings: "Legalizing Assisted Dying Is Dangerous for Disabled People," Liz Carr
-Carr points out that in the context of economic arguments about health care and concerns about waste of resources, disabled people may be seen as

A) part of the puzzle.
B) benign.
C) just another expenditure.
D) a drain.

Question 57

The Following Questions For Readings: "'For Now I Have My Death,' 1: The 'Duty to Die' Versus the Duty to Help the Ill Stay Alive" Felicia Ackerman
-Ackerman criticizes the view of John Hardwig who argues that if you are old and had made sacrifices for your family and are now ill, and if keeping you alive takes a great deal of your family's time and money, you have a duty to die (maybe a duty to commit suicide) to avoid burdening your family. She argues that Hardwig's assumptions are

A) plausible but weak.
B) incoherent.
C) dubious.
D) unclear.

Question 58

The Following Questions For Readings: "'For Now I Have My Death,' 1: The 'Duty to Die' Versus the Duty to Help the Ill Stay Alive" Felicia Ackerman
-Ackerman believes that Hardwig's views reflect

A) moral wisdom.
B) society's bias against the old and ill.
C) unselfish perspectives on the family.
D) an accurate assessment of unacceptable family burdens.

Question 59

The Following Questions For Readings: "'For Now I Have My Death,' 1: The 'Duty to Die' Versus the Duty to Help the Ill Stay Alive" Felicia Ackerman
-Ackerman notes that Hardwig's approach has the advantage of acknowledging the existence of

A) genuine conflicts of interest between patients and their families.
B) the unacceptably severe burdens that a dying patient can place on a family.
C) the distinction between the duty to die to avoid burdening your children and the duty to die to avoid burdening your spouse.
D) an immensely important duty to die.

Question 60

The Following Questions For Readings: Vacco v. Quill, U.S. Supreme Court
-In Vacco v. Quill, the court finds that there is no constitutional right to

A) health insurance coverage for assisted dying.
B) a patient's dying.
C) hospice care.
D) a physician's help in dying.

Question 61

The Following Questions For Readings: Vacco v. Quill, U.S. Supreme Court
-In Vacco v. Quill, the court finds that each state

A) must rescind its own assisted dying laws.
B) may establish its own policy on assisted dying.
C) must enact its own law establishing a right to assisted dying.
D) is exempt from the Equal Protection Clause.

Question 62

The Following Questions For Readings: Vacco v. Quill, U.S. Supreme Court
-In Vacco v. Quill, the court finds that the distinction between refusing lifesaving medical treatment and assisted suicide is

A) irrational.
B) arbitrary.
C) valid.
D) nonexistent.