Question 1

According to Wolf, nonvoluntary euthanasia is the act of a physician's intentionally ending a patient's life against the patient's will.

Accepted Answer

Nonvoluntary euthanasia occurs when the patient is unable to make a decision or express their will (e.g., comatose patients), not necessarily against their will.

Question 2

Wolf argues that so-called terminal sedation is a clear instance of euthanasia.

Accepted Answer

Terminal sedation, also known as palliative sedation, is distinct from euthanasia. Terminal sedation involves sedating a patient to relieve intractable suffering at the end of life, without the intention of causing death, whereas euthanasia involves actively taking steps to end a patient's life.

Question 3

According to Wolf, a physician is not morally obliged to do everything that a patient requests in a course of treatment.

Accepted Answer

Wolf argues that a physician's moral obligations are guided by professional standards, ethical principles, and the best interests of the patient, rather than solely by patient requests, especially if those requests conflict with the physician's professional judgment or ethical standards.

Question 4

According to Wolf, a physician is morally obliged to respect a patient's right to refuse treatment even if the foreseeable consequence of this is the patient's death.

Accepted Answer

Wolf argues that respecting a patient's autonomy, including their right to refuse treatment, is a fundamental ethical obligation for physicians, even if it results in the patient's death. This is because autonomy is a key value in medical ethics, emphasizing the importance of respecting individuals' decisions about their own bodies and health care.

Question 5

According to Wolf, there is no significant risk of error or abuse in allowing for physician-assisted suicide.

Accepted Answer

Wolf argues that there are significant risks of error and abuse in allowing for physician-assisted suicide, including the potential for coercion and the difficulty in accurately assessing a patient's voluntariness and competence.

Question 6

Supporters of physician-assisted suicide have argued that physicians have a duty to make assisted suicide available based on their duties to care for their patients.

Accepted Answer

Supporters argue that part of a physician's duty to care for patients includes alleviating suffering, which can sometimes mean providing the means for a patient to end their life, especially in cases of terminal illness where pain and suffering cannot be otherwise relieved.

Question 7

Wolf argues that the fact that a practice predictably brings on death straightforwardly determines whether that practice is acceptable.

Accepted Answer

Wolf argues that the mere fact that a practice predictably brings on death does not straightforwardly determine whether that practice is acceptable or not. She believes that the ethical acceptability of a practice involves more complex considerations than its potential to cause death.

Question 8

According to Wolf, a key argument against physician-assisted suicide is that it is not necessary to provide humane care at the end of life.

Accepted Answer

Wolf argues that alternatives such as palliative care and hospice services can provide humane care at the end of life, making physician-assisted suicide unnecessary for ensuring a dignified death.

Question 9

According to Wolf, the mere risk of causing death by sedative overdose in palliative care does not render this practice an instance of assisted suicide or euthanasia.

Accepted Answer

Wolf argues that the primary intention in palliative care is to relieve suffering, not to cause death, distinguishing it from assisted suicide or euthanasia where the primary intention is to end life.

Question 10

Wolf claims that physician-assisted suicide cannot be justified purely on the basis of doctor's duties to respect patient autonomy. Explain in your own words the principal argument for this conclusion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Wolf claims that physician-assisted suicide cannot be...

Question 11

Wolf claims that arguments against physician-assisted suicide are often premised on the likely consequences of permitting physicians to assist in suicide. Identify these allegedly likely consequences and explain how they support the conclusion that physician-assisted suicide should be forbidden.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Wolf claims that arguments against physician-assisted suicide...

Question 12

Why, according to Wolf, do those opposing physician-assisted suicide often argue that the practice is not required to provide humane care at the end of life? Explain in your own words the main argument for this conclusion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why, according to Wolf, do those opposing...

Question 13

Wolf claims that Rachels's main argument in "Active and Passive Euthanasia" against the distinction between killing and letting die is "controversial" and "open to challenge." On what grounds does she make this objection? Be sure to state the objection as a complete argument.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Wolf claims that Rachels's main argument in...

Question 14

Wolf contends that the fact that a practice predictably brings on death does not determine whether that practice is permissible. Identify a practice outside the context of medicine in which a practice predictably brings on death and yet is not forbidden. Explain why that practice is not forbidden, despite this foreseeable consequence.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Wolf contends that the fact that a...

Question 15

Which of the following best captures the main question Nathanson is addressing in "An Eye for an Eye"?
A) Is the death penalty a justifiable response to all cases of intentional murder?
B) Is proportional retributivism a more plausible theory than equality retributivism?
C) Should the degree of a criminal's suffering be proportional to that of his or her victim?
D) Is the death penalty justified on the basis of traditional principles of retributivism?

Accepted Answer

Nathanson's main question in "An Eye for an Eye" revolves around the justification of the death penalty within the framework of traditional retributive justice principles, examining whether this form of punishment aligns with the concepts of fairness and proportionality inherent in retributivism.

Question 16

Which of the following best captures Nathanson's main conclusion in "An Eye for an Eye"?
A) Proportional retributivism is a far more plausible principle of punishment than equality retributivism.
B) Traditional versions of retributivism do not offer adequate support for the death penalty.
C) The death penalty for murderers is best supported on the basis of a version of "payback" retributivism.
D) It follows from proportional retributivism that the death penalty is deserved in some, but not all, cases of killing.

Accepted Answer

Nathanson argues that traditional retributivist justifications do not adequately support the death penalty, as they fail to establish a moral basis for it.

Question 17

Which of the following best defines equality retributivism?
A) The principle that the punishment for an action should be distributed equally among those guilty of the action in question.
B) The principle that punishments should produce a degree of suffering in the criminal that is equal to that endured by the victim.
C) The principle that the punishment for an action should be proportional to the severity of the crime that has been committed.
D) The principle that murderers always deserve a punishment as severe and final as the crime that they, themselves, have committed.

Accepted Answer

Equality retributivism is the idea that the punishment should inflict a level of suffering on the offender that is equivalent to the suffering experienced by the victim. This concept focuses on balancing the scales of justice by ensuring that the punishment mirrors the harm caused by the crime.

Question 18

According to Nathanson, proportional retributivism is more plausible than equality retributivism because:
A) It provides recommendations regarding the appropriate punishment for specific crimes.
B) It does not imply that a range of punishments may be appropriate for a particular crime.
C) It does not entail that those guilty of barbaric crimes should be treated barbarically.
D) It provides an adequate account of criminals' moral desert of particular punishments.

Accepted Answer

DProportional retributivism is considered more plausible than equality retributivism because it avoids the implication that barbaric crimes should be met with barbaric punishments (C), aligning with a more humane and ethical approach to justice. Additionally, it offers a framework for understanding the moral desert of particular punishments for criminals (D), suggesting that punishments should be proportionate to the severity of the crime and the moral culpability of the offender, rather than an equal or identical response to the crime committed.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a premise used by Nathanson to argue against equality retributivism?
A) Individuals' moral deserts are determined purely by the nature of their actions.
B) Equality retributivism requires that barbaric actions be punished barbarically.
C) Equality retributivism offers no plausible guidance on how to punish many crimes.
D) Individuals should be punished based on their being deserving of the punishment.

Accepted Answer

Nathanson argues against equality retributivism by critiquing its implications and practicality, but he does not claim that individuals' moral deserts are determined purely by the nature of their actions as a premise against it.

Question 20

Which of the following, according to Nathanson, is the most serious defect with both equality and proportional retributivism?
A) Neither is sufficiently general in scope to cover all potential crimes.
B) Neither one bases punishment on what a person morally deserves.
C) Both are incapable of forbidding barbaric punishments for barbaric crimes.
D) Both hold that persons, rather than actions, are the proper subject of moral evaluation.

Accepted Answer

Nathanson argues that the most serious defect with both equality and proportional retributivism is that they do not adequately base punishment on what a person morally deserves, focusing instead on other criteria for determining punishment severity.

Quiz 13: Aristotle's Ethics: Exploring Virtue and Justice

According to Wolf, nonvoluntary euthanasia is the act of a physician's intentionally ending a patient's life against the patient's will.

Wolf argues that so-called terminal sedation is a clear instance of euthanasia.

According to Wolf, a physician is not morally obliged to do everything that a patient requests in a course of treatment.

According to Wolf, a physician is morally obliged to respect a patient's right to refuse treatment even if the foreseeable consequence of this is the patient's death.

According to Wolf, there is no significant risk of error or abuse in allowing for physician-assisted suicide.

Supporters of physician-assisted suicide have argued that physicians have a duty to make assisted suicide available based on their duties to care for their patients.

Wolf argues that the fact that a practice predictably brings on death straightforwardly determines whether that practice is acceptable.

According to Wolf, a key argument against physician-assisted suicide is that it is not necessary to provide humane care at the end of life.

According to Wolf, the mere risk of causing death by sedative overdose in palliative care does not render this practice an instance of assisted suicide or euthanasia.

Wolf claims that physician-assisted suicide cannot be justified purely on the basis of doctor's duties to respect patient autonomy. Explain in your own words the principal argument for this conclusion.

Wolf claims that arguments against physician-assisted suicide are often premised on the likely consequences of permitting physicians to assist in suicide. Identify these allegedly likely consequences and explain how they support the conclusion that physician-assisted suicide should be forbidden.

Why, according to Wolf, do those opposing physician-assisted suicide often argue that the practice is not required to provide humane care at the end of life? Explain in your own words the main argument for this conclusion.

Wolf claims that Rachels's main argument in "Active and Passive Euthanasia" against the distinction between killing and letting die is "controversial" and "open to challenge." On what grounds does she make this objection? Be sure to state the objection as a complete argument.

Which of the following best captures the main question Nathanson is addressing in "An Eye for an Eye"?

Which of the following best captures Nathanson's main conclusion in "An Eye for an Eye"?

Which of the following best defines equality retributivism?

According to Nathanson, proportional retributivism is more plausible than equality retributivism because:

Which of the following is NOT a premise used by Nathanson to argue against equality retributivism?

Which of the following, according to Nathanson, is the most serious defect with both equality and proportional retributivism?