Deck 18: Aided Death: Assisted Suicide, Euthanasia, and Aid in Dying

Question 1

According to our textbook, which of the following is true about passive euthanasia?

A)People in favor of passive euthanasia also favor active euthanasia.
B)Passive euthanasia involves withdrawing an intervention that is no longer able to prolong life.
C)Passive euthanasia means the person carrying out the euthanasia is ambivalent about his or her involvement.
D)In passive euthanasia, someone commits an action that directly leads to another individual's death.
E)None of these

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Moral dilemmas about ending a life in our society most often __________.

A)relate to active euthanasia
B)arise from advances in technology and treatment
C)have to do with passive euthanasia
D)are fully resolvable by good hospice care
E)are confined to issues of assisted suicide

Answer 2

B

Question 3

If a dying person's intentions regarding his or her own death remain unknown and then someone else takes action to end the person's life in order to end the person's suffering, and the person dies, this is an example of:

A)Voluntary euthanasia
B)Involuntary euthanasia
C)Nonvoluntary euthanasia
D)Assisted suicide
E)Homicide

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is correct?

A)Voluntary euthanasia is the same as assisted suicide.
B)Nonvoluntary euthanasia occurs when the wishes of the person whose death is brought about are unknown.
C)In active euthanasia, the person who dies must ask that his or her life be terminated.
D)Voluntary euthanasia is defined in terms of the means used to bring about the death.
E)Homicide is an example of voluntary euthanasia.

Question 5

In March of 1999, Dr. Jack Kevorkian __________.

A)enabled Thomas Youk to kill himself
B)was found not guilty of assisted suicide
C)was charged with first-degree murder
D)directly brought about the death of Janet Adkins
E)was convicted of second-degree murder

Question 6

The concept of "passive euthanasia" can apply to __________.

A)never beginning interventions needed to sustain life
B)allowing or permitting death to occur
C)withdrawal of interventions that are sustaining life
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 7

A persistent vegetative state is one in which __________.

A)the individual periodically awakens, but then loses consciousness again
B)there are no spontaneous bodily movements
C)the individual's eyes never open, even in response to external stimuli
D)the individual may occasionally grimace, cry, or laugh
E)the individual retains some cognitive abilities

Question 8

In cases of assisted suicide, __________.

A)a physician helps end a human life
B)an individual ends his or her own life
C)care providers cause death by foregoing treatment
D)one individual acts directly to bring about the death of another person
E)death is brought about by a lethal injection

Question 9

In cases of euthanasia, __________.

A)an individual ends his or her own life
B)death occurs even though care providers fight against it
C)a physician offers help that a person uses to end his or her own life
D)a second individual acts to bring about the death of another person
E)death results from a medication error

Question 10

Dr. Jack Kevorkian was convicted of second-degree murder for __________.

A)being involved in providing instructions through which individuals could bring about their own deaths
B)providing individuals with a "suicide machine" through which they could control the administration of a series of eventually lethal drugs
C)being directly involved in an act of euthanasia
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 11

When a physician intentionally provides a dying individual with information and means to end his or her life, and the individual then actually uses that information and means to end his or her life, the situation is an example of:

A)Active euthanasia
B)Passive euthanasia
C)Voluntary euthanasia
D)Physician-assisted suicide
E)Homicide

Question 12

One difference between assisted suicide and active euthanasia is __________.

A)active euthanasia is more accepted by society as a whole
B)in active euthanasia, a second person actually performs an action that results in the first person's death
C)oral drugs are used in assisted suicide, while IV (intravenous)drugs are used in active euthanasia
D)active euthanasia results in painful deaths; assisted suicide deaths are always painless
E)only physicians may participate in active euthanasia

Question 13

Mrs. Chan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 10 years ago. She is now 98 years old, confused, and needing help with activities of daily living. One day, she develops pneumonia, which is deliberately not treated. This might be termed a case of:

A)Active euthanasia
B)Passive euthanasia
C)Voluntary euthanasia
D)Assisted suicide
E)Altruistic suicide

Question 14

Assisted suicide:

A)Requires the involvement of a physician
B)Involves only one person, the one who ends his or her life
C)Occurs when at least two persons are present when the suicide takes place
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 15

"Terri's Law" as passed by the Florida legislature __________.

A)permitted round-the-clock vigils outside the hospice where Terri Schiavo was under care
B)authorized the governor of Florida to remove Terri Schiavo's feeding tube
C)was declared unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court
D)was sustained by the U.S. Supreme Court
E)settled the legal battle between Terri Schiavo's husband and parents

Question 16

In cases of assisted suicide, __________.

A)one person uses assistance provided by someone else to bring about his or her own death
B)the person who provides assistance acts intentionally with full awareness of how that assistance is to be used to bring about death
C)one person acts intentionally to obtain assistance from a second individual that is intended to end the first person's own life
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 17

John is 25 years old and paraplegic. He asks his girlfriend to obtain for him and administer enough medication to end his life. If she does this, she is engaging in:

A)Active euthanasia
B)Passive euthanasia
C)Involuntary euthanasia
D)Nonvoluntary euthanasia
E)Assisted suicide

Question 18

In assisted suicide, __________.

A)a physician or other care giver may inject a lethal dose of drugs
B)only one person, the one who dies, directly acts to end his or her life
C)one person directly acts to end another person's life
D)at least two persons must be present when the act is performed which ends a life
E)the intention to end someone else's life is an essential feature

Question 19

The term "euthanasia" literally means:

A)To kill someone
B)A "good death"
C)A malevolent intention is involved
D)"Life is good"
E)"Youth in Asia"

Question 20

Which of the following is correct?

A)Terri Schiavo's husband was her court-appointed guardian.
B)A Florida circuit court judge ruled in February of 2000 that Terri Schiavo's feeding tube could be removed.
C)Terri Schiavo had not signed a living will or a durable power of attorney in health matters.
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 21

In Oregon, __________.

A)under the Death with Dignity Act, assisted suicide is legal
B)a person requesting to die under the Death with Dignity Act need not demonstrate competence
C)voters twice approved the Death with Dignity Act
D)a single request to die under the Death with Dignity act must be accepted by health care providers
E)euthanasia is legal under carefully defined circumstances

Question 22

A moral argument maintaining that it is better not to initiate euthanasia practices since it will likely be too difficult to stop once one has begun to act in these ways is:

A)Focused on enhancement of liberty
B)A "slippery slope" argument
C)Principally concerned with prevention of suffering
D)Emphasizing the preeminent value of life in all instances
E)Dependent on the doctrine of "autonomy"

Question 23

Which of the following is/are most likely to be correct?

A)According to some Jewish beliefs, life is of infinite value; this precludes participation in assisted suicide or euthanasia.
B)Some Hindus believe that the law of karma requires that one's life-threatening illness must be suffered through to pay one's karmic debt, and thus euthanasia is prohibited.
C)In Buddhist thought, personal autonomy cannot be used to override the basic goodness of life, so that preferring death to life is never morally acceptable.
D)According to some Christian beliefs, suffering may be redemptive, but that does not preclude doing what is needed to relieve that suffering.
E)All of these

Question 24

Autonomy arguments favoring assisted suicide and euthanasia are said by some to be problematic because:

A)It may not always be clear when someone is acting autonomously.
B)A person's desire to end his or her life may conflict with the desires of an individual whose assistance is desired.
C)The person wishing to die may not have all the information necessary to make an informed decision.
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 25

Since the Oregon Death with Dignity Act went into effect in October 1997, __________.

A)legislation to authorize aid in dying went into effect in California
B)federal legislation was passed in Canada to authorize assisted suicide
C)an amendment to the Belgium Act on Euthanasia authorizes euthanasia for terminally ill children who are experiencing constant and unbearable suffering
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 26

The Oregon "Death with Dignity Act" __________.

A)authorizes physicians directly to administer a lethal dose of drugs to dying persons
B)stipulates that aid in dying under the law does not constitute suicide, mercy killing, or homicide
C)legitimizes euthanasia
D)requires that the person who ends her or his own life be within at least two years of death
E)None of these

Question 27

Ordinary means of treatment __________.

A)are usually more expensive than extraordinary means
B)often have unreliable outcomes
C)typically cause great burdens and hardships for the family
D)are usually effective in dealing with symptoms or a disease
E)involve experimental drugs

Question 28

Of the five religious perspectives on the morality of euthanasia presented in this chapter, __________.

A)only Christianity approves of active euthanasia
B)all seem to allow for the discontinuing of therapies that only prolong suffering
C)Islam demands that heroic measures always be used to maintain someone's life
D)only Hinduism has a clear statement of the moral appropriateness of ending someone's life
E)all approve of assisted suicide but disapprove of any form of euthanasia

Question 29

People favoring euthanasia practices in the Netherlands maintain that these practices __________.

A)apply almost exclusively to terminally ill persons
B)account for only a small fraction of deaths in the country
C)are performed in less than one-third of the instances in which it is requested
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 30

If one holds that life is the most important value to be upheld in any situation, one would:

A)Be arguing for euthanasia on the basis of quality of life
B)Be denying that a person has the right to refuse treatment necessary to preserve life
C)Be holding that voluntary euthanasia is acceptable morally
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 31

The Oregon "Death with Dignity Act" stipulates that:

A)A patient's written request is not required.
B)The patient's death is to be brought about by the direct action of the attending physician.
C)The patient's life can be ended 48 hours after he or she makes an oral request.
D)Referral to a second, consulting physician is optional.
E)None of these

Question 32

Some people argue against the morality of active euthanasia, but in favor of passive euthanasia, on the grounds that:

A)In active euthanasia a person causes death; in passive euthanasia disease causes death.
B)The agent or cause of death in active euthanasia is a disease process, but in passive euthanasia the cause is a person.
C)The person ends his or her own life in active euthanasia.
D)The person ends his or her own life in passive euthanasia.
E)None of these

Question 33

Extraordinary means of treatment __________.

A)are not morally obligatory
B)may have side effects that are burdensome on the patient or on care providers
C)can only be identified in particular situations
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 34

Advocates of aided death argue that it is __________.

A)a legal form of assisted suicide
B)authorized under the Oregon Death with Dignity Act
C)a type of physician-assisted suicide
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 35

People opposed to euthanasia practices in the Netherlands maintain that these practices __________.

A)still involve underreporting despite the implementation of a formal notification procedure
B)have led to documented cases in which patients who have not given their consent have had their lives ended by physicians
C)have permitted the gradual extension of assisted suicide to broader groups of patients after it was legally permitted for patients designated as terminally ill
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 36

Karen Ann Quinlan, Nancy Cruzan, and Terri Schiavo __________.

A)all had completed written, advance directives stating their desires for health care
B)were each 26 years of age or younger when they entered into a comatose state
C)each became comatose as a result of an automobile accident
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 37

Pope John Paul II is reported to have stated in March of 2004 that the administration of water and food, even when provided by artificial means, __________.

A)is a medical act
B)is recognized as an extraordinary means of preserving life in all circumstances
C)always represents a natural means of preserving life
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 38

"Autonomy" __________.

A)is an irrelevant factor in moral arguments about euthanasia
B)supports arguments against an individual's right to refuse treatment that is necessary to preserve his or her life
C)means being able to make law for oneself
D)denies moral permission to someone to override the decisions of others concerning the preservation of his or her life
E)None of these

Question 39

Evelyn is 60 years old, has a diagnosis of liver cancer, and a prognosis of 2-3 weeks to live. Her physician tells her to put her affairs in order. Evelyn does not wait for death; she shoots herself with her husband's gun. Evelyn has __________.

A)committed suicide
B)engaged in active euthanasia
C)engaged in passive euthanasia
D)engaged in nonvoluntary euthanasia
E)demonstrated her insanity

Question 40

Arguments based on quality of life that favor assisted suicide and euthanasia maintain that __________.

A)life as such is good
B)life is the preeminent value
C)only a certain form of life is good
D)care providers are always required to try to preserve life
E)None of these

Question 41

Chapter 18 offers five major religious perspectives on deciding to end a human life.
Describe Jewish and Christian perspectives on this subject. How do they agree and/or disagree? (NOTE: This question can be varied by choosing any two of the five religious perspectives presented in Chapter 18.)

Question 42

Assisted suicide and euthanasia can be distinguished in terms of agency (who acts?).
Explain what this means.

Question 43

Arguments in support of intentionally ending a human life often appeal to prevention of suffering; arguments against intentionally ending a human life often appeal to preservation of life. Choose one of these positions and defend it, offering a cogent argument. Be specific. Give concrete examples.

Question 44

Explain the difference between social policy and practices regarding aided death in the state of Oregon and the Netherlands. Be specific and thorough.

Question 45

Distinguish carefully between the following pairs of terms and show how they are relevant to discussions of euthanasia:
a. Voluntary vs. nonvoluntary euthanasia
b. Active vs. passive euthanasia
c. Ordinary vs. extraordinary means of treatment

Question 46

In light of what you have learned in Chapter 18 in the eighth edition of Death & Dying, Life & Living about assisted suicide and euthanasia, comment intelligently about the activities of Dr. Jack Kevorkian.

Question 47

Chapter 18 analyzes the concepts of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Distinguish these two concepts from each other. Then provide carefully developed examples of each of these so that the reader can easily tell the difference between them.

Question 48

What is the most important lesson that you would draw from the experiences of Karen Ann Quinlan, Nancy Cruzan, and Terri Schiavo? Explain your answer.

Question 49

Distinguish carefully between assisted suicide and euthanasia in terms of what is intended.

Question 50

Suppose one is talking to a person who has been burned over 70% of her body, and she is asking that she no longer be treated, but be allowed to die. Answer both of the following:
a. Offer an argument that denies the moral appropriateness of allowing her to die.
b. Offer an argument that supports allowing the woman to die.