Question 1: Is killing permissible, and under what conditions? 1.a. How do we de
ID: 63092 • Letter: Q
Question
Question 1:
Is killing permissible, and under what conditions?
1.a. How do we determine which living creatures have the right-to-life? How do we distinguish "persons" from other living creatures?
1.b. How do we determine when killing violates the harm priciple? Under what conditions can the right-to-life be deprives not unjustly?
2. Defend your position by offering REASONS in the following cases. Under what conditions, if any, can the right-to-life be deprived not unjustly?
a) Non-Human animals
b) Abortion
c) Infanticide
d) Euthanasia
e) Suicide
f) Capital Punishment
3. Summary: Repeat the general position in 1b and 2b, and the conculsion to your arguments in 2.
Explanation / Answer
1. One of the hottest topic under debate is Euthenasia, since a long time. Also known as mercy-killing, Euthanasia is permitted by law in certain countries but is totally disallowed in other countries like India. Every living creature has the right to live, and no person can determine this right to live or not live for some other person.
Euthanasia is killing on medical grounds. If a person, is to succumb to death, on the day medical treatment is removed, or is in severe pain/agony, and is quenching for death, then also medical science does not allow killing of such a person.
Second topic for debate is MTP (medical termination of pregnancy) or abortion. It is killing of an unborn child in the womb of it's mother. Yes, I think it should be allowed if the fetus is suffering from a severe medical/genetic disorder. Rape victims are also allowed MTP by the Indian law, but only after special permission from MCI.
Female infanticide is totally unjust and is practiced in illiterate suburbs and village areas of developing countries like India. A child cannot be deprieved of his/her life just on the basis of his/her sex.
Suicide is killing oneself due to many reasons. This is also totally unjust.
Capital punishment is the death penalty given by the law to criminals. If a criminals is deprieving others of their life, then it is totally justified to kill that person.
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