Graduation Year
2022
Date of Submission
2-2022
Document Type
Campus Only Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Philosophy and Public Affairs
Reader 1
Alex Racjzi
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
2022 Rohaan K Vaswani
Abstract
The intended project of my thesis is to examine current literature on the morality of euthanasia to propose a positive view that identifies sufficient moral justifications to conduct the practice. I examine philosophical arguments for and against euthanasia to identify moral principles that compel physicians and patients to conduct or not conduct the practice. The goal of this is to analyze what specific moral considerations are applied to the practice, and which considerations possess enough moral weight to determine their precedence to act upon them. Determining the precedence of moral obligations are specifically related to acting out of an obligation or not acting out of an obligation, and whether the former or latter constitutes a lower degree of harm, or a greater ability to mitigate harm. I start by outlining the premises and conclusions of the argument, go into the strengths and limitations, and then propose a solution that identifies sufficient moral criteria in all cases of conducting euthanasia in application to the moral principles discussed. Identifying the strengths and limitations of the argument revealed the argument from autonomy and the argument from pain and suffering to possess the most sound and valid conclusions. This allows for their precedence in the moral deliberation of conducting euthanasia to be accurately determined through a minimized degree of harm or greater ability to mitigate harm by acting out of the moral principles. Acknowledging sufficient moral criteria in all cases for conducting euthanasia is significant for physicians and patients to have moral justification readily available for this complex act.
Recommended Citation
Vaswani, Rohaan, "The Morality of Euthansia: Determining Precedence of Contradictory Prima Facie Principles for Moral Justification" (2022). CMC Senior Theses. 3088.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/3088
This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.
