Question

A standard view is that the permissibility of voluntary active euthanasia is grounded in two medical values, autonomy (or self-determination) and individual well-being. But we might worry that there is a conflict in relying upon both of these principles to reach that conclusion. Explain this potential conflict. How does Brock resolve the worry?

Answer 1

Voluntary active euthanasia- VAE is a kind of practice where a person willingly choice their death due to some specific reason, in medical ethics, the role of medical officer and doctor are to save life but in some conditions when medication and other treatment stop to work, the individual can choose voluntary active euthanasia.

Autonomy- A individual have a right to live there life with happiness and work under social norms but when a person suffer from unbearable problem he or she also have a right to voluntary active euthanasia, but in some conditions this process can be self-assisted suicide.

Brock’s Response- According to Brock, the voluntary active euthanasia is permissible for some conditions and a person have right to be dead, but some societies are not allowing this process because of decision cannot be taken by a person who don’t have proper attention due to chronic problem. Brock tried to solve this controversy on two background first Autonomy and second is Well-being. A person is a part of society also an individual so that the effect of any decision on society live for a long time. Brock used medical ethics with the help of social values and finally ask to allow euthanasia for rare cases not by person’s will.