Multiple Choice Quiz

Active euthanasia involves:

the intentional termination of one's life by another person, to relieve pain and suffering.

the cessation of the employment of "extraordinary means" to prolong one's life.

intentionally causing a patient's death, against the patient's wishes.

the refusal to treat a patient, against the patient's wishes.

According to the conventional doctrine:

active euthanasia is sometimes permissible, but passive euthanasia never is.

passive euthanasia is sometimes permissible, but active euthanasia never is.

both active and passive euthanasia are sometimes permissible.

neither active nor passive euthanasia are ever permissible.

Rachels claims that active euthanasia:

typically leads to more suffering than passive euthanasia.

typically leads to the same amount of suffering as passive euthanasia.

typically leads to less suffering than passive euthanasia.

none of the above.

Rachels argues that the conventional doctrine:

is self-evidently correct.

is counterintuitive, but can be supported by strong arguments.

leads to decisions concerning life and death made on morally irrelevant grounds.

leads to patients being euthanized against their will.

According to Rachels, many people accept the conventional doctrine because they believe:

killing is intrinsically worse than letting die.

there is no intrinsic moral difference between killing and letting die.

letting die is morally worse than killing.

it is never permissible either to let someone die or to kill them.

According to Rachels, many people view killing to be, in itself, morally worse than letting die because:

most actual cases of killing are morally reprehensible.

most actual cases of letting die are motivated by humanitarian reasons.

both a and b.

neither a nor b.

Rachels claims that once it has been decided that euthanasia is desirable in a case:

a moral error has already been made.

it has been decided that death is no greater an evil than the patient's continued existence.

it has been decided that the patient does not have a right to life.

the amount of suffering of the patient becomes irrelevant.

According to Rachels, active euthanasia is currently:

forbidden by law, and conventionally considered immoral.

forbidden by law, but conventionally considered permissible.

permitted by law, but conventionally considered immoral.

permitted by law, and conventionally considered permissible.

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