When is it OK to put down a human being? Pt 3
Episode 35 of the Morality of Everyday Things is now live (and part 3 of our 'Assisted Death' series)
Episode 35 is now live. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts and more.
When is it OK to put down a human being?
The third in our series on euthanasia and assisted suicide - later named with the much more provocative title, 'When is it ok to put down a human being?'. In this series we explore how much control we (and other people) should have over our own death. This is primarily focused on circumstances where death is near and inevitable, and life/treatment is becoming pretty horrible in the interim, but we do broaden the discussion a little beyond these boundaries. As we clarify in the episode, agency creates an extremely important distinction between assisted suicide and euthanasia, but even the most liberal countries draw some lines on where agency is not enough to bring us to support someone's wish for death.
In this episode, we talk through some of the pros and cons, including the classic 'slippery slope' argument as a negative and the limits of our autonomy, specifically bodily autonomy, in the pros column. We draw on some of the philosophical concepts from last episode as well as religious context and actual context. Ultimately, Jake and Ant - in classic Jake and Ant fashion - end up largely agreeing that respect for autonomy wins out in contexts where one can't be considered impaired in their judgement, in a way that can't be altered (physical pain may be an unavoidable impairment on your normal judgement, when near death).
Support the show:
If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside. Alternatively, leave us a review! We read every one and they’re a great way to help others find the show!
Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude.
Stasher / Treepoints:
Stasher.com - Need short term storage? Use Stasher for affordable and convenient luggage storage around the world on your travels.
And Treepoints - We help small businesses be more sustainable. Everything from estimating your carbon footprint to helping you plant trees.
Until next time!
Jake & Ant