Life and Death: Practice Questions

Regarding Life and Death, which of the following is considered a primary social consideration for a government when addressing an increasingly ageing population?

A terminally ill patient, of sound mind, explicitly requests their doctor to administer a lethal dose of medication to end their suffering. If the doctor complies, this act is typically categorized as:

Critics of the 'retribution' theory of capital punishment often advocate for a model of punishment known as 'transformation.' In the context of Life and Death, the 'transformation' model suggests that the primary goal of the justice system should be:

When analyzing the ethical considerations of Suicide, some philosophers argue that the act is a breach of one's responsibility to society because it deprives the community of a member's contributions. This argument primarily challenges the patient's claim to:

A patient, deemed to be in a permanent vegetative state (PVS) with no prospect of recovery, is kept alive solely by means of artificial hydration and nutrition (AHN) via a feeding tube. The patient left no explicit advance directive.

After prolonged consultation, the patient's legally designated surrogate decision-maker requests the medical team to withdraw the AHN, a request ultimately approved by the hospital ethics committee, leading inevitably to the patient's death.

This act is best classified ethically as which form of euthanasia, and which fundamental ethical principle primarily guides the decision to withdraw treatment in this non-autonomous context?

Explain why the transformation theory of punishment is fundamentally incompatible with capital punishment, specifically focusing on the concept of the offender’s moral agency and how this differs from the retribution theory.