Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
James Rachels
Active and Passive
Euthanasia
(1975)
James Rachels
(1941 2003)
James Rachels
(1941 2003)
1/26/2014
Percys Mansion
Very rich!
Poor Percy!
But wait . . . !
Hello, Master
Percy.
I, your Uncle,
have been
appointed to be
your new
guardian!
Percy is rich!!!!
Oh, oh!
1/26/2014
Scenario 1
Uncle
Smith
Uncle Smith
Glug, glug,
glug . . . !
CENSORED!
1/26/2014
Scenario 2
Uncle
Jones
. . . the very
moment I
walk in the
bathroom to
drown him!
Oh, thank
you, God!
Uncle Jones
Uncle Jones
1/26/2014
So I will put
little Percy
out of his
misery by
letting him
drown on his
own and then
spend his
millions on
myself!
Uncle Jones
Glug, glug,
glug . . . !
CENSORED!
1/26/2014
Thomas Sullivan
(1977)
Aiming at
versus
Foreseeing
Thomas D. Sullivan
(19?? Present)
Aiming At
1/26/2014
Foreseeing
Unintended Suffering
Aiming at Death
Foreseeing Death
1/26/2014
Aiming at Death
versus Foreseeing Death
One may foresee the consequences of ones action without
thereby necessarily intending to bring about these
consequences.
Ordinary versus
Extraordinary Means
Ordinary Means
Extraordinary Means
1/26/2014
James Rachels
More Impertinent
Distinctions and a
Defense of Active
Euthanasia
Critique of Sullivan
on Intention
(1978)
1/26/2014
Meet Grandma
C
I just love
Grandma sooooo
much!
All I want to do is
make her happy!
I dont care about
her money!
Very rich!
C
Grandma is rich!
Jack
10
1/26/2014
I hate church.
But I take
Grandma
there on
Sundays
because it
means so
much to her!
After that I
take
Grandma to
the movies.
Those
Disney films
are really
lame. But I
do it cause I
love
Grandma!
When the
movies over, I
take Grandma
home, put her to
bed, and read to
her . . .
Of course,
theres other
things Id
But, hey, I
rather do
give them all
with my time:
up because I
just love
Grandma
soooo much!
. . . until she
falls asleep!
11
1/26/2014
Grandma is a
royal drag. She
really gets on
my nerves! I
wish shed die
tomorrow so I
could start
spending all of
her beautiful
money!
I hate church.
But I take
Grandma
there on
Sundays so I
can get her
money when
she dies!
Jill
After that I
take
Grandma to
the movies.
Those
Disney films
are really
lame. But I
do it cause I
want
Grandmas
money!
When the
movies over, I
take Grandma
home, put her to
bed, and read to
her . . .
. . . until she
falls asleep!
12
1/26/2014
Ofhey,
course,
But,
I
other
givetheres
them all
things Id
up because
I
justrather
want do
with my time:
Grandmas
money soooo
much!
Thus intention
has nothing to
do with whether
an act is right or
wrong!
13
1/26/2014
2. But one and the same action cannot be both right and
wrongit must be either one or the other.
Dr. White
Dr. Black
Dr. White
So, again,
intention has
nothing to do
with whether an
act is right or
wrong!
Dr. Black
14
1/26/2014
Dr. White
Thus Jacks intention shows him to have a good character,
while Jills intention shows her character to be bad.
Dr. Black
15
1/26/2014
Ordinary Means
Critique of Sullivan
on the Ordinary
versus ExtraOrdinary Means
Distinction
16
1/26/2014
Extraordinary Means
Two Strong
Arguments For Active
Euthanasia
17
1/26/2014
18