A Descartes Perspective of Euthanasia
Descartes and Euthanasia
What would the world’s first modern philosopher say about one of the most controversial issues of modern times? Rene Descartes was a prominent 17th century mathematician, scientist, and philosopher. He revolutionised western philosophy with his ideas concerning knowledge, certainty, and the connection between the mind and body. Euthanasia is a complex ethical issue facing today’s society; passive euthanasia is when a patient is allowed to die by withholding or withdrawing medical procedures, whilst voluntary euthanasia is defined as death brought about by a doctor at the request of the person who dies. Descartes never spoke explicitly on euthanasia or any correlating topics, and thus one can only conjecture his opinion on the matter. This essay seeks to highlight Descartes main beliefs in the three main areas of philosophical endeavour; epistemology, ontology, and ethics. It will then infer from these how Descartes would approach euthanasia.
Descartes was a rationalist; he based his ideas about ontology and ethics on his ideas about epistemology. He demonstrated the importance of the mind with his analogy on wax. Wax, Descartes reasoned, is in a completely different form when it is cold compared to when it is melted, and yet “Does the same wax still remain after this change? It must be admitted that it does remain; no one doubts it, or judges otherwise. What, then, was it I knew with so much distinctness in the piece of wax? Assuredly, it could be nothing of all that I observed by means of the senses, since all the things that fell under taste, smell, sight, touch, and hearing are changed, and yet the same wax remains.”(Meditation II, 1641) Descartes makes the point that while our senses tell us that the wax is completely different, our mind still knows that it is the same piece of wax. This refutes the empiricist idea that knowledge is based on physical, observable reality.
Descartes lived during a period of great political and
What would the world’s first modern philosopher say about one of the most controversial issues of modern times? Rene Descartes was a prominent 17th century mathematician, scientist, and philosopher. He revolutionised western philosophy with his ideas concerning knowledge, certainty, and the connection between the mind and body. Euthanasia is a complex ethical issue facing today’s society; passive euthanasia is when a patient is allowed to die by withholding or withdrawing medical procedures, whilst voluntary euthanasia is defined as death brought about by a doctor at the request of the person who dies. Descartes never spoke explicitly on euthanasia or any correlating topics, and thus one can only conjecture his opinion on the matter. This essay seeks to highlight Descartes main beliefs in the three main areas of philosophical endeavour; epistemology, ontology, and ethics. It will then infer from these how Descartes would approach euthanasia.
Descartes was a rationalist; he based his ideas about ontology and ethics on his ideas about epistemology. He demonstrated the importance of the mind with his analogy on wax. Wax, Descartes reasoned, is in a completely different form when it is cold compared to when it is melted, and yet “Does the same wax still remain after this change? It must be admitted that it does remain; no one doubts it, or judges otherwise. What, then, was it I knew with so much distinctness in the piece of wax? Assuredly, it could be nothing of all that I observed by means of the senses, since all the things that fell under taste, smell, sight, touch, and hearing are changed, and yet the same wax remains.”(Meditation II, 1641) Descartes makes the point that while our senses tell us that the wax is completely different, our mind still knows that it is the same piece of wax. This refutes the empiricist idea that knowledge is based on physical, observable reality.
Descartes lived during a period of great political and
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