A Socratic Dialogue about Euthanasia between Jane Eyre and Immanuel Kant

So…. I took an ethics class. Beginning of the semester, things didn’t go so well. By the end of it, I was a natural. This is one of the pieces I worked on.

Introduction:

As philosophers from around the world dive into discussion on various ethical dilemmas, the morality of euthanasia comes into question. Considering that euthanasia is the intentional act of ending a life to end pain, it becomes a rather difficult topic to discuss. Perhaps its controversial nature poses a challenge to most philosophers which makes it a topic that very few discuss. Though I am simply a college student of 17, I will attempt to bring this topic into a meaningful discussion between Jane Eyre and Immanuel Kant, the main character of Charlotte Brontë’s elusive Victorian novel and the famous German philosopher.

Characters:

Jane Eyre: Character from Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre. She is compassionate, intelligent, and a deep thinker who is influenced by the deontological ethics of Immanuel Kant.

Immanuel Kant: German philosopher responsible for creating the ethical theory of deontology.

Dialogue:

Immanuel Kant and Jane are sitting together in Jane’s drawing room, each with a cup of Earl Grey tea in hand and a butter biscuit. They are having this conversation in Jane’s home in heaven since one is dead and the other is a fictional character.

Immanuel Kant (sits down on the sofa): Good evening, Missus Eyre!

Jane Eyre (sits opposite him): Good evening, sir. Are the biscuits and tea in accordance with your personal preferences?

Immanuel Kant: Yes, they certainly are!

Jane Eyre: I intended for the two of us to converse this brittle evening at my humble home about the ethicality of Euthanasia in our modern world. My personal belief hanging to the idea that it should not be ethically justifiable because it decreases the respect we have for human life, and that health professionals can abuse their power which inevitably tarnishes the trust we have in the healthcare system.

Immanuel Kant: Before we embark on this arduous discussion, I want you to know that even though my personal beliefs on this matter are like yours, I am hoping to understand why someone would want to promote Euthanasia by challenging the possibility of it being ethically justifiable.

Jane Eyre: Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Immanuel Kant: Euthanasia’s broader purpose is to reduce suffering so why do you think that euthanasia decreases the respect we have for human life if it is aligned with the existence of life?

Jane Eyre: To commence my argument, I will start by saying that life as we know it is a rather fragile and unpredictable phenomenon. One day we are alive, the next day we aren’t. No day on this peculiar planet is ever the same, nor is it ever painless. Life is pain –

Immanuel Kant (cuts her off): So, what you’re trying to say is why don’t we hold the same thought for something like euthanasia?

Jane Eyre: Precisely. We want to justify euthanasia to emancipate ourselves from the reality of life which is pain. We disregard the fact that all of us are suffering.

Immanuel Kant: And exactly how would you justify this with an ethical perspective?

Jane Eyre: Through utilitarianism. Do you know what is utilitarianism?

Immanuel Kant: Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that what is right or wrong is determined by its results. It’s a consequentialist theory formed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Why do you ask?

Jane Eyre: Utilitarianism’s perspective on euthanasia suggests that euthanasia should be ethically justifiable because the outcome results in the person suffering to be saved from it. Yet, this does not consider the morality of the action. The moral principles will say that ending a life, no matter the purpose is unjustifiable in any way.

Immanuel Kant: What makes you think that utilitarianism does not consider moral obligations and the moral principles of euthanasia?

Jane Eyre: If you could wait for me as I grab a book from the parlor to prove this claim to you.

Immanuel Kant: Of course.

Jane Eyre gets up and goes to the parlor. There she grabs a book called Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill. She then comes back to the drawing room. On her way, she flips to the pages of the book to find what she is looking for.

Jane Eyre: I have brought for you Utilitarianism, a novel written by John Stuart Mill the creator of the utilitarian ethical theory. In this book, Mill writes here:

“If I am asked, what I mean by difference of quality in pleasures, or what makes one pleasure more valuable than another, merely as a pleasure, except its being greater in amount, there is but one possible answer. Of two pleasures, if there be one to which all or almost all who have experience of both give a decided preference, irrespective of any feeling of moral obligation to prefer it, that is the more desirable pleasure.” (Mill 11).

Immanuel Kant: I see. So, Mill claims here that if it comes to a positive outcome like relief, a person should not consider any moral obligations.

Jane Eyre: Exactly.

Immanuel Kant: Although your logic for respecting life and considering moral obligations and principles makes sense, this does not consider the possible legalization of euthanasia.

Jane Eyre: The consensus I hold to this counterargument is that if we were to legalize euthanasia, it would be a slippery slope that could lead to other disastrous results like health professionals abusing their power and us as a society losing trust in our healthcare system.

Immanuel Kant: How so?

Jane Eyre: To explain, euthanasia’s legalization would increase open discussions about death. People who struggle with any illness whether mental or physical, would consider euthanasia as an option. There would be no consideration of clinical depression and its role in the decision-making process.

Immanuel Kant: In my Categorical Imperative, I discussed something that proves this. It was about the impact something like suicide would have since it diminishes the value life holds and can therefore not become a universal law.

Jane Eyre: Yes, I know. It was for this reason I chose to discuss this topic with you. In The Categorical Imperative, you wrote about how people who are suffering justify acts like suicide when it breaks the universal law to respect life. A similar understanding would go for euthanasia.

Immanuel Kant (smiles): Ah Missus Eyre, it seems you are reading a tad too deep into my thoughts.

Jane Eyre (chuckles): I do think I am. But sir let us not steer away from the topic.

Immanuel Kant (chuckles): Okay.

Jane Eyre: The Categorical Imperative proves that it would be a dangerous path to legalize euthanasia. Since it destroys the principle that life is sacred and valuable, it claims that euthanasia’s legalization would simply result in doom.

Immanuel Kant: And how would this result in us losing trust in our healthcare?

Jane Eyre: Well, the legalization of euthanasia would lead to the abuse of power by healthcare professionals and patients. Similar to normalizing suicide, euthanasia would have a similar outcome where the people who suffer would abuse the availability of euthanasia. Moreover, if a healthcare professional were to abuse their power, it would result in a lack of trust in the healthcare system, which would leave death always open as a possibility.

Immanuel Kant: All in all, the legalization of euthanasia is a slippery slope.

Jane Eyre: Precisely my point.

Immanuel Kant: After hearing what you have to say, I understand and agree that the open possibility of euthanasia is simply dangerous and problematic.

A carriage comes in and Immanuel Kant looks out to see that his ride is here. Jane Eyre notices the carriage too.

Immanuel Kant: Well, I must bid you adieu Jane Eyre. You have filled me with flavorful biscuits and tea, as well as a memorable conversation.

Jane Eyre: Thank you for coming. It was my pleasure to go through my thoughts and opinions on this controversial topic. It is important to know that euthanasia is ethically unjustifiable due to it diminishing the value of life and creating a system that would slowly diminish the trust we have in healthcare professionals and the healthcare system.

Immanuel Kant: I see the point you are making.

The two leave the drawing room and approach the entrance to the cottage.

Immanuel Kant: May you rest well this evening Missus Eyre!

Jane Eyre: Thank you! Au revoir.

Conclusion:

To conclude, this dialogue between Immanuel Kant and Jane Eyre dives into the ethical dilemma of euthanasia. Analyzing the arguments through the utilitarian perspective and the deontological perspective, Kant and Eyre were able to conclude their discussion in agreement with the ethically unjustifiable reality of euthanasia.

Works Cited

Kant, Immanuel. GROUNDWORK FOR THE METAPHYSICS OF MORALS. Trans. T.K. Abbott, 1883, https://pressbooks.pub/phronesis/chapter/the-categorical-imperative/.

Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism. Batoche Books, 1863. socialsciences.mcmaster.ca, https://socialsciences.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/mill/utilitarianism.pdf.