Question

Imagine you lived back in the mid-1300s Bubonic Plague (“Black Death”). A loved one or best friend has been infected and is showing early symptoms. EXPLAIN whether you could give them a “mercy killing” of a quick and mostly painless death if they asked you to do so. JUSTIFY your decision.

Answer 1

In the mid-1300s Bubonic Plague, faced with a loved one's infection, granting a "mercy killing" would be a complex moral choice.

How to explain

While ending suffering seems compassionate, ethical dilemmas arise. Providing a quick death could be viewed as an act of compassion to spare prolonged agony.

However, such actions confront moral, religious, and legal boundaries. Considering the prevailing beliefs and societal norms of the time, a "mercy killing" might be unacceptable due to religious prohibitions and legal repercussions.

The decision would weigh individual empathy against societal and ethical frameworks, making it a morally intricate and challenging choice within the historical context.