People all around the world often have to face different obstacles and make wise decisions based on their moral principles and fundamental values. Case Study: Fetal Abnormality provides its readers with an example of a situation in which individuals encountered a complicated life circumstance and had to make a hard choice. The married couple that was finally able to balance their financial situation got to know that their unborn child has an abnormality of development. Upon completing various tests, it was revealed that the fetus has no arms and has a 25% chance of developing the Down syndrome. Therefore, the decision that the family will make regarding their future actions will indicate their perception of the moral status of the fetus. The following reflection will discuss specific ethical theories used by the agents of the case study and state a personal opinion.
According to the Christian viewpoint, human beings were created by God; thus, they all have a particular purpose and should have a right to live. Christianity teaches its followers that the universe was established with love and power, and its existence in meaningful and significant (Attfield, 2020). For this reason, every animal and individual that lives in this world is valuable and should enjoy the beauty, love, and justice given by God (Attfield, 2020). It can be stated that the discussed view of the nature of humans is compatible with the theory of value and obligation. The ideas of this belief support the claim that every creation of God is essential; hence, any action that can bring harm should be prohibited (Attfield, 2020). In addition, the theory is highly related to the intrinsic human value and dignity since it highlights the significance of every person no matter what their status and characteristics are.
In the discussed case study, individuals have various opinions about future actions that should be undertaken, which means that they use distinct theories in order to determine the moral status of the fetus. While Dr. Wilson claims that abortion is the best decision in this situation, aunt Maria believes that the mother should follow God’s plan and give birth to the child no matter what. Consequently, it can be concluded that Maria stands for the Christian perspective and the theory of value and obligation. The aunt prays, begs Jessica to keep the child, and encourages her to think as a mother to avoid devaluating the life of the human being. At the same time, Dr. Wilson thinks primarily about the mother and her autonomy. He uses liberal theory, which puts the freedom and safety of an individual in the first place (Flathman, 2018). The doctor informs Jessica about the diagnosis immediately and suggests abortion as the wisest action in this situation.
Since the doctor and Maria use distinct theories to determine the moral status of the fetus, their beliefs influence their recommendations differently. As mentioned by Brown (2018), moral status presents human beings with equal rights and obligations in society, meaning that children and embryos should have the same freedom and independence as adults. Therefore, Dr. Wilson does not attribute moral status to the fetus, which completely devaluates the life of the unborn child and makes it easier to suggest abortion (Brown, 2018). On the other hand, Maria trusts the word of God and believes that every human should be valued and respected. This claim affects her decision and encourages her to influence the choice of Jessica in favor of the child rather than personal benefits.
After considering the advantages and disadvantages of the two different perspectives, it can be stated that I strongly agree with Dr. Wilson and the theory of liberalism. Even though people usually refer to it when describing politics, this approach is also widely used in moral philosophy (Flathman, 2018). Liberal thought puts the needs and preferences of an individual first and gives total freedom in acting according to personal benefits (Flathman, 2018). In case Jessica makes an abortion, she will primarily help her family by freeing herself and her husband from financial obstacles that will be brought by the disabled infant. Furthermore, the couple and the child will not have to go through constant psychological suffering because of the physical disabilities and problems with development. Thus, if Jessica turns to liberalism, she will make a rational decision by following the doctor’s suggestion to terminate the pregnancy.
To summarize, people use different theories when assigning moral status to other humans and children. As a result, these beliefs influence individuals’ decisions and choices and determine how they will act in certain life situations. The discussed case study provided readers with a specific circumstance that requires immediate decision-making and moral judgment. Jessica is pregnant with the child that does not have a chance for healthy development. While her aunt believes that any human being should be valued, the doctor points out that abortion is the smartest choice. Thus, the presented paper discussed two different theories that individuals use in order to determine the moral status of the child and provided a personal opinion concerning the better option.
References
Attfield, R. (2020). A theory of value and obligation. Routledge.
Brown, M. T. (2018). The moral status of the human embryo. The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy: A Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine, 43(2), 132-158. Web.
Flathman, R. (2018). Toward a Liberalism. Cornell University Press.