Introduction
In the sphere of health care, the situations associated with a fetal abnormality are regarded as complex and controversial because of the difficulty of the choice to be made by parents. In the present case study, the fetus is diagnosed with a rare condition of not developing arms. Furthermore, there is a high risk that the fetus will have Down syndrome. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the case study with reference to the theories of moral status.
Christian View of the Nature of Human Persons and Compatible Theory of Moral Status
The Christian view of the nature of human persons is that each individual is created in the image of God, and he or she deserves respect. The lives of all human persons are viewed as sacred from the moment of their conception. Thus, each person has an intrinsic value that needs to be accepted and respected. Furthermore, human dignity needs to be valued in all people, regardless of their qualities (Mitchell, 2014). As a result, all individuals are expected to be respected according to the Christian view (White, 2020a). This view is compatible with the theory of moral status that is based on human properties because the focus is on respecting the interests of any human being despite its qualities. If an individual or the fetus is related to a human being, he or she has moral status and should be respected, and dignity should be accentuated.
Determination of Moral Status
All the individuals discussed in the case study follow certain views associated with theories of moral status. Jessica is convinced that humans’ life is sacred; that is why, it is possible to state that she is inclined to follow the principles of the theory based on human properties (White, 2020a; Wireless Philosophy, 2014). Marco seems to follow the principles of the theory based on sentience. The reason is that he believes that the fetus can feel something, but this ability is not enough to make a strict choice and reject the possibility of abortion because of associated difficulties and barriers in the family’s future life.
In contrast to Jessica, Aunt Maria is a vivid example of a person who follows the ideas of the theory based on human properties and the Christian view. Thus, Aunt Maria believes that Jessica needs to keep her pregnancy and follow God’s plan and intention to see her as a mother who should not refuse her responsibilities. Dr. Wilson follows a scientific position in the discussed case, and this perspective is more compatible with the theory based on cognitive properties (White, 2020b). The reason is that Dr. Wilson actively proposes alternative variants for Jessica, indicating the possibility of abortion. This position is typical for physicians who do not believe the fetus has any cognitive functionality to be considered as a human being with moral status.
Recommendation for Action
The recommendations for action stated by Dr. Wilson, Marco, and Maria are influenced by the theories they follow. Thus, if the discussed women view the fetus as a human being, they are inclined to follow the theory based on human properties. In this case, Jessica can agree with the position of Aunt Maria and choose to give life to the baby as a human being with its dignity and as God’s gift. Dr. Wilson’s position is more scientific and practical as he tends to believe that abortion is appropriate in such situations as the fetus has no cognitive qualities. Thus, the fetus cannot be viewed as a human being with its consciousness and feelings (Lee, 2015). Marco tends to regard the fetus as a human being because of the aspect of sentience, as it is possible to assume. The recommended action, in this case, should depend on the theories based on human properties and sentience, as these positions are followed by parents. As a result, they can be inclined to save their baby’s life in spite of expected difficulties.
Personal Response to Case Study
I am inclined to agree with the theory based on human properties because it is mostly similar to the Christian view. As a result, any human being has the right to be respected, and his or her interests need to be addressed. The life of any person, including the fetus, has value and cannot be terminated. So, I am inclined to regard unborn children as human beings, and the recommendation for action will be to oppose abortion. More tests need to be done in order to become sure regarding the diagnosis. However, it is also necessary to note that exceptions can be made if this pregnancy is dangerous for the woman.
Conclusion
The determination and analysis of people’s moral status are important questions to consider. The existing theories of moral status propose various views which are promoted by people depending on ethical and religious beliefs and positions. In this case study, the focus should be on analyzing the situation from the perspective of the theory based on human properties. This theory has been selected as it is correlated with Christian ideas.
References
Lee, P. (2015). Moral status and the margins of human life. The American Journal of Jurisprudence, 60(1), 105-120.
Mitchell, C. B. (2014). Human dignity: A first principle. Ethics & Medicine, 30(3), 133-136.
White, N. (2020a). God, humanity, and human dignity. GCU Digital Resources. Web.
White, N. (2020b). Practicing dignity: An introduction to Christian values and decision making in health care. GCU Digital Resources. Web.
Wireless Philosophy. (2014, May 19). Philosophy – Ethics: Moral status (by Jeff Sebo) [Video]. YouTube. Web.