Introduction
Jessica, a 30-year-old Mexican immigrant, and her husband, Marco, recently moved into their own apartment after years of hard work. When Jessica is pregnant, ultrasounds reveal that the fetus has no arms and a 25% chance of Down syndrome. At the hospital, Marco tries to control when Jessica learns the diagnosis, but Dr. Wilson insists she has a right to know and informs her of the options, including abortion. Jessica struggles between her belief in the sanctity of life and the practical concerns of raising a child with disabilities, while Marco worries about their financial stability, and Aunt Maria urges her to continue the pregnancy.
The moral status of the fetus and the ramifications of its anomaly are at the center of the case study on fetal abnormality, which poses a difficult ethical conundrum. The case study raises concerns regarding the Christian understanding of human nature and dignity. The case revolves around Jessica, a pregnant woman, whose fetus has been diagnosed with a rare abnormality. Jessica, Marco, Maria, and Dr. Wilson employ various theories to assess the fetus’s moral status and suggest suitable courses of action. Among them, the theory grounded in human properties provides a compelling framework for analyzing the fetus’s moral status, highlighting the inherent value of human life.
Christian Perspective on Human Nature and Moral Status
The idea that people were made in God’s likeness and had intrinsic worth and dignity forms the foundation of the Christian understanding of what it means to be human. Christians assert that all human beings are entitled to respect and protection. This perspective, which assumes that all humans possess moral status merely by virtue of being human, is compatible with the idea of moral status based on human characteristics (Bogue et al., 2022, p. 99). The essentialist view of human value differs from functional moral status perspectives, which place importance on cognitive traits, moral agency, sentience, or relationships. Functional theories are inconsistent with the Christian understanding of human beings, as they reject the idea that people have inherent worth.
As everyone was created in God’s image, Christians believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. The idea of inherent human value and dignity, which holds that every human life has value regardless of capabilities, is likewise closely tied to this viewpoint (Stahl & Kilner, 2017, p. 29). The theory of moral status based on human properties, which is also based on the notion of intrinsic worth, is thus supported by the Christian understanding of the nature of human persons.
Theories Guiding Stakeholders on Fetal Moral Status
Sentience-Based Theory
Jessica, Marco, Maria, and Dr. Wilson are using several ideas to evaluate the fetus’s moral status. One of the five primary theories of moral status is the sentience-based theory, as employed by Dr. Wilson (Bogue et al., 2022, p. 98). He contends that since the fetus can feel pain and has moral worth, it is entitled to moral and ethical treatment. This is clear when he explains the diagnosis to Jessica and suggests abortion as a responsible medical option.
Functional Theory
On the other hand, Marco appears to reject the idea based on human properties, as he is more concerned with the economic and financial effects of the pregnancy. Although the specific theory Marco endorses is difficult to discern, it is most likely a functional theory rather than an essentialist theory grounded in human properties (Bogue et al., 2022, p. 99). Marco believes the fetus has minimal moral significance because the pregnancy will impact its capacity to maintain financial security.
Relationship-Based Theory
On the other hand, Aunt Maria appears to support the relationship-based perspective. She exhorts Jessica to carry the baby to term and to consider her motherly duties. According to this idea, a person’s moral status is determined by their relationships with other people (Bogue et al., 2022, p. 98). Therefore, Aunt Maria follows this theory by placing the onus on Jessica as the fetus’s mother.
Human-Property Theory
Ultimately, it seems that Jessica subscribes to the theory based on human characteristics and believes that every life is inherently sacred. According to this theory, a person has moral status simply by virtue of being human (Bogue et al., 2022, p. 96). Jessica’s conflict shows this over whether or not to get an abortion, seemingly motivated by her conviction that every life is sacred.
Influence of Moral Theories on Recommended Actions
Each theory offers a new perspective through which to see the situation and make judgments, so Jessica, Marco, Maria, and Dr. Wilson’s ideas influence their recommendations for action in different ways. According to Dr. Wilson’s view of moral status based on sentience, Jessica has a moral right to make decisions about her body. As such, Dr. Wilson suggests that Jessica be offered an abortion. Marco considers the pregnancy a potential burden that would jeopardize their ambitions and financial security, which raises the possibility that he does not regard the fetus as having moral status. In contrast, Aunt Maria’s religious convictions guide her advice that Jessica take the child to term because she believes that every life is sacred and that she must carry out God’s purpose.
Preferred Moral Theory and Its Implications for Action
I concur with the theory based on human properties, one of the five main theories of moral status. According to this idea, a person’s moral status is entirely founded on the fact that they are a human being. According to this perspective, everyone has a moral status, including unborn children, that is unaffected by a person’s physical or mental capabilities. I believe everyone has intrinsic worth, regardless of factors such as talent or intelligence. Therefore, the fetus’s moral status is unaffected by its diagnosis.
The theory based on human properties would influence the recommendation for action in this case study. Notably, this theory is known to oppose harmful medical testing and abortion (Beckwith & Thornton, 2020, p. 514). Thus, Dr.Wilson’s advice to Jessica to think about abortion is not ideal. Instead, Dr. Wilson should review all of the possibilities with Jessica and her husband, including adoption. However, Jessica and Marco should make the final decision based on their own values rather than those of Dr. Wilson or Aunt Maria.
Conclusion
In conclusion, using the theory based on human properties in the case study of fetal abnormality allows for a nuanced evaluation of the moral status of the fetus by acknowledging human dignity. This theory plays a significant role in determining the moral status of the fetus and subsequently influences the recommendation for action. The theories advanced by Jessica, Marco, Maria, and Dr. Wilson yield different interpretations of the fetus’s moral status. The case study presents a complex moral conundrum that requires knowledge of the various theories of the moral status of the fetus.
References
Beckwith, F. J., & Thornton, A. K. (2020). Moral status and the architects of principlism. The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 45(4–5), 504–520.
Bogue, D. W., Hogan, M., White, N. H., Hoehner, P. J., Self, C. W. & Evans, K. A. (2022). Practicing dignity: An introduction to Christian values and decision making in health care (2nd ed.). Grand Canyon University.
Stahl, D., & Kilner, J. F. (2017). The image of God, bioethics, and persons with profound intellectual disabilities. The Journal of the Christian Institute on Disability (JCID), 6.1-6.2, 19-40.