The case study involves four individuals presenting their views on the moral status of a fetus and the acceptability of abortion. Dr. Wilson informs Jessica that her unborn child does not have arms and is unlikely to develop them in the future, and the fetus has a 25% chance of having Down syndrome. Dr. Wilson outlines all possible options to Jessica but considers aborting the preferred choice. Aunt Maria dissuades Jessica from abortion, based on her Christian views. Jessica hesitates over the choice because, on the one hand, she regards the child as an economic burden, but on the other hand, she is influenced by Christian views. Marco, Jessica’s husband, also views the child as a hindrance to their economic prosperity but will accept Jessica’s decision. Thus, the four persons in the case study represent different theories of moral status, which will be discussed further.
Cristian View of the Nature of Humans
The Christian view of the human beings’ nature is that every life is sacred. Christians believe that humans were made in God’s image, so they possess a dignity that is “inherent and inalienable and inviolable” (Chuk, 2019, p. 93). Moreover, according to Christians’ perspective, human life is sacred at every stage of development, starting with the moment of conception (Chuk, 2019). As Chuk (2019) notes, every human being, regardless of the stage of development, has inherent dignity because “at no point does it cease to be the work of God” (p. 94). Thus, abortion is unacceptable from the Christian point of view because the fetus is regarded as God’s creation possessing intrinsic human value and dignity.
The Christian perspective is compatible with the theory of moral status based on human properties and relationships. The compatibility with the first theory is manifested by the fact that any person, regardless of his or her cognitive abilities or other characteristics, is valuable and has human dignity. The Christian view also aligns with the theory of relationships because every person has a relationship with God. All human beings are created in the image of God, and God loves every creature made by him.
Theories of Moral Status Used by the Persons in the Case Study
Theories of moral status determine what entities and living beings deserve protection or special treatment. There are five theories of moral status: based on human properties, cognitive properties, moral agency, sentience, and relationships (Zwitter, 2019). In the case study, Aunt Maria says that Jessica should allow God’s intentions to be accomplished and emphasizes Jessica’s responsibility as a mother. Aunt Maria’s arguments fall under the provisions of the relationship theory, according to which people have moral obligations to individuals, with whom they have relationships “stronger and more influential than relationships with strangers and outsiders” (Beckwith & Thornton, 2020, p. 508). According to Aunt Maria, Jessica has a relationship with God and her unborn child, so she should base her judgment on these relationships.
Dr. Wilson strongly supports abortion, explaining to Jessica that the child would have a poor quality of life if it were born. His arguments are based on the cognitive properties theory. According to it, only the beings who possess self-consciousness, use the language for communication, and can accomplish goal-oriented activities autonomously have moral status (Beckwith & Thornton, 2020). The child would be born without arms and, perhaps, with Down syndrome, so it would not be able to live an autonomous life.
Jessica struggles with her choice because she believes that all life is sacred. This view is characteristic of the human properties theory, which posits that all humans have moral status, regardless of disability, senility, or immaturity (Beckwith & Thornton, 2020). Finally, Marco applies the cognitive properties theory by having concerns about the child’s influence on their economic situation. The child would be an economic burden because of his disabilities, which would prevent it from acting autonomously. On the other hand, Marco is ready to agree with his wife’s decision, thus demonstrating the relationship theory. Marco has a relationship with Jessica and the unborn child, so he is prepared to give moral status to the unborn child because of his parental relationships with it.
The Influence of Theories on Recommendations for Action
The four persons’ application of different theories affects their recommendations for action. Aunt Maria’s choice of the relationship theory makes her oppose abortion, so she advises Jessica to keep the child. Dr. Wilson, on the contrary, supports abortion because, in his opinion, the fetus lacks cognitive abilities and, thus, does not have moral status. Jessica adheres to the human properties theory, which makes her respect life at all stages of development. So, she cannot agree to abortion because she endows the fetus with moral status. Finally, the cognitive properties theory advises Marco to choose abortion, but the relationship theory suggests that the fetus has moral status because of Marco’s parental relationship. In addition, Marco’s marital relationship with Jessica encourages him to accept her decision.
The Selected Theory
I agree with the sentience theory. According to this theory, the main criterion for assigning moral status is the creature’s ability to feel pain or pleasure (Zwitter, 2019). This theory is selected because it ascribes moral status not only to humans but also to other living beings. At the same time, according to this theory, early-stage fetuses do not possess moral status because they have not developed a nervous system yet and cannot feel pain. Therefore, this theory would influence the recommendation for action by allowing abortion at the early stage of the fetus’s development. Yet, I would refrain from imposing my views on patients because it is a vital personal choice. Instead, I would provide the necessary information to patients so that they could make an informed decision aligned with their values.
References
Beckwith, F., & Thornton, A. K. (2020). Moral status and the architects of principlism. The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy: A Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine, 45(4-5), 504-520. Web.
Chuk, A. F. (2019). Abortion and the dignity of human life: A reflection on the fifth commandment and a Christian political response to contemporary culture of death. Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development, 2(5), 92-123.
Zwitter, M. (2019). Medical ethics in clinical practice. Springer.