Moral status

Moral Standing and Ethics in the Treatment of Persons, Animals, and the Environment

Moral standing is one aspect of tying ethics to the treatment of persons, animals, and the environment through a chain of command. It refers to the extent to which various living things merit regard. It is primarily concerned with the rights of beings and entities. Human rights are the focus of attention when it comes to humans. The topic of fetal abnormalities is examined in this case study. Jessica, her husband Marco, Aunt Maria, and her doctor Wilson are the four people present. Current technological breakthroughs allow for the early diagnosis of prenatal anomalies. Jessica’s unborn child seems to have some anomalies according to Dr. Wilson. Jessica and Marco have a decision to make. Theories concerning the fetus’ moral status may be used to explain this situation. Each of these persons has different viewpoints on the course of action.

Jessica’s Viewpoint

Jessica is undecided on her desire to be financially empowered and her conviction that every life matters. She believes that all lives are sacred, hence invoking the sentience theory, holding that the fetus indeed has a moral status. She might not terminate the pregnancy. She has a duty to the fetus as a mother, therefore supporting the relationship theory, and she has already developed a relationship with her unborn child as his/her mother.

Aunt Maria’s Viewpoint

For Aunt Maria, she is opposed to abortion completely. She perceives the fetus’s moral status on the basis of Jessica’s obligation as a mother, or simply the hypothesis of moral agency based on correlations. The theory asserts that an individual ought not to interfere with another human and should value their rights since they have a correlation with them (Tannenbaum & Jaworska, 2013). For instance, a correlation between a parent or fetus here offers a strong incentive for that parent not to murder or abort that fetus.

Maria is also talking about God and His will in this situation. She asserts that God knew about the pregnancy and He allowed it to happen; therefore, it would be sinful to terminate the pregnancy. Therefore, the theory of relationship and moral agency is what causes her recommendations to Jessica not to abort. She feels that Jessica has the morality to make the right choice and she will be judged by God for it. The relationship theory is that Jessica has an established relationship with the fetus as its mother. A fetus has no morality, therefore Aunt Maria relies on her own morals to settle on what Jessica should do. The theory of a relationship with other beings can also be applied in Marco and Jessica’s case. Marco has a close relationship with his wife Jessica, and because of this, she expects her to make the right decision. He believes that it is up to her to decide on what is the best option.

Doctor Wilson’s Viewpoint

For Doctor Wilson, a theory of human properties can be employed. He uses this theory in determining the moral status of the unborn child. Looking from a medical viewpoint, he is recommending termination of pregnancy on the basis of scientific and medical means. This theory holds that only human beings have full moral status, with features endowing a human with moral status being things like conceived of parents or possessing human genetic code or features of human-physical characteristics (Beauchamp & Childress, 1979). The baby has anomalies and might be born armless; therefore, the doctor believes that aborting it might be right since it does not have physical human features of arms. But if the child would be born with functional arms but with Down syndrome, then abortion would not have been an option.

Influence of Theories on Each Other

There are many ways in which the theories influence one another. Aunt Maria’s hypothesis is that the baby should not be aborted so the will of God can be done. She says this because she is guided by her virtues of Christianity. Doctor Wilson, being in the medical industry, comprehends the pain of losing a pregnancy. Nonetheless, he also understands the dangers of carrying an abnormal pregnancy to full term, not to mention the hardship the child would endure if carried to full term. His recommending abortion was only due to his concern for the safety of the mother. His hypothesis from the start is that safe abortion is the best option, and the couple can later have another child who may not have any anomalies. Marco’s theory is centered on his wife’s feelings for the good of the baby. He relies solely on his wife’s feelings.

Conclusion

As a healthcare professional, the theory I would agree with is the doctor’s. Abortion would be the most ideal option in this case. A fetus with anomalies can put both the mother’s life as well as the fetus’s life itself at risk. Additionally, a child born with such anomalies normally leads a miserable life full of health complications and might not even reach adulthood, not to mention the financial burden on the parents. The couple might later have another healthy child. Medically and scientifically, abortion is only allowed in the case of fetal abnormality. In fact, the opponents of abortion often allow termination of pregnancy only in such cases, when the mother and baby’s life is at risk and fetal abnormalities. Therefore, this would be the most feasible option.

References

Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (1979). Principles of Biomedical ment: Spoiled fruits of the Human Genome Project. Univ Ethics.

Tannenbaum, J., & Jaworska, A. (2013). The Grounds of Moral Status.