Ethics: A Dialogue With Nicole Tomasello

The way we live our lives and the responses we have to issues we hear about is all grounded in ethics. Before taking this philosophy course, I had morals and an idea of what is right or wrong but didn’t know about the ethical lenses. I chose to do my dialogue with Nicole Tomasello, one of my roommates. It took place at the dormitories before spring break. Her point of view was of interest to me because we are from different backgrounds and have been raised in a different environment. In general, I believe that people can do what they wish with their lives as long as they are not harming others. I most relate to libertarians which are very centered on free will. In contrast, from Nicole’s responses on the applied topics, she has a similar view to the kantian deontology framework. As we delved further into the …show more content…
In many states, abortion is legal throughout the pregnancy up until twenty weeks or when viability occurs. Nicole believes abortion is immoral when the fetus acquires an ontological status. She says that ontologically the fetus has a right to live at the point of conception even though she deems contraceptives acceptable to use and other methods like the day after pill. She disagrees with a libertarian perspective because the fetus would not yet be considered as someone with rights. When asked if it is a high-risk pregnancy or if it involves a disabled fetus, she mentions that every fetus deserves a chance at life and that suffering is a natural part of life. On the contrary, I think that the mother has more rights than the fetus and would, therefore, be justified in having an abortion. My view is most similar to that of Judith Jarvis Thomson, a libertarian while Nicole's viewpoint is similar to Don Marquis or that of a deontologist. Along with Nicole, I believe that abortion can be considered active euthanasia and that there is potential within the