Analysis of Case Study: Fetal Abnormality
Introduction
While a fetus is developing in the womb, there are different perspectives raised regarding what constitutes a moral being at the time. Some argue that a fetus at the stage cannot be considered a moral being because they are not aware of what is taking place while to others; the fetus is already a being because it has life. Different bioethicist theories have also been developed to understand fetus developments and these theories are used by different stakeholders while providing directions on how to handle the developments of the fetus. The paper examines the different bioethical theories as they are applied to the case study scenario.
The Theory (ies) being used by Jessica, Marco, Maria …show more content…
This aspect can be seen from the observation that Jessica believes all life is sacred and should not be destroyed. When it comes to Marco, he is using a moral agency bioethical theory and this can be seen from the fact he is willing to support Maria on whatever decision she is willing to make. The moral agency theory states that the moral status is obtained when the individuals have the capacities to make judgments related to wrongness or rightness (Beuchamp and Childress, 2001). Accordingly, Marco is of the view that the fetus has not yet developed the capacity to make wrongful or rightful judgments and that Jessica can make the right decisions for the fetus. Like Jessica, Maria is also using the sentience theory of bioethics and this is because she feels the fetus is alive like any other human being and should not be destroyed. Consequently, she is encouraging Jessica to see the pregnancy to the full term. Lastly, Dr. Wilson is using the cognition bioethical theory and this is due to the fact that he considers abortion as a medically and scientifically acceptable alternative for Jessica (Beuchamp and Childress, 2001). The cognition bioethical theory states that cognition properties such as awareness, thinking, and understanding are what constitute a moral being. Because Dr. Wilson believes the fetus has a probability of developing Down syndrome which will interfere with some of these properties in addition to the lack of arms, he feels that abortion should be performed (Beuchamp and Childress, 2001). Overall, the different stakeholders apply the various bioethical theories while determining the moral status of the
Introduction
While a fetus is developing in the womb, there are different perspectives raised regarding what constitutes a moral being at the time. Some argue that a fetus at the stage cannot be considered a moral being because they are not aware of what is taking place while to others; the fetus is already a being because it has life. Different bioethicist theories have also been developed to understand fetus developments and these theories are used by different stakeholders while providing directions on how to handle the developments of the fetus. The paper examines the different bioethical theories as they are applied to the case study scenario.
The Theory (ies) being used by Jessica, Marco, Maria …show more content…
This aspect can be seen from the observation that Jessica believes all life is sacred and should not be destroyed. When it comes to Marco, he is using a moral agency bioethical theory and this can be seen from the fact he is willing to support Maria on whatever decision she is willing to make. The moral agency theory states that the moral status is obtained when the individuals have the capacities to make judgments related to wrongness or rightness (Beuchamp and Childress, 2001). Accordingly, Marco is of the view that the fetus has not yet developed the capacity to make wrongful or rightful judgments and that Jessica can make the right decisions for the fetus. Like Jessica, Maria is also using the sentience theory of bioethics and this is because she feels the fetus is alive like any other human being and should not be destroyed. Consequently, she is encouraging Jessica to see the pregnancy to the full term. Lastly, Dr. Wilson is using the cognition bioethical theory and this is due to the fact that he considers abortion as a medically and scientifically acceptable alternative for Jessica (Beuchamp and Childress, 2001). The cognition bioethical theory states that cognition properties such as awareness, thinking, and understanding are what constitute a moral being. Because Dr. Wilson believes the fetus has a probability of developing Down syndrome which will interfere with some of these properties in addition to the lack of arms, he feels that abortion should be performed (Beuchamp and Childress, 2001). Overall, the different stakeholders apply the various bioethical theories while determining the moral status of the