Human Dignity And Ethical Decision-Making

This essay is going to critically analyse and discuss both the importance of considering human dignity to guide ethical decision making, as well as how this interconnects with the topic of gender selection for non-medical purposes. Since the acts of barbarity committed during world war II, the idea of human dignity has been at the forefront as a component of ethical decision making (Australian Catholic University, 2016, section. 1.2.1). This new focus on human dignity led the United Nations to create the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); which focuses on the idea that all human were born equal, with inherent dignity, and inviolable rights (Australian Catholic University, 2016, section. 1.2.2). This led to a domino effect, resulting in more and more laws and regulations being implemented across the world; their purpose being to preserve human dignity, including contemporary Australia (Australian Catholic University, 2016, section. …show more content…
Gender selection is very closely related to the topic of human dignity because it has the power to affect not only the dignity of the child, but also of the parents. This first perspective that will be discussed perceives gender selection for non-medical reasons as upholding the prospective parents reproductive autonomy (Australian Catholic University, 2016, section. 4.2.1). Autonomy is considered one the capacities that makes humans human (Australian Catholic University, 2016,