In this case, a man leaves a woman who is pregnant with his baby, however, both of them have a clear understanding of the situation, which means that Kant’s principles are not broken (Ruggiero 96). The woman agreed to have free relationships, and her partner accepted her decision to have a child. Both parties decided that it was normal for them not to change the situation. The woman understood that she could be left and she accepted this situation. However, the way she was informed about the fact that their relationship ended should be discussed, as it caused a moral issue (whether it was right or wrong to leave without saying anything). The man left a note and did not let his partner understand what happened. He decided not to tell her everything face-to-face, which means that he did not have enough respect for her. According to the good will theory that was developed by Kant and the principle of respect for persons, he should have explained the situation in person.
It is also vital to pay attention to the fact that the woman was pregnant. Their relationship presupposed no boundaries and allowed both individuals to have other partners, which opposes the good will theory (Burnor and Raley 156). In Kant’s point of view, the man should help his partner to take care of the child. Even though there is no information about his actions towards the baby, his note allows thinking that the man was not going to take this responsibility (Paul and Elder 20). However, if it turns out that he participates in the woman’s life and the life of his child, no principles will be broken. In case he decides to become a good father in the course of time, Kant’s theory will not support and approve his actions, as he has already ignored the universal moral duty to take care of his baby.
Works Cited
Burnor, Richard, and Yvonne Raley. Ethical Choices. Oxford University Press, 2011.
Paul, Richard, and Linda Elder. Critical Thinking. Foundation for Critical Thinking Press, 2009.
Ruggiero, Vinsent. Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues. McGraw-Hill Education, 2014.