Introduction
Healthcare professionals have to make numerous ethical decisions when providing care to patients. It has been found that practitioners tend to follow the institutionalized paradigm when making quick decisions (Christen, Ineichen, & Tanner, 2014). Nevertheless, it is largely accepted that reflection and contemplation on personal values and theories are common when professionals have more time. This paper includes a reflection on a case related to ethics and a brief review of the employed theories associated with the moral status of humans.
Humans’ Nature: Christian View
Christian values and perspectives often define the way people behave in diverse situations. The Christian view of the nature of a human being is deeply rooted in the belief that humans were created in the image of God (Erickson, 1998). This paradigm is compatible with the theory of moral status based on human properties. This theory holds that any human being (meaning any representative of the species Homo sapiens) has moral status (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013). Notably, one of the central features attributed to a human being is the human genetic code (Erickson, 1998). According to this perspective, people have intrinsic value and dignity, meaning that no external factors can affect these qualities.
The Christian view is compatible with this theory, and various religious texts illustrate this paradigm. For instance, the New Testament has various stories where a child in a woman’s womb had the characteristics of an adult person or a born child (Erickson, 1998). One of the most illustrative cases is the passage from Exodus. It is mentioned that if a person injures a pregnant woman with serious consequences, the offender must be punished and life for life must be taken. In simple terms, the fetus and an adult person are valued equally.
Utilized Theories and Their Impact on Stakeholders’ Actions
As far as the case under analysis is concerned, Jessica, a pregnant woman, and her Aunt Maria has the Christian view of the moral status of a human. They believe that all life is sacred, so they think that the unborn child’s life is as important as the life of a born child. The women tend to use the theory based on human properties that imply valuing humans for their intrinsic attributes (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013). Since the fetus has the genetic code of its parents, abortion should be regarded as murder of a human being. Irrespective of the potential health status of the baby, no abortion is possible according to the theory mentioned above. The life of every human being (including an unborn child) is equally important.
The females employ this theory, which defines their actions. Aunt Maria concentrates on the spiritual component of people’s life and concentrates on her faith. She finds strength in praying, and she tries to persuade Jessica to keep the child. Based on her views that are compatible with the theory based on human properties, Jessica is likely to keep the child. She sees abortion as murder that is unacceptable for her.
The males in the case under consideration use another theoretical framework when addressing the issue. Dr. Wilson’s recommendations are deeply rooted in the theory based on cognitive properties. According to this model, the focus is on such cognitive features as perception, thinking, understanding, and memory when identifying the moral status of the human being (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013). Dr. Wilson sees Jessica’s unborn child as a fetus with a number of developmental abnormalities that will result in giving birth to a disabled child with a low quality of life. Hence, according to this viewpoint, abortion seems to be a clinical procedure and a responsible choice made by an adult. The theory based on cognitive properties influences the healthcare professional’s actions making the doctor concentrated on persuading Jessica to agree to the clinical procedure mentioned above. The doctor focuses on helping a person with moral status to take a responsible decision and undergo the procedure that will eliminate the fetus that does not have moral status.
Jessica’s husband, Marco, tends to share a similar view and places a larger value on the future of the child when it is delivered. Marco does not see the unborn child as a human being with a certain moral status in contrast to his view of a child with its ability to think and understand. The theory defines Marco’s position regarding the fetus and makes him supportive. The man is ready to accept any decision made by his wife, whose cognitive abilities seem to be highly valued by the man. He acknowledges the right of the woman to make decisions concerning her health, her body, and her children.
Personal View on the Case and Associated Theory
When considering the case under analysis, I share Dr. Wilson’s view on the matter as I also use the theory based on human properties when dealing with such situations. I believe that the fetus does not have a similar moral status as a born child, and the health of the child is the highest priority for me. I would also recommend abortion as the most appropriate action under the given circumstances. The child with the health status described in the case would suffer all his / her life. I pay attention to human being’s feelings and ability to feel pain, but I do not use the sentience theory.
My beliefs and actions are defined by the model based on human properties as I place a higher value on the sufferings of the born child rather than the potential suffering of the fetus. The research into the fetus’s ability to feel pain is in its infancy, but some researchers assume that the chances of preborn babies’ ability to feel pain are rather high (Page, 2015). However, this area is under-researched, and the made assumptions seem to be interpretations rather than facts. Moreover, a human being (a child) has the ability to understand. Hence, the suffering of a child living without arms and potentially with other health issues are considerably more intense than the pain of the fetus provided preborn children can feel pain. It is apparent that the theory guiding my decisions and beliefs is the framework based on human properties, and it makes me focus on the health and life of the child.
Conclusion
On balance, it is necessary to note that the analysis of the given case suggests that people’s decisions are often equipped by certain theories described by researchers. For instance, theories based on human properties and cognitive properties can be applied to the case. The doctor and the husband use the former model and claim that abortion is the most appropriate action to be made. However, the women see any life as sacred and use the human properties theory to address the dilemma. My personal view on the matter is similar to the perspective of the doctor. I place the highest value on people’s cognitive features, which affects the decisions I could make in the situation under analysis. Reflections on the theories of humans’ moral status help healthcare professionals to make quick decisions and choose the most appropriate action in diverse cases.
References
Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. (2013). Principles of biomedical ethics (7th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Christen, M., Ineichen, C., & Tanner, C. (2014). How “moral” are the principles of biomedical ethics? – A cross-domain evaluation of the common morality hypothesis.BMC Medical Ethics, 15(1). Web.
Erickson, M. J. (1998). Christian theology (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Page, S. (2015). The neuroanatomy and physiology of pain perception in the developing human.” Issues in Law and Medicine, 30(2), 227-236.