Morality and Abortion
1. Is abortion in any sense a moral question, or is it purely a question of individual rights?
One strongly believes that abortion is both, a moral issue, as well as a question of individual rights. According to one’s research, abortion falls within the ethical and moral realm in terms of the curtailment of life of the unborn . Accordingly, the authors asserted that “pro-life activists make the cunning argument that abortion is equivalent to murder, and murder is not ethical. Therefore, abortion is unethical” . However, abortion is also a question of individual rights since the woman carrying the fetus could be facing challenges that could be perceived as jeopardizing her life or the life of the conceived child, especially when allowed to be born. Likewise, there are now several state laws governing abortion which stipulates conditions when the woman could actually obtain or resort to abortion . These laws provide conditions regarding the need for a licensed physician, to be performed in a hospital, when a second physician is required, the number of weeks of the fetus when abortion is already prohibited, public funding availability and when insurance coverage is defined as limited .
2. What defines when a fetus is entitled to moral respect?
The fetus is entitled to moral respect regardless of the size or stage of development it is in. As revealed, “law and public policy should proceed on the basis of full moral respect for human beings irrespective of age, size, stage of development, or condition of dependency. Justice requires no less” . Under different state laws, it could be construed that abortion is already prohibited when the fetus is 20 to 24 weeks, except in cases when the life or the health of the mother is already apparently endangered .
Works Cited
Dionisio, L., et al. "A Political, Public & Moral Look at Abortion." 28 February 2006. nyu.edu. Web. 31 January 2017.
George, R. P. and A. Gomez-Lobo. "The Moral Status of the Human Embryo." 2005. ethicslab.georgetown.edu. Web. 31 January 2017.
Guttmacher Institute. "An Overview of Abortion Laws." 2017. guttmacher.org. Web. 31 January 2017.
Euthanasia
1. Is euthanasia an act of kindness prompted by a sense of mercy and respect for an individual's wishes?
Euthanasia is defined as “assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide (dying), doctor-assisted dying (suicide), and more loosely termed mercy killing, means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable (persistent, unstoppable) suffering” . As such, by virtue of its definition, it falls within the description of decision makers feeling an immense sense of mercy, kindness, and respect, especially if and when the patient already wished to die. Usually, euthanasia would only be resorted to when the patient is extremely underdoing a painful and chronic or terminal illness where no cure is deemed to be possible. As such, as the other terminology attests, it was also known as mercy killing to signify that those who are taking care of the patient, the family members, have recognized that only through this resort would the patient be relieved of the persistent pain.
2. Or is it an act of murder and a violation of the Hippocratic Oath?
However, euthanasia could also be considered an act of murder and even a perceived violation of the Hippocratic Oath, especially the provision which states “I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan” . As such, from the provision, it could be construed that no physician should undertake any form of assisted suicide, even when the patient or the relatives asked him or her to do so. The Hippocratic Oath allegedly emphasizes the principle of beneficence or to ensure that no harm befalls the patient. As such, assisting in ending the life of a patient, even if requested, is a clear violation of the Hippocratic Oath.
Works Cited
Nordqvist, Christian. "Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide." 8 April 2016. medicalnewstoday.com. Web. 31 January 2017.
ProCon.org. "Do Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Violate the Hippocratic Oath?" 2016. euthanasia.procon.org. Web. 31 January 2017.
