Ethics The Elements of Moral Philosophy

1. EthicsThe Elements of Moral Philosophy Chapter 1: What is Morality

2. 1. What is Morality? • The problem of definition. • A minimum conception. • Moral Controversies.

3. 2. Moral Controversies • Case1: Baby Theresa • Case 2: Jodie and Mary • Case 3: Tracy Latimer

4. Case 1: Baby Theresa Facts • Theresa was born with anencephaly, a genetic disorder in which the newborn lack a major part of the brain. • Most with this defect are born stillborn or die within the first few weeks. • The parents of Theresa wanted to donate her organs to help other children. • However, to do this they could not wait until her heart stopped beating because the organs would deteriorate.

5. Case 1 For Transplants Against Transplants • The Benefits Argument: Transplanting Theresa’s organs will benefit many other children and cause no “harm” to anyone. • Don’t use others as means only. • Killing or taking a life is always wrong.

6. Case 2: Jodie and Mary • Jodie and Mary are conjoined twin embryos. • They were joined at the lower abdomen. The spines were fused, and they only had one heart and one set of lungs. • If the parents did nothing, both would die. However, if they would try to separate them, then Mary would die but Jodie would survive. • The parents were very Catholic and believed they should they should not interfere. • The hospital and the doctors believed the twins should be separated so that at least Jodie could survive.

7. Ethics Issues • This case has two distinct ethical issues: (1) Who should decide the fate of Jodie and Mary, the parents or the doctors? (2) What is the ethically right thing to do? • We are going to examine the second

8. Arguments Don’t separate Separate • All life is precious and it is always wrong to take a human life, even if it is with the purpose of saving another human life. • Both Mary and Jodie have the same right to life and no one can take that from them. • Benefits Argument • Or, we have a moral obligation, a moral duty, to save a human life if we can do so.

9. Case 3: Tracy Latimer • Tracy was a 12-year old victim of cerebral palsy. • She weighed less than 40 pounds and was functioning at the level of a e month old baby. • Tracy’s father had her inhale exhaust fumes until she died. • Tracy’s father was sentenced to only one year in prison.

10. Tracy For Euthanasia Against Euthanasia • A version of the benefits argument: Tracy had no real potential to live a “productive life” AND was in intense pain. • Slippery Slope: If we allow Tracy’s father to get away with this terrible act, then next time someone else will do it for a less severe illness and pretty soon, father’s will be killing their children because they have a severe cold! • Discriminating against the handicapped.

11. A minimal Definition • “Morality is, at the very least, the effort to guide one’s conduct by reason –that is, to do what there are the best reasons for doing– while equal weight to the interests of each individual affected by one’s decision.”