Moral Dilemmas: Can Ethics Help.

Moral Dilemmas: Can Ethics Help.

Ethics in medicine are moral principles that apply to values in clinical medicine. These principles work in the same way allowing doctors, care providers, and families to develop a treatment plan that works towards improving the quality of life of their patients. The four values in medical ethics respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. There are also other codes or conducts such as the Hippocratic Oath that discusses basic principles for medical professionals. This essay discusses the course of action in the medical case of the premature twins applying the Kantian ethics theory to support my arguments.

From the Kantian theory, something is only useful when it will is good. Meaning an action is only useful when the principle behind it is the moral law. The focus of Kant’s ethical theory is the categorical imperative acting on all people regardless of their desires or interests. Kant formulates the categorical imperative in various ways. First, one must consider if the actions they are taking are universally accepted. In the extent of making exceptions, the steps should be applied without any contradiction from other people. The second thing to consider is the humanity of the patient. The theory focuses on the importance of human dignity. Stating that one should not choose a course of action as a means to an end but as an end in itself. The steps should respect the dignity of their patients’ life.

The right course of action in the medical case of premature twins following the Kantian ethical theory, the categorical imperatives considers parents versus children and also the physicians versus the twins.  From Kant’s moral philosophy, every course of action taken in the twin’s lives should be in their interest. Since the parents make the decisions, the principles in Kant’s theory relating to the humanity of the patients under care comes up. In the parents’ decisions to any course of action about the responsibility of the twins, they should consider how they would want anyone in this situation to be treated. And how they would also want to be treated in the same way. In such a case, parents should put aside their interests and focus on the benefits, development, and happiness of the children, seeing the children’s lives as ends in themselves.

The physicians also need to understand the humanity of their patients, according to Kant’s theory, the medical professionals dealing with the patients should treat the children with respect. Their main aim should promote the development and happiness of the patients. In modern medicine, preterm babies put under this treatment must be above twenty-six weeks. And studies indicate that 85% of preterm children above 26 weeks grow and develop normally, 6-7% develop a slight handicap, and 6-8% develop severely. With these statistics, most preterm babies put on incubation machines and monitored as they continue to develop other organs. It is an accepted course of action for most patients.

Despite the universally accepted principle of incubating preterm babies born after 26 weeks, the physicians should also consider if the child can survive within a short period when the make a choice to nurture him/her or die very soon. And by any chance, if the child survives, will their life have quality. The doctors also need to consider the interests of the child and predicting their attention, they can know if going to such lengths will bring happiness to the child. The twins’ case brings further complications, from Kant’s ethical theory; nothing matters in taking a proper course of action expect to have goodwill. The theory explains that morality is a matter of intention, and as long as one has the right plans, the consequences of the actions would not matter.

References.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5BCUI88MaY&feature=youtu.be