Applied Ethics in Contemporary Times
Lesson-Critc Activity Sheet
Name:
Section:
Day/Time:
Answer each section. Use the guide questions to answer comprehensively.
Ethical standards Decisions and Justifications
A. Right to live
1. “My personal advocacy to make sure that everybody who dies knows that their dying”
Decision (Agree/Disagree): Agree
Reason:
I agree with this statement as everyone who is sick should have the right to know whether they have a chance or not. Respecting it was also stated in the video that this news to the patient would also affect their thinking and might feel depressed regardless. I think it is still their right to actually know what their situation is. By acknowledging what his/her situation is, it can prepare themselves and their family on what might actually happen. To further support this a research from TheBmj stated that “Recognising when a patient is dying and having open conversations will help patients and their families better prepare and feel involved” (Chia, 2021).
2. “A woman who goes through abortion kills her own child.”
Decision (Agree/Disagree): Disagree
Reason:
When it comes to abortion, regardless if you believe that a fetus is already human or if it’s simply a clump of cells, it does not violate the direct principles of killing. If fetuses have the same rights as an adult human being, then abortion by all means is murder. What makes the situation tricky is how should we view fetuses, as cells, or as humans? As mentioned by Jonathan Glover, writer of ‘Causing Death and Saving Lives’, the three principles are reduction of worthwhile life, violating an autonomous desire to live, and the production of fear and pain. Fetuses have none of these yet, so if a fetus will be aborted, it is morally permissible (O’Dowd, nd.).
3. “Euthanasia is unethical”
Decision (Agree/Disagree): Disagree
Reason:
The video hinted that euthanasia lacks ethical grounds as it
B. Right to human dignity
1. “it's my life, its my choice, its my body”
2. “Abortion is not pro-women because it destroy their lives”
involves ending the life of a person who hasn’t reached the natural end yet. However, individuals should have the freedom to decide how they will face their death. As Fletcher (1966) argued, allowing someone to endure a prolonged and dehumanizing death is harder to justify than granting them the choice to end their suffering. Following the principles of beneficence, which emphasize promoting patients’ welfare, euthanasia could be deemed justifiable. For patients with terminal illnesses enduring pain, euthanasia may be seen as a compassionate and painless way to alleviate their suffering (Spina, 1998).
Decision (Agree/Disagree): Disagree
Reason:
I agree with this statement as I personally believe that decisions you make for yourself are for your own good and not for the judgment of other people. The video may tell you that you have a new life inside you but for me, I would always choose what’s good for myself. The concept of “My Body, My Choice” is “body integrity,” which emphasizes individual self-ownership by defining it as the inviolability of the physical body. In essence, since human bodies are their own, humans should have the final say over what happens to them. It’s a reasonable and amiable idea. Fundamental human rights are vital to our society. However, the main pro-abortion defense of bodily integrity implies that not every person is entitled to the same privileges. They define a preborn kid as nothing more than an unwanted intruder on a woman’s body, akin to a parasite to its host. Thus, it is obviously up to her whether or not to keep it around. I think that whatever their decisions may be especially in abortion, you should respect that because you don’t know what they’re going through that led them to decide on that certain matter. We, people, have different beliefs and don’t need other people’s decisions to know what is good for us.
2. “Abortion is not pro-women because it destroy their lives”
Decision (Agree/Disagree): Disagree
Reason:
It is about women’s life and their complex situations. Women perhaps made the most important decision, about whether or not to continue their pregnancy. One more example could be rape or pregnancy that had made an individual’s life miserable. The woman who faces an unwanted pregnancy is hard for her to make the choice for the reason of her situation, health condition and view on her personal values.
Reflection/Insight (This must be answered individually)
1. What particular topic that strikes you the most? Why?
The topic
2. Is there a new ethical principle that you have learned in this session?
3. Is there something that you find unfair or does not make sense? Explain your answer.
4. Are there lessons/insights that you gained from this topic?
References: