Essay

Judge the medical case studied in class during Week 7 in the Discussion Board. In the video, philosophers applied the three major ethical principles you learned in this class: Kant's Categorical Imperative, Utilitarianism, and Virtue Ethics. In a five paragraph essay, apply ONE ethical theory to decide the moral course of action in the medical case of the premature twins studied in class. Apply the ethical theory in each paragraph to support your arguments throughout the entire essay. Not using the ethical theory results in an automatic zero. Using more than one ethical theory results in an automatic zero. (50 points) You have4 hours to complete this exam. 

            The birth of premature twin babies is a case that required both parents and doctors to make a difficult call. The parties need to consider the survival of both the mother and the babies. They also need to look at the long-term effects of the decision, such as the effects on the babies` life and that of the mother. The essay looks at how Utilitarianism theory can help make a decision. Based on the theory, the best decision is to let the babies go to prevent dire consequences in the future. It will relieve them from pain and suffering.

            The utilitarianism theory is an ethical theory that chooses whether an action is right or wrong based on the consequences. In our case, the consequences can all be seen later. Therefore, the decision has to be based on the interest of all parties.

            Normally, any human would like to preserve life. However, Utilitarianism theory looks at the social benefits that will come after preserving the life of the baby ("Review of Ethical Issues Involved in Premature Birth - Preterm Birth - NCBI Bookshelf," n.d.). It also looks at the social harms that would arise after making the decision. In our case, the harms are more than the benefits.

            The babies will have to live with health disorders. This will force both the parents and the government to spend a lot of resources while trying to provide medical care for the babies. This medical care would have been used to support the elderly in society. The benefits are that the parents would live with their children, no matter the costs.

            While applying the theory, it is important to explain to the parents the decision that they have to make. The decision is sensitive and sensible. The parents need to learn the importance of making a decision that would favor the children's interests before theirs (YouTube, n.d.) Though their emotions may be affected, they need to consider the best possible outcome. As per the theory, the parents should consider the best interests of the child.