ETHICS

DEONTOLOGY
JIAH ISABELLE M. CODORNIZ
BSBA MM2
 CASE STUDY
GRETCHEN IS A PREACHER IN THEIR CHURCH.
SHE TEACHES CHILDREN THE BIBLE AND
THERE INCLUDE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. IT
IS SAID THAT KILLING A PERSON IS
ABSOLUTELY WRONG. ONE DAY SHE FOUND
OUT THAT SHE HAS AN ECTOPIC PREGNANCY.
ECTOPIC PREGNANCY IS A TYPE OF
PREGNANCY THAT OCCURS OUTSIDE THE
UTERUS, MOST COMMONLY IN THE FALLOPIAN
TUBES, WHICH IS NOT NORMAL FOR A FETUS
TO DEVELOP. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FETUS WILL
DEFINITELY ENDANGER THE MOTHER. THUS, IF
GRETCHEN CONTINUES WITH HER
PREGNANCY, THEN THERE IS A BIG
POSSIBILITY THAT SHE WILL DIE. ACCORDING
TO EXPERTS, THE BEST WAY TO SAVE
GRETCHEN’S LIFE IS TO ABORT THE FETUS,
WHICH NECESSARILY IMPLIES KILLING THE
FETUS. IF SHE WILL NOT ABORT THE FETUS,
THEN GRETCHEN AS WELL AS THE FETUS WILL
DIE. USING THE DEONTOLOGICAL
FRAMEWORK, EVALUATE THE GIVEN MORAL
ISSUES BELOW AND PROVIDE THE BEST AND
PLAUSIBLE MORAL DECISION.
 ANSWER
DISCUSSION:
THERE ARE MANY ELEMENTS AT PLAY IN THIS SITUATION AND EVEN
A THOROUGH DEONTOLOGICAL APPROACH ISN'T GUARANTEED TO
ARRIVE AT A DEFINITIVE ANSWER. AS STATED IN THE LAST OUTPUT
ECTOPIC PREGNANCIES ARE VERY RISKY SINCE IT ENDANGERS
BOTH THE LIVES OF MOTHER AND CHILD. THE ETHICAL DUTY IN THIS
SITUATION IS THE PROTECTION OF LIFE, BUT FOR THIS TO BE
ACCOMPLISHED IT RETROACTIVELY NEEDS TO BE COMPROMISED.
THERE ARE THREE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES FOR THIS SCENARIO: THE
FIRST IS THE MOTHER AND THE CHILD SURVIVING THROUGH THE
ORDEAL, THE SECOND IS BOTH THE MOTHER AND THE CHILD DIES
BECAUSE THEY DID NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE ECTOPIC
PREGNANCY, AND THE THIRD IS THE MOTHER LIVES BY CHOOSING
TO GO THROUGH WITH EITHER A SALPINGOSTOMY OR
SALPINGECTOMY.
THE FIRST SCENARIO IS OF COURSE THE IDEAL SITUATION, BUT
ECTOPIC PREGNANCY FORCES US TO LOOK PAST THE IDEAL AND
WEIGH OUT THE RISKS, THE SECOND SCENARIO COMPLETELY FAILS
THE ETHICAL DUTY TO PRESERVE LIFE BECAUSE AT LEAST ONE OF
THEM COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED AS DETAILED BY THE THIRD
OPTION.
NOW THE ISSUE WITH THE THIRD OPTION IS THE QUESTION "DOES
THE ECTOPIC EMBRYO HAVE A LESSER SANCTITY OF LIFE?"
DISMISSING THIS QUESTION WILL DEFY THE CONCEPTION VIEW OF
PERSONHOOD. THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN THE THIRD SCENARIO
ARE THE ONES OF PRAGMATISM, BY ALLOWING THE EMBRYO TO DIE
A GREATER GOOD IS ACHIEVED, THE ETHICAL DUTY TO PROTECT LIFE
IS ACHIEVED AT LEAST FOR THE MOTHER'S SAKE. THE MOTHER CAN
OFFER MORE TO SOCIETY BECAUSE THE ECTOPIC EMBRYO WILL
MOST LIKELY DIE.

MORAL DECISION:
THE MOST PLAUSIBLE MORAL DECISION HERE WOULD BE A
SALPINGOSTOMY, IT IS AN ETHICALLY PERMISSIBLE OPTION WHEN
TREATING ECTOPIC PREGNANCIES. PHYSICIANS ACT WITH HUMBLE
AND RESPECTFUL PROFESSIONALISM AND THEY RECOGNIZE THE
SANCTITY OF EACH LOST LIFE AS THEY SAVE ANOTHER.