Sterilization and

Mutilation

Applications and Moral Issues

What is Sterilization?

 In Microbiology:
 Sterilization refers to any process that effectively
kills or eliminates transmissible agents (such as
fungi, bacteria, viruses, spore forms, etc.) from a
surface, equipment, article of food or medication,
or biological culture medium. Sterilization does
not, however, remove prions. Sterilization can be
achieved through application of heat, chemicals,
irradiation, high pressure or filtration.
What is Sterilization?

 As surgical procedure:
 Sterilization is a surgical technique leaving a male
or female unable to reproduce. It is a method of
birth control.
Common sterilization methods
include:
 Vasectomy in males.
The vasa deferentia, the tubes which connect
the testicles to the prostate, are cut and
closed. This prevents sperm produced in the
testicles to enter the ejaculated semen (which
is mostly produced in the seminal vesicles
and prostate).
Common sterilization methods
include:
 Tubal ligation in females, known popularly as
"having one's tubes tied".
The Fallopian tubes, which allow the sperm to
fertilize the ovum and would carry the fertilized
ovum to the uterus, are closed. This generally
involves a general anesthetic and a laparotomy or
laparoscopic approach to cut, clip or cauterize the
fallopian tubes.
Other procedure that result in
sterility:
 Hysterectomy in females. The uterus is surgically
removed, permanently preventing pregnancy and
some diseases, such as uterine cancer.
 Castration in males. The testicles are surgically
removed. This is frequently used for the sterilization
of animals, with added effects such as docility,
greatly reduced sexual behaviour, and faster weight
gain (which is desirable in some cases, for example
to accelerate meat production).
Moral Issues on Sterilization

 The Catholic church has strongly condemned all

artificial methods of Contraception (a position also
held by most Protestant churches up to 1930, when
the Anglican church voted for change).
 This includes the contraceptive pill, condoms and
also medical procedures such as Vasectomy and
Sterilisation. Infact the church regards contraception
as mortally sinful. The official position is stated in the
papal encyclical Humanae Vitae , issued by Pope
Paul VI in 1968.
Moral Issues on Sterilization

 Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and

Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to
declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already
begun and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons,
are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number
of children. Equally to be condemned, as the magisterium of the Church
has affirmed on many occasions, is direct sterilization, whether of the
man or of the woman, whether permanent or temporary."

 "Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of,
or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent
procreation - whether as an end or as a means."

Humanae Vitae
Ethical Issues
 The main issues that raise ethical dilemmas following the development
of assisted reproduction techniques are: the right to procreate or
reproduce; the process of in vitro fertilization itself — is it morally
acceptable to interfere in the reproduction process?; the moral status of
the embryo; the involvement of a third party in the reproductive process
by genetic material donation; the practice of surrogacy;
cryopreservation of pre-embryos; genetic manipulation; experiments on
pre-embryos, etc..
 For those who consider life to begin at conception abortion always
equals murder and is therefore forbidden. Those who believe in the
absolute autonomy of the woman over her body take the other extreme
approach.
 The development of new effective contraceptive methods has a
profound impact on women's lives. By the use of
contraception/sterilization it is possible to lessen maternal, infant and
child mortality and to reduce the prevalence of sexually transmitted
diseases.
What is Mutilation?

 Mutilation or maiming is an act or physical

injury that degrades the appearance or
function of the (human) body, usually without
causing death.
Usage of term

 The term is usually used to describe the

victims of accidents, torture, physical assault,
or certain premodern forms of punishment.
Moral Issues on Mutilation
 Theory: The principle of totality presupposes that
“parts exist for the whole ... The good of the part is
subordinated to the good of the whole; the whole is
the determining factor for the part and can dispose
of its own interest.” Aristotle puts it briefly as totum
quam parte, prius esse necesse est. The main
notions on which the principle grounds itself are
“the whole, the part, and their mutual relationships.”
Regarding the part, Aristotle explains it in the
following manner:
Moral Issues on Mutilation
 1) A part denotes any portion of a quantum into
which it can “be divided, for that which is taken from
a quantum qua quantum” remains always a part of
it.
 2) Part can be understood as the constituent
element of a dividable kind “apart from the
quantity.”
 3) Whole, which includes a part, can be divided.
 4) Finally, the constituent “elements in the definition
which explain a thing are also parts of the whole.”
Moral Issues on Mutilation
 The justification of mutilation on the basis of the principle of
totality by moral theologians of the 17th century, viz., L. Molina,
L. Leonardus, J. De Lugo, and P. Laymann followed the same
reasoning as Aquinas without any difference.
 We do not find any new developments in their teachings. As well,
moral theologians of the 18th and the 19th centuries accepted
the conclusion regarding mutilation in the same manner as their
predecessors.
 Again, the teachings of the theologians in the first forty years of
the 20th century also continued in the same traditional direction.
In addition, even though the scholastics unanimously accepted
the justification of mutilation by Thomas Aquinas, there are
differences in the application of these principles to particular
issues.
Moral Issues on Mutilation

 1) A diseased part is harmful to the whole

body.
 2) Another question pertains to “the
predicament of a person who was ordered by
a tyrant to cut off his own hand.”
 3) Another case is “the necessity to amputate
an extremity.”
Moral Issues on Mutilation
 Above all, concerning the morality of mutilation, traditional moral
theologians base their arguments on the fifth commandment,
that man/woman has only a limited right over his/her body.
 More precisely, mutilation on the ground of the principle of
totality is justified only by the physical good of the person.
 Further, we will see that the application of the principle of totality
is considered more with medical issues during the period of Pius
XI and Pius XII.
Bioethical Principles

 The Principle of Integrity and Totality