Ethics
John Doe has decided to clone himself. He is sterile. He cannot find anyone to marry him. He wishes to have children. He knows that he will not be able to love a child that is adopted or not connected directly to him biologically. He will be making use of a new procedure that involves taking his skin cells to produce a twin. The twin starts out as an embryo and grows into a child. The child in this case will have the same genetic information as John Doe. John Doe and his child will be twins.
Jane Doe is eighteen. For as long as she can remember she has been sexually attracted to other females. Her parents belong to a religion that has a religious text stating that God forbids one to be a lesbian. This religion goes on further to say that lesbians will be punished in the afterlife. Jane Doe is debating whether she should tell her parents about her sexual attraction. She has not yet decided if she should come out to her parents and live as a lesbian now that she is a legal adult.
Joe and Mary are a couple. Before becoming sterile, they had a child. This child died of a rare disease. Joe and Mary miss their child terribly. They have heard that there is a new IVF procedure that can ensure that they can have another child. However, their religion forbids using IVF.
Use the resources assigned for this week and additional research,
Select two of the situations above and then address 2 of the following:
What is the relation between ethics and religion? Formulate and investigate the relation.
For each case, determine the ethical path of conduct. Then, determine what paths of conduct would be unethical
For each case, what would an emotivism say to appraise what you determine is the ethical form of conduct?
For each case, would a natural law ethicist agree with what you say is the ethical form of conduct? Why or why not?
Articulate, explain, and evaluate in each case an approach that makes use of divine command ethics.
Sample Solution
Situation 1: John Doe Decides to Clone Himself What is the relation between ethics and religion? Formulate and investigate the relation. The relationship between ethics and religion is complex, but fundamentally it comes down to how each informs our views of morality. For example, while many religions have ethical codes that provide guidance on what is right or wrong, they do not necessarily define the boundaries of moral behavior in all circumstances. Additionally,
non-religious ethical systems can inform religious beliefs, as people may draw from various philosophical sources when forming their own moral code. At its core though, ethics and religion are both ways for people to make sense of their world and define what kind of behavior is acceptable in different situations.
For this case specifically, John’s decision to clone himself directly relates to his religious beliefs as it would be considered highly immoral or even illegal by some faiths due to notions about the sanctity of life or God’s will for humanity. As such, examining his faith’s teachings could shed light on whether cloning could be an appropriate solution for him — especially since he desires a child that he biologically connected with — or if another course should be taken instead.
Determine the ethical path of conduct: In this case, an ethical approach would involve exploring other potential paths that John could take towards having children without resorting to cloning himself into another person—which raises serious concerns regarding autonomy and privacy among other issues—such as adoption. Adoption might be a better option because it provides a more legal way forward while still allowing John to gain those same parenting benefits without compromising his values or potentially breaking laws governing human cloning research/implementation.
What would an emotivism say? An emotivist perspective would suggest that John's decision should come down solely emotions rather than logic; if he feels strongly enough about wanting a biological connection with any possible offspring then he should go ahead with cloning regardless of outside opinions because ultimately only he can decide what's best for him.
Would a natural law ethicist agree? A natural law ethicist might disagree given that they believe certain behaviors must adhere strictly certain principles rooted in nature (i as opposed embracing subjective feelings) so depending on which natural law doctrine one follows there could very well be strong objections against artificial reproduction based upon traditional interpretations on how humans should reproduce.
Articulate divine command approach: A divine command approach suggests following commands laid out by God which tend vary depending on varying interpretations across different religions; however most mainstream denominations typically frown upon activities like human cloning so using this method one may conclude that it isn't morally permissible unless sanctioned by your particular faith – meaning you must consult religious texts/leadership before making any decisions regarding reproductive technologies like IVF/cloning etc.