PHI 413V Topic 5 Assignment; Benchmark - Patient s Spiritual Needs; Case Analysis (Spring)
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The ethical calculus of benefit/burden is clearly in favor of benefit of medical treatment. It would seem that medical treatment of a Christian Scientist’s child does not impose specific or harsh burdens on the child or the parent. Alternatively, the burdens imposed if the child is not treated are considerable, including severe morbidity and even mortality.
Although we have concluded that the benefits of conventional medical treatment of a sick child of a Christian Scientist parent outweigh the burdens to the parents and family, that does not mean that the beliefs of the Christian Scientist practitioner should be disrespected or ignored. The imposition of the law between a parent’s belief and values and their children constitutes a delicate situation that requires extensive consideration.
Better reasons can be offered to act on the overriding norm than on the infringed norm. The argument can be made that a child’s life is more important than a set of beliefs or morals.
‘‘The children are being raised in that community, yes, and by true believers, yes, but they deserve a chance to survive until they can judge for themselves whether to adhere to those beliefs.”
The moral objective justifying the infringement has a realistic prospect of achievement. If a child has an illness, for which there is no cure, such as a fatal brain tumor, then overriding the parents in order to give chemotherapy that has a 15% chance of shrinking the tumor, and no chance of eradicating it, would not be justified. However, if a child has bacterial meningitis, and the chance of recovery with IV antibiotics is greater than 90%, the infringement would be justified.
No morally preferable alternative actions can be substituted. If the child has an acute life-threatening illness, such as meningitis or diabetic ketoacidosis, or if the child is in pain, there are no morally preferable alternatives to medical care. However, if the illness is less acute, or not curable, then alternative actions could be sought which were more in keeping with the parents’ preferences and beliefs.......... Continue