Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PF - TOPIC 4.1 - Morality - Reasons and Impartiality
PF - TOPIC 4.1 - Morality - Reasons and Impartiality
James Rachels
&
Stuart Rachels
The Problem of Definition
There are many rival theories, each expounding a
different conception of what it means to live
morally, and any definition that goes beyond
Socrates’ simple formulation (“how we ought to
live”) is bound to offend at least one of them.
Rachels proposes a ‘minimum conception’ of
morality: a core that every moral theory should
accept, at least as a starting point.
First, some moral controversies. . . .
First Example: Baby Theresa
Anencephalic infants: ‘babies without brains’
o Cerebrum, cerebellum, and top of skull are missing
o Have a brain stem, thus autonomic functions
(breathing, heartbeat, etc.) are possible
o Usually aborted in the US; otherwise, half are
stillborn and usually die within days
Full Detail
– Florida1992, anencephalic (without a brain-no cerebrum or cerebellum, but
does have a brain-stem, so autonomic functions like breathing and heartbeat
go on)
– Most detected and aborted
– Of those not aborted, � are still born
– 300 a year born and usually die in few days
– Can know these babies not live long and that they will have no conscious life
– Parents volunteered her (and doctors agreed) for organ transplants (kidneys,
liver, heart, lungs and eyes) for other children who would benefit from it
(2000 need transplants a year, never enough available)
– Florida law prohibits removal of organs until donor is dead
– Taking organs out would kill her
– When Teresa died after 9 days, her organs had deteriorated and were
worthless
Baby Theresa’s parents
volunteered her organs for
transplant. BUT. . .
Florida law forbids the removal of organs until
the donor is dead.
Baby Theresa died after nine days. Her organs
were too deteriorated to be harvested or
transplanted.