The Theory Employed by Aunt Maria and Its Impact on Her Choice of Action

On the other hand, Aunt Maria is perceived to have used two theories in determining the fetus’ moral status. First, she employs the moral agency theory which prompts an individual to define and evaluate the moral status of another being based on the principle of right and wrong. The theory calls on the doctrines of justice and law that make an individual responsible for making decisions freely as moral agents. Secondly, Aunt Maria employs the theory of relationship to determine the fetus’s morals status. According to Rusthoven and Bartholomew (2014), this theory holds that a personВ’s moral status is based on his/her relationship with others.

As such, Aunt Maria developed a relationship between Jessica and the fetus with abnormality when she urges her to think of her responsibility as a mother. She tries to direct Jessica in evaluating the moral status of the fetus by reviewing the motherВ’s responsibility for a child thereby pleading with her not to opt for abortion. In addition, she brings God into in the equation by telling Jessica to allow GodВ’s will to take place. Aunt Maria believes that it is wrong for Jessica to abort the child as it would be unjust towards not only the fetus but also God who intended the pregnancy to occur.

The Theory Employed by Dr. Wilson and Its Impact on His Choice of Action

The theory employed by Dr. Wilson towards evaluating the moral status of the fetus is the sentience theory. As per Coeckelbergh (2012), the morality of a being is evaluated based on the concept of consciousness which includes its ability to feel pleasure and pain. In this regard, the theory conforms with the moral status of being which refers to the aspect of the mind and consciousness. This is further supported by utilitarianism theory which considers the morality of an action in evaluating the moral status of a being that should be aimed at maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain (Coeckelbergh, 2012). With that, moral status is only applicable to people who can experience pain and pleasure. In this respect, the doctor does not view the fetus as having moral status based on the fact that it has no consciousness. As a result, he presents abortion as the most reasonable procedure based on the quality of life the fetus would have. His main drive is minimizing pain for the fetus and maximizing happiness for the parents who would be burdened by taking care of the child.

Personal Perspective on the Most Credible Theory and Course of Action

Considering the above-mentioned arguments, the theory that I would approve of is the sentience theory that was employed by the doctor. This is because the moral status of a person should be based on its level of awareness. In this regard, the fetus has a lower moral status compared to the parents who can feel pain from raising a child with a disability. Thus, the most probable course of action would be going for abortion as it would maximize pleasure for the parents and minimize pain for the fetus which conforms to the utilitarianism principle. This would be the best choice considering the fact that the child would significantly suffer if born with no deep interests, meaning, and cognitive ability.