GROUP 3 04-05-2021

Kimberly M. Mallari Ethics

BSED Filipino 3-A

1. Is/Are there personal, organizational or structural dilemma in this case? Identify if

there is/are any.
 If we allow mercy killing or euthanasia to be an accepted action, then it allows
people to determine when someone should did In this model, the attitudes that justify
"mercy killing" of people with disabilities are viewed not only as a symptom of
discrimination and violence, they are also viewed as a fundamental cause of future
violence. The bias of the Canadian news media not only trivializes the murder of one
child with a disability, it also accelerates the forces that ensure future violence and
more deaths takes away from the quality of life.
2. Legal question aside, did Mr. Latimer do the right or wrong thing? Enumerate the
reasons or arguments for each side.
 Inductive- Tracy was in horrible pain and many ill people are experiencing horrible
suffering, so assisted suicide should be allowed
 Deductive- Assisted suicide is illegal and people have claimed it to be merciful
therefore the law is possibly flawed
 Syllogism- If Euthanasia is wrong, then all cases are obviously immoral. If this case
then is not clearly or obviously immoral then Euthanasia may not be wrong.
3. Based on the arguments for each side, weigh and judge whether the decision of the
parents are right or wrong.
 The Argument from the Wrongness of Discriminating against the Handicapped
This argument derives from the principle that handicapped people should not be held
from opportunities or judged solely based on their disability. This argument is more
normative than meta-ethical in nature, for in terms of meta-ethics, life is held as precious.
Killing the innocent is not accepted as “right,” but in the Latimers’ case, a decision based
on moral theory had to be made. Tracy’s parents analyzed how they ought to act to best
serve their ailing daughter, and Tracy’s father decided that mercy killing would be most
fair because of his daughter’s chronic pain and infantile state of life. It can be argued that
Tracy was killed because she was handicapped, death chosen for her because she was not
deemed able to live at a certain level of consciousness and mental and physical
capability. This argument is valid because it upholds the preciousness of Tracy’s life, and
life in general, but it falls short in how it doesn’t evaluate quality of life. Mr. Latimer’s
argument that Tracy’s life was honored by ending her physical torture assesses what is
probably best for Tracy but does not give her the choice (which she is incapable of
making) and right for life. This dilemma fits under the branch of moral philosophy.