8/10/2019 Short Writing Assignment Ch1 #6 (DRAFT)
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Edward Thompson-Matthews
Professor R. Cheezum
HS 450 - Law !a"ues # Hea"th Care
$%th Ma& $01'
(e)*s*on S)enar*o +, Chapter 1 and /atura" Law
Cons*der the fo""ow*n s)enar*o 2 hosp*ta" fo""ows a po"*)&
where prenant women
adm*tted are as3ed to s*n )onsent forms dur*n adm*ss*on aree*n
to dru test*n *f the*r
ph&s*)*ans deem ne)essar&. f the women test pos*t*e for
)o)a*ne then the& are turned oer to
"o)a" po"*)e un"ess the& aree to part*)*pate *n a dru reha6
proram. 7ort&-two *nd**dua"s were
turned *n w*th some aree*n to dru treatment and others not. The
ones who refused were
)hared w*th d*str*6ut*on of drus to m*nors8 name"& the*r
fetuses.
Th*s s*tuat*on )an 6e *nterpeted seera" wa&s fo""ow*n a
/atura" "aw mora" theor&.
/atura" "aw f*rst appeared w*th )"ass*)a" 9ree3 and Roman
th*n3ers and e:panded and *nterated
w*th the Roman Catho"*) trad*t*on 6& St. Thomas 2;u*nas. t
ho"ds the enera" *ew that the
r*htness of a)t*ons *s determ*ned 6& nature *tse"f and not
su6
8/10/2019 Short Writing Assignment Ch1 #6 (DRAFT)
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reason8 and th*ns that o aa*nst natura" oa"s "*3e 3*""*n are
)ons*dered e*" Munson $01$.
=ne *nterpetat*on of /atura" "aw )ons*ders the mora"
"e*t*ma)& of the hosp*ta">s a)t*ons
throuh a pr*n)*p"e of tota"*t&. Th*s means that an *nd**dua"
ma& not d*spose of h*s?her orans or
destro& the*r )apa)*t& for fun)t*on*n e:)ept to the
e:tent ne)essar& for enera" we"" 6e*n of the
who"e 6od& Munson $01$. n fo""ow*n th*s pr*n)*p"e the
hosp*ta" was see3*n to preent
destru)t*on of the orans of the mothers and more *mportant"&
the*r un6orn )h*"dren 6& turn*n
them oer to the po"*)e *n an effort to aert th*s )ont*nen)&.
The e:pe)tat*on *s that further harm
to the*r 6od*es and the*r fetuses )an 6e preented throuh
*nteren*n dru treatments.
2nother *nterpetat*on of /atura" "aw *s the app"*)at*on of the
pr*n)*p"e of dou6"e effe)t.
Essent*a""& th*s means that an a)t*on wh*)h has 6oth ood and
6ad )onse;uen)es or effe)ts *s
perm*ss*6"e on"& *f 1 the a)t*on *s mora""& neutra" or
ood8 $ the 6ad effe)t *s not the means 6&
wh*)h the ood effe)t *s a)h*eed8 ' the mot*e must 6e the
a)h*eement of the ood effe)t on"&
and 4 the ood effe)t *s at "east e;ua" *n *mportan)e to the 6ad
effe)t Munson $01$.
Let>s e:am*ne ea)h )ond*ton. The dru test*n *tse"f )an 6e
)ons*dered a neutra" eent
)arr&*n no mora" we*ht. The 6ad effe)ts of the dru test*n
*n)"ude poss*6"e dru d*str*6ut*on
)r*m*na" )hares and the "oss of pr*a)&. (ru reha6*"*tat*on
*s )ons*dered a mora""& ood effe)t
*n that *t he"ps presere the "*fe and hea"th of the women and
the*r un6orn fetuses *n a))ord w*th
the pr*n)*p"e of tota"*t&. The u"t*mate ood effe)t *s the
)essas*on of dru use 6& the prenant
women8 th*s *s the on"& mot*e pass*n the th*rd
)ond*t*on.
The se)ond )ond*t*on howeer )an 6e d*sputed *n that the 6ad
effe)ts of arrests and "oss
of pr*a)& are the means that the prenant women stop the*r
dru use. f these are *ndeed the
means 6& w*th some women stop the*r dru use then the se)ond
)ond*t*on )annot 6e sat*sf*ed.
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The "ast )ond*t*on )an a"so 6e arued. Some of the )r*t*)*sms of
th*s po"*)& *n)"ude the
6rea)h of pat*ent-ph&s*)*an )onf*dent*a"*t& and r*ht to
pr*a)& of the women as we"" as poss*6"e
d*s)r*m*nator& se"e)t*on pra)t*)es of ph&s*)*ans. @h*"e
a"" these )an 6e )ons*dered e*"s *n the
sense that the& d*srespe)t the reason*n and natura"
autonom& of the women the ood effe)t of
)essat*on of dru use and the poss*6"e preent*on of 6*rth defe)ts
outwe*hs the e*"s of the
d*s)r*m*nat*on arrests and ordered reha6.
Con)"ud*n *f /atura" "aw mora" theor& )a""s for o6
