The Reading Should Some Lives Be Prevented - 1518 Words

In the reading Should Some Lives Be Prevented? Glannon claims that preventing the lives of people who have severe early-onset disorders, like Lesch-Nyhan, is morally justified on the grounds of nonmalificence and justice. He advocates for pre-natal testing with a particular emphasis on embryonic testing. He believes that experiencing severe pain and suffering as the result of a severe disease makes life not worth living. He also claims that severely disabling diseases takes away from people the opportunity to achieve a decent minimum level of lifetime well being. He concludes by saying that while there is no moral requirement to prevent existence to those individuals who develop late-onset diseases, like Huntington’s Disease, there is also†¦show more content†¦Nonmaleficence is defined as to â€Å"first do no harm†. And what is the definition of harm? Harm is that which worsens the condition of the person (Morrison and Furlong, 2014). I am inclined to believe t hat the worst kind of harm you can do to a person is to deny them the opportunity for existence. For is not any life better than no life at all? In terminating pregnancies, we are not only denying their opportunity for suffering and pain but we are denying these people any opportunity for any experience. Justice or due process ensures that fair procedures are in place and these procedures were followed. Essentially this means that when you get your turn, you receive the same treatment as everyone else (Morrison and Furlong, 2014). Glannon states that justice requires that â€Å"we not deny people the same opportunities for achievement and a minimally decent life that are open to others† (p. 58). He then states that what is more important than the considerations of justice is â€Å"preventing avoidable severe pain and suffering that people will experience once they exist† (p. 59). Considering these, Glannon believes that severe pain and suffering as a result of severe disease is the one thing that makes life not worth living. And under these conditions, Glannon claims that people are unable to achieve a decent minimum level of lifetime well-being and