Ethical Argumentative Analysis

Jodie and Mary, sisters from the island Gonzo, were conjoined at birth. Their spine was fused together and they shared the same heart and one set of lungs. Jodie was the stronger sister, as she was providing blood for Mary. Jodie and Mary’s parents, fervent Catholics, were determined to let the sisters stay conjoined. They fully believed that the girls are in the hands of God. Realizing the dire situation, the legal courts stepped in and fought for the girls to receive surgery. If the twins received surgery, Jodie would most likely survive, while Mary would almost definitely die. To continue, if the girls did not receive surgery to separate their limbs, they would both have a serious chance of fatality. The sisters would have around 3-6 months to live (Jones, 2001). Ultimately, there are two different ethical arguments. The argument for Jodie and Mary to receive the surgery to separate their limbs and the argument for the girls to be left alone and at the will of God.
They want to let their children be in the hands of God. The first premise, or argument is that the girl’s parents believe that every human life is inimitably sacred. The second premise is that by sacrificing one twin’s life, does not respect that sanctity of the other twin’s life. Thus, the conclusion of the parent’s argument is that it is morally and religiously wrong to sacrifice one twin’s life in order to save the other. In the court transcript, it is stated by the parents that they did not have the financial means to provide for Jodie if she survived (Jones, 2001). They also stated that there were no appropriate facilities to care for the surviving sister on the island of Gonzo. That means that Jodie would have to move to England to attend proper facilities and be left alone with no one to care for her (Jones, 2001). Ultimately, it is wrong to sacrifice one’s life because every human life is