Truth-Telling and Respect for Persons – A Kantian Ethical Analysis of a Family Dilemma

Truth-Telling and Respect for Persons – A Kantian Ethical Analysis of a Family Dilemma

The case highlights two key moral issues; telling the truth and respect for other persons. Initially, the woman faces the dilemma of choosing whether to tell the truth or consider the consequences of such truth. On the other hand, she considers whether to respect the son-in-law’s privacy. According to Kantian and deontological moral principles, the woman is justified in telling her daughter the truth about the illegitimate child (Vincent Ryan Ruggiero, 2015). Based on Kantian ethics, telling the truth should not be pegged on consequences (Vincent, 2015). Kant emphasizes that ‘good’ should freely choose to fulfill its moral duties regardless of the consequences.

One of the parties in the case is the mother-in-law, who faces the dilemma of disclosing illegitimate paternity information to the daughter. On the other hand, there is the daughter who is unaware of her husband’s past and will be directly impacted by the disclosure. Also, the son-in-law’s privacy is at stake since he did not tell his wife the truth about his past. Finally, the illegitimate child’s welfare is at stake since their future depends on whether the woman will tell her daughter the truth.

This case contains universalizable duties as contained in deontological ethics.  One such universalizable duty is honesty and transparency (Vincent Ryan Ruggiero, 2015). Based on such a duty, the mother was justified in telling the truth about her son-in-law’s past, regardless of the consequences. Another universalizable duty in this case is respect for privacy, which obligates individuals to maintain privacy if it improves the welfare of the parties involved (Vincent Ryan Ruggiero, 2015). However, from a deontological perspective, facts will be stated regardless of the consequences.

According to Millum and Bromwich (2020), the principle of respect for persons avers that people should be accorded dignity and respect since they are an end rather than a means to an end. The principle emphasizes the need to respect individual autonomy as long as they are of majority age. Therefore, the woman is right to tell the daughter about an illegitimate son since she made the decision willingly.

References

Millum, J., & Bromwich, D. (2020). Respect for Persons. The Oxford Handbook of Research Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190947750.013.12

Vincent Ryan Ruggiero. (2015). Thinking critically about ethical issues. Mcgraw-Hill Education.

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Truth-Telling and Respect for Persons – A Kantian Ethical Analysis of a Family Dilemma

For this module, you are required to complete a Written Case Analysis of approximately 200 words. Please read Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues, Case 13, p. 97. Identify the moral issue(s) and the parties involved; identify what universalizable duties are at stake; identify how the principle of respect for persons applies to the case.