Abandoning a Child to Get Medical Help for Them

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The Moral Dilemma of a Mother Legally Abandoning Her Child
Conclusion
References

Introduction

There are many situations in this world that are ethically questionable. People can react to the same event in a variety of ways. While some may find an action or a lack of action a virtuous deed, others will argue it is unethical. This post is dedicated to the moral dilemma of a mother legally abandoning her child for them to get the necessary medical help.

The Moral Dilemma of a Mother Legally Abandoning Her Child

The article published by The Washington Post recounts the story of a woman who decided to surrender the custody of her 17-year-old son with severe mental health issues. Lisa Rowe gave up her parental rights to ensure her son was enrolled in a full-time residential treatment program at a psychiatric facility (Wan, 2022). As she could not afford such a program and her son was becoming increasingly violent towards her, surrendering the child to that state for him to get the treatment he needed was the only logical solution for her.

The act of voluntarily relinquishing custody of a child can be viewed as a callous and selfish action. It can be argued that a parent has a moral obligation to prevent harm to their children and ensure their child is healthy. Therefore, child abandonment and transference of parental duties onto the state or other people can be viewed as an ethically wrong action. However, within Kant’s theory of ethics, or deontology, it is important to consider the motive of action and the action as a whole. Kant believed that any act is morally just if “it is done with a right intention or motive” (MacKinnon & Fiala, 2018, p. 117). In Kant’s deontological ethics, the right motive is viewed as a good will, with the latter being considered the ultimate and unconditional good (MacKinnon & Fiala, 2018). Thus, as the main motive behind Lisa Rowe’s forfeit of her parental rights is the health and well-being of her child, her decision can be viewed as ethical within deontology.

Conclusion

In summary, any action can be judged as either ethical or unethical depending on the theory through the prism of which it is considered. Deontological ethics urges to consider the act committed by an individual and the intention behind it. Therefore, it can be argued that voluntary surrender of parental rights is a morally right decision if the health and safety of the child is the primary motive behind it.

References

MacKinnon, B., & Fiala, A. (2018). Ethics: Theory and contemporary issues (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Wan, W. (2022). ‘Is this what a good mother looks like?’. The Washington Post.

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Abandoning a Child to Get Medical Help for Them

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