Is it ever justifiable to kill someone?

by kaixin (student)

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

In this essay I am going to explore the question- is it ever justifiable to kill someone? This is a very controversial issue as many people have different viewpoints. Some people think that killing, for whatever reason is wrong. Some people think that killing is never wrong, and some think that it is justifiable to kill someone in certain situations.

For example, in December 2000, there was a case of two conjoined twins, who were conjoined at the lower abdomen but were capable of lying flat on their back. At first glance they appeared as if they were one single trunk with a head and limbs at both ends. Although their spines were fused, their legs were independently formed and criss-crossed each other. At birth, Jodie was active and breathing voluntarily with a good heart and chest movement and moving all four limbs. In Mary's case, there was a minimal response from the cardiopulmonary system before it failed.

The medical team soon realised that Mary's heart and lungs were so poorly developed that she was totally dependent on Jodie for oxygen and blood circulation. In other words, she could not exist without Jodie.

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While Jodie's system did collapse from blood poisoning shortly after birth, her heart and lungs were reported to be later fully functioning - giving the doctors hope that she could be saved. She was also said to have the same mental awareness as other newborn children. However, Mary's mental state was unclear. During evidence given in the initial court hearings, doctors said that she was moving her limbs and had opened one of her eyes. Because there appeared to be no distinguishing point where Jodie's body came to an end and Mary's body began, surgery effectively meant an operation on both of the babies.

Doctors believed that Jodie could survive separation because her long-term problems were "functional" rather than life threatening. The only threat posed to Jodie, said the doctors wishing to operate was that Mary was sapping her strength. Separation would lead to the immediate death of Mary. So the question was, is it right to sacrifice Mary for a happy life for Jodie?

Mary and Jodie’s parents were not in favour of the operation being put forward because they thought that Mary, too, deserved a chance at life, like Jodie, and operating would be equivalent as murdering Mary. This was against their religious beliefs, as they were Catholic and thought that the twin’s lives were in God’s hands. However, many people, like the doctors, decided that the operation should be put forward as Jodie deserved a full life and that both twins would probably both die in a short period of a few weeks if they weren’t being operated on. This was a huge dilemma so this case was put to court.

The courts finally ruled in favour of the doctors who wished to operate and the separation took place on 7 November 2000. As expected, Mary died. The surgery means that Jodie still requires substantial surgery to reconstruct her lower abdomen, rectum and possibly her sexual organs. While there were many doubts about Jodie's medium to long-term prospects, in the days following separation the baby rapidly improved, as predicted by the surgical team.

I think that this was a correct decision, as Jodie in now living happily, in the city of Gaza, and Mary’s sacrifice was worth it and the court made the right decision. Therefore, I think that killing someone is justifiable under certain circumstances, such as the case of Mary and Jodie.