So, a genuine ethics discussion following on from that ‘Aemma birth scene’
It’s been discussed at length but I want to really focus in on a central ethical question that the scene presents to us that hadn’t really been discussed at length (apart from when I raised it briefly, lol)
Let’s consider that Viserys had asked Aemma whether she wanted to go through with the procedure and for whatever reason - fear, an understandable desperate hope that she can give birth naturally and save herself and her child… whatever it might be, she does not give consent to the surgical procedure.
Now, I don’t want to get into hypotheticals about whether you believe Aemma would want to die to save her child or that any mother would - I’m sure most would, but it’s not impossible that they might not. It’s that situation I’m interested.
In that situation, where a baby is about to be born and one can assume is developed such that it would be able to survive independently of the mother, what would be the ethically correct thing for others to do?
Respect the woman’s agency and rights to her own body and then wait with the understanding that both the mother and the unborn child will most likely die.
Act against the woman’s choice and her rights over her own body in order to save the unborn child who stands a chance of surviving?
I genuinely just want to hear people’s thoughts on this. Philosophy and ethics are my passion and the scene has stuck with me ever since and I think I’d like to put it to my students too.