New York Times Ethicist Column Blesses Adultery Because Husband Has Alzheimer’s

The Ethicist column in the New York Times — a high-brow Dear Abby — has blessed adultery if one's spouse is permanently incapacitated.

The questioner is a woman who married an older man. Her husband is now incapacitated by advancing Alzheimer's. She is raising their child alone and has to earn a living. She still wants intimacy and asks whether it is okay for her to date. The Ethicist's unethical response:

It's obvious that you've had a lot to carry for a long time, not least caring for your husband as his Alzheimer's has progressed. And you do owe him continued stewardship as his spouse. But given that his condition has evidently left him unable to sustain a reciprocal emotional and marital relationship, these obligations don't mean you have to give up emotional and physical intimacy for the rest of his life. Fidelity, in a situation like yours, involves a duty of care, but with the effective loss of a companion, you're entitled to care for yourself as well.