Comparing Bronitt's Aspects Of Liberalism And Abortion

This essay will be discussing liberalism and abortion legality. It will firstly present Stephen Bottomley and Simon Bronitt’s aspects of liberalism. Secondly, this essay will discuss the pro-legal abortion liberal angle; discussing the points of the female having the right as an autonomous individual in deciding morally to abort or continue her pregnancy, autonomous decision making, private liberty, the state’s actions through the liberal perspective, and the negative effects that children can have on their mother with respect to liberalism. Thirdly, this essay will present the pro-illegal abortion liberal angle; discussing the main counter-argument of protecting the liberties of developing embryo. This essay argues that through the liberal

perspective, abortion is supported by the legal system that regards it as a legal practice; however limits of abortion legality apply when the foetus has developed past the stage of being just cells, and can be considered an individual being with the liberties of life.

Liberalism is a political ideology that Bottomley and Bronitt state does not have a single, agreed-upon definition. They conclude with certain aspects which incorporates the beliefs that firstly, liberalism believes that individuals are free to conduct their interests as long as they do not inflict upon the liberties of other individuals. Liberals argue that states and the law can only intervene and persecute an individual if the individual is causing harm to another individual. They do believe that states can assist in helping individuals decide on the best option, but ultimately the individual should, and will pick the best moral decision for themselves. Lastly, private and public liberties control the issues where states are permitted to govern – and decisions where actions affect the community; and should not be involved in – issues where only the individual is only affected.

Liberalism condones individual restricting other individual’s liberties. Pregnancy, the birth, and the raising of the child can restrict the mother’s liberties and force upon her financial, mental, and physical harm. With respect to Liberalism and individual rights, the woman who is experiencing the unwanted pregnancy has the right as an individual to decide on aborting or keeping the pregnancy. States can suggest other options to abortion, such as adoption, but they cannot however, force an individual’s decision. Private liberty means that choices that do not affect the broader community, should not be concerned and controlled by others, such as the state or the law. Abortion is included as a private matter and so the state or the law’s involvement violates the private liberty belief of individual autonomy. Thus the decision to have an abortion is a personal choice of a woman regarding her own body and the state must protect this right.
Liberalism believes that the individual knows best for their own situation, and that the individual is trusted with picking the best, moral option for themself.

With respect to abortion, the female is regarded as the best person to know herself and her current situation, and dismisses those of the father. The female is the one who experiences the most difficulties of the pregnancy, and is the most affected by the pregnancy. Liberalism allows her to be at liberty to decide if she is ready to go through the difficulties of pregnancy, including the supporting a child after birth. If the choice of abortion was taken from the pregnant female, and she had no legal choice but to accept the unwanted pregnancy; the child could enter the world with an unprepared mother who, depending on her situation, might not be capable of supporting a child, thus possibly restricting the child’s opportunities later in life. These reasons are supported by Robin West, who states that the female is the one who has to go through the physical pains of pregnancy, the financial strains of supporting the child, and having her life opportunities narrowed and altered. It is evident then that the woman, who has the unwanted pregnancy, is the best person to know and decide the right moral decision, and not the state or another

person.

Discussing if abortion can be consider an illegal act through a liberal perspective, this essay will now present the pro-illegal idea of the developing foetus as an legal individual. As stated previously, liberalism believes that individuals need to be protected if their liberties are being threatened by another. For abortion to be considered an illegal act, it requires defining the developing foetus as having the same rights as a human being. The argument that a foetus at any development stage requires protection is the common anti-abortion argument used by anti-abortionists. What stage a foetus is classed an individual is dependent on the views and understandings of individuals, with John Tomasi suggesting these individual views on abortion as “religious decisions”. Once a foetus has passed a certain biological development stage, it is understood to be considered an individual, however to define a foetus as an individual from conception is misguided. Furthermore, restrictive abortion policies, such as making abortion illegal, would impose further heavy sacrifices on women.

In the debate of abortion, generally liberalists side with pro-abortion to a certain developmental point, while conservatives argue negatively to abortion at any stage. This essay has discussed and agrees with the belief that abortion through a liberal perspective is legal until the foetus has developed to a certain stage. What stage of the developing foetus that this essay is referring to requires further debate and discussion which this essay will not discuss. By discussing the question of liberalism and abortion, this essay has presented the liberal aspects which relate to the abortion debate. Secondly, this essay presented the liberal pro-legal abortion perspective, discussing the liberties of the mother’s decision on her life, the harms of the foetus and child on the mother, and the damage others would cause to force an unwanted pregnancy upon another. Lastly, this essay attempted to discuss the liberal pro-illegal abortion side, discussing protection of the developing foetus, and the problems of when to class a foetus an individual who needs protection. Overall, the ability to abort an unwanted pregnancy is up to the individual most affected by the pregnancy, and this individual would pick the best decision for themselves, and their child.