Justifying Abortion Under Special Circumstances
In this essay, I will try to analyse and evaluate some of the
different arguments, which surround one of the most important issues
in society: abortion. It is my personal view that the question of
abortion right up until birth should be left solely to the mothers'
judgement and in this essay, I will try to justify my viewpoint.
Many people believe that abortion is morally wrong in all
circumstances and it should be regarded as a form of murder. However,
this argument is built upon questionable foundations as it assumes
that a foetus is a human being from conception. At conception, the
foetus bears little physical resemblance to human form, it is
certainly not independent and it is unlikely to be conscious. I feel
that for people to reasonably justify this view, they must accept
that, for example, frogspawn is as much a frog as is the amphibian we
commonly associate with the term; an acorn is as much an oak tree as
is the tree itself and even that bacteria, yoghurt and brain tumours
are living organisms with as much of a right to life as human beings.
I do not think that yoghurt, bacteria, frogspawn, acorns or brain
tumours should be given the same rights as humans, which would include
the right to life, and so I therefore disagree with people holding
this view. Also, I disagree with this argument in the circumstances of
rape, as I do not feel that a mother should be forced to have a child
without her full consent.
A utilitarian view on the subject of abortion may state that the
circumstances of each potential birth should be analysed and a
conclusion should be reached on the ...
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...nd if they are unable to give consent, then the act
must not go ahead.
In conclusion to the analysis and evaluation of these arguments, I
retain my original view but accept that there are many different and
valid arguments on the subject of abortion each with their own
strengths and weaknesses. I think that until the foetus becomes
physically a completely independent being, i.e. at birth, then it must
be the mother who decides whether or not to have an abortion because
until birth, the foetus is still in reality a part of the mother's
body and therefore it is up to her what happens to it. I do not take
into account the deontological approach and the concept of the soul,
because I have not as yet come across conclusive evidence to convince
me that these are concepts that need to be accounted for in modern
society.
whatever he does not want her to do. Throughout her twenty years of life with
A Defense of Abortion In her argument on abortion, Judith Thomson discusses some major points about abortion. She deals with extreme cases and those extreme cases help us to realize a single perspective of abortion. For example, she talks about the violinist attached to you. In that example, you keep everything constant and focus on a single point, violinist being dead if you unattached him.
abortion but we can't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch. The fact remains
Abortion has been one of the hottest political issues over a number of years. The issue of abortion is a huge debate between pro-lifers, people against abortion, and pro-choicers, people who support abortion. Since the Roe v. Wade court case in 1973, which legalized abortion, laws dealing with abortion have been altered in each individual state. Due to these laws, organizations such as the National Organization for Women (NOW) and Feminists for Life of America (FFL), have been created to debate the issues of abortion and stand up for what they believe. The laws in Pennsylvania and the Christian Bible have their own perspective on this “hot button” topic of abortion. These sources have similar and opposing opinions that offer a never-ending argument on this issue.
In our society, there are many ethical dilemmas that we are faced with that are virtually impossible to solve. One of the most difficult and controversial issues that we are faced with is abortion. There are many strong arguments both for and against the right to have an abortion which are so complicated that it becomes impossible to resolve. The complexity of this issue lies in the different aspects of the argument. The essence of a person, rights, and who is entitled to these rights, are a few of the many aspects which are very difficult to define. There are also issues of what circumstances would justify abortion. Because the issue of abortion is virtually impossible to solve, all one can hope to do is understand the different aspects of the argument so that if he or she is faced with that issue in their own lives, they would be able to make educated and thoughtful decisions in dealing with it.
I think [17e] that the lady should have the baby and then put it up for adoption, but then there are also a lot of other people that think that the child will suffer psychologically, because in a lot of cases the child will never get to meet their biological parents. Even if the baby doesn't meet their parents they will not suffer as badly as it would if it were brutal. slaughtered in the womb, this brings up a biological issue: abortion is killing a human life.... ... middle of paper ... ...
The permissibility of abortion has been a crucial topic for debates for many years. People have yet to agree upon a stance on whether abortion is morally just. This country is divided into two groups, believers in a woman’s choice to have an abortion and those who stand for the fetus’s right to live. More commonly these stances are labeled as pro-choice and pro-life. The traditional argument for each side is based upon whether a fetus has a right to life. Complications occur because the qualifications of what gives something a right to life is not agreed upon. The pro-choice argument asserts that only people, not fetuses, have a right to life. The pro-life argument claims that fetuses are human beings and therefore they have a right to life. Philosopher, Judith Jarvis Thomson, rejects this traditional reasoning because the right of the mother is not brought into consideration. Thomson prepares two theses to explain her reasoning for being pro-choice; “A right to life does not entail the right to use your body to stay alive” and “In the majority of cases it is not morally required that you carry a fetus to term.”
to have a child loose in the world would put even more guilt on the
...dering of children who have never gotten a chance at a future, should be considered a crime. I think that this idea can reduce the rate of abortion in many ways. Why? Because she would not have to deal with a situation where she would feel afraid, or where the child would be undesirable.
Abortion is defined as a procedure that is done to remove an embryo or fetus from the uterus of its mother in order to prevent its birth (Roth, 2005). Abortion is categorized as a bioethical issue because it relates to the morals of biomedical advances, policies and research. Abortion is a difficult subject that can involve personal morals and beliefs, legality and religious values. The issue is often viewed from either the side of pro-life, which places emphasis on the fetus and its right to life or pro-choice, which emphasizes the rights of the mother to decide the appropriate action (Roth, 2005). This brings the ethical question of should the government have the right to outlaw abortion into debate. The two viewpoints of pro-life and pro-choice explore the two main moral issues concerning abortion (Roth, 2005).
Having children is one of the most amazing things in the world but some children are created with the wrong idea behind them. RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) reports that there is “on the average of 237,868 people, ages 12 or older that have become victims of rape and sexual assault yearly.” Some of these rape and sexual assault crimes result in women becoming pregnant with a baby that they had not planned on. Women who become pregnant due to rape and sexual assault are usually very eager to get rid of their baby due to the fact that their child would possibly be a reminder of a part in their life that they would not like to recall.
To be raped is to be sexually assaulted forcefully and unwillingly. According to the Uniform Crime reports, of all serious offenses, rape is probably “the most under reported crime.” Victims of rape are not only violated physically, they are violated mentally as well. It is a very traumatic experience that woman have to deal with for the remainder of their life. They usually incur symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome, stress disorders, fear, constant memories of the attack, a loss of confidence, and shame. (Mary E. Williams) These effects alter the victim’s life severely and can interfere with their day to day life and relationships. Being raped is a horrific crime that no woman should ever have to endure. In many cases victims of rape may become impregnated by the perpetrator leaving the victim to another form of violation. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, at least 9,100 abortions each year are attributed to pregnancies that occur because of forced sexual intercourse. (Irin Carmon)
that she does not want to use or waste it. This can also be shown, as
Abortion is an ancient procedure, though the modern abortions we know today are fairly recent. Abortions trace back thousands of years, and were induced using various herbs and practices. The first recorded method was a plant-fiber tampon covered with honey and crushed dates. Another ancient method was the plant silphium, which was so effective it was gathered to extinction. Pennyroyal, an herb still used today (though not safely), induces a miscarriage or abortion. The banning of abortion is also a very old. Different cultures and civilizations have forbidden abortion on and off for centuries. But despite being such an age-old procedure, people today still are ill-informed about the truth about abortion. Searching “abortion” on the internet will lead one to endless sites depicting slaughtered babies and tales of abortion doctors murdering month old infants. It is today’s media that fills people’s heads with false stories and having them believe these extreme cases apply to every abortion performed. But if someone takes the time to learn the truth about safe, modern abortions, they might begin to see that abortion should be an option for women of all ages in certain situations.
Abortion is the killing and removing the fetus/ embryo before there is any possibilities of it surviving outside of the mother’s uterus. Abortion is the end of a pregnancy that is normally chosen by the mother, but is also known as a miscarriage. Abortions are mostly known as a surgical procedure, this is done multiple ways but all killing the fetus/ embryo. There is a variety of viewpoints on abortion such as through the religious tradition, also from seeing it as a crime to beneficial, this is an on-going debate about abortion.