Abortion Is Morally Justifiable?

Abortion is the ending of a pregnancy by removing a fetus or embryo before it can survive outside of the uterus. Once a women finds out that she is pregnant she does have a constitutional protected right to have an abortion in the early stages of pregnancy. Abortions are conducted by women from all forms of life. The typical woman who terminates her pregnancy may either be young, poor, or

In Judith Jarvis Thomson’s philosophy paper, A Defense of Abortion, she argues that abortion is permissible because an individual’s right over their own body outweighs a fetus’s right to life. In this paper I will focus on whether or not abortion is always permissible. First, I will present Thomson’s argument which says that abortion is sometimes permissible. I will do so by describing her “famous violinist” thought experiment. Next, I will object to Thomson’s claim and expand the scope of her argument by arguing that abortion is in fact, always permissible. I will do so by presenting a new thought experiment. Finally, I will conclude in saying that Thomson is correct and abortion is in fact only sometimes permissible.

Abortion is defined as an early termination of a pregnancy, willingly. It is one of the most controversial issues that is brought up because there are so many different views. This ethical issue today is usually split in two groups, one of these views being pro-choice, giving the option to have an abortion to the family of the fetus. The other main view today is pro-life, which states under no circumstance may a life be taken away. There are many concerns with abortion, the biggest being is the fetus an actual person yet? Many of us will never know the answer to that question. Two views I will go deeper into is the view of Immanuel Kant and the view of a Utilitarian.

Abortion is defined as “The deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy.” (Oxford Dictionary). Nearly three out of ten women in the U.S. have an abortion by the time they are 45-years-old (Planned Parenthood). Abortion is morally permissible because an abortion prevents a woman and the potential child’s suffering. Abortion is moral because it is a fundamental right of competent adults to make their own decisions on the course of their medical treatment, can alleviate further suffering in immoral cases, such as rape and is protected by rule of law.

As stated above, abortion is the termination of a fetus. In other words, the fetus dies, whether by the mother's choice or by accident (such as a miscarriage or stillbirth.) Medically, all terminations of pregnancy not resulting in a live birth are defined as abortions. Each year throughout the world, 45million abortions are performed. Compare this to 128.6 million births per year and you get approximately 35% of fetuses each year that never get a chance to live. When discussing abortion, one aspect to

Abortion is the deliberate termination of a woman’s pregnancy before they deliver birth, in which it results the death of the fetus. Abortion has been one of the most heated debates in America for years. There are two sides of abortion, those who believe that it is a woman's constitutional right to decide, and others such as myself, who believe that abortion is unethical, and it is murder when destroying a child’s life.

There are many reason why a woman may choose to have an abortion. Of the women who reported having an abortion, 21 % said they made the choice because of inadequate finances, 11% were too young and/or immature, 3% was due to the baby having possible health problems and less than 1% said they made the decision because of being raped or because of incest. There were also other reasons given. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were 730,322 abortions reported in 2011.

The only other possible “acceptable” reason for a pregnant woman to get an abortion is if her life in danger due to complications of carrying the fetus for nine months and then delivering the child. While this argument is generally socially acceptable, I feel as though this is still a judgment call between the woman and her significant other (i.e. boyfriend, fiancee, husband, friend with benefits). Doctors are not always right and miracles that (almost) no one individual can explain, happen. The judgment call here is whether or not it is worth risking the life of a mature woman that is loved, is more valuable than the child growing in her belly.

The question of whether or not abortion is morally permissible is widely disputed amongst those who are pro-life or pro-choice. While in some societies abortion has been outlawed, others either entirely allow for it or consider abortion permissible on a case-by-case basis. Many pro-lifers classify abortion as immoral, some even considering it murder. Abortion is typically defined as terminating a pregnancy before the fetus is able to survive outside of the womb. A crucial factor in determining whether or not an instance of abortion can be considered morally permissible is the demarcation of the age of the fetus. Various hard cases in certain societies that have been considered permissible cases for abortion such as: threat of health to the mother, pregnancy in result of a crime (i.e. rape), reduced quality of life of the child (i.e. genetic problems and physical or mental defects), disadvantaged social factors (i.e. poverty), etc.

“The expulsion of a fetus from the uterus by natural causes before it is able to survive independently” (Oxford University Press).

A simple definition of abortion provides a common starting point for understanding this divisive issue. The Webster’s New World Dictionary defines abortion as a premature expulsion of a fetus so that it does not live, especially if induced on purpose (2). The fact that the fetus cannot survive independently outside of the mother’s womb due to an abortion presents a continuous debate. Ultimately this debate hinges on the point-in-time the fetus becomes a human being. Mark Y. Herring quotes the text from Abortion, Medicine and Law, “Abortion implies intent or purpose, but statutes frequently spell it out anyway,

Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy that is often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. As life begins at conception, unborn babies are human beings and thus have the right to life. The federal Unborn Victim Of Violence Act that was made to protect unborn babies from murder states that anybody intentionally killing an unborn baby should be punished for killing a human being. Abortion is a murder because it is taking away someone’s life. Even though the baby isn’t born yet, the fetus in the mother’s womb still feels pain while being aborted. No person, not even a mother, has the right to hurt someone. To keep a child, who can’t even speak, from growing and from living is a murder.

There are many reasons as to why a woman may want to get an abortion, but those reasons may not make having an abortion ethical. Some reasons include rape, incest, not being financially able to support a child, having a disabled child, the pregnancy causing dangers to the woman’s health or simply not wanting to care for a child. If the woman has the child it may interfere

Abortion is one of the most divisive, controversial issues in today’s culture. Generally, there are two main stances one may take regarding the issue. However, many people hold views that are less extreme and do not favor one position or the other. One philosopher, Don Marquis, is against abortion in his essay, “Why Abortion is Immoral.” He opens his paper with the statement that the view of abortion as seriously immoral has not received much support, while the anti-abortion position is supported due to “irrational religious dogma” and a “seriously confused philosophical argument” (Vaughan 317). The basic argument Marquis proposes is presented as:

All around the world, unborn babies are being killed everyday. Abortion has become one of the most common operations in the US today. People that are “pro-choice” believe that it is acceptable for a woman to have the choice to abort her baby or not. They say that it is the legal right of a woman. They believe that a baby is not yet alive until it has been born. It is argued that a woman should be able to do what is best for her future, health, and body. On the other side of the spectrum lies people that are “pro-life”. They believe that human life begins at the time of conception and that killing what is unborn is murder. They defend this with arguments from science, as well as scripture. Pro-choice believes in abortion because it will benefit the majority of women and possibly families. They are looking out for themselves and their best interests. It is Utilitarianism as well as egoism. They believe it is morally acceptable to end the life of the unborn. It will provide the majority with an unwanted pregnancy and a way out of a tough situation. Pro-life is against abortion because of a religious authority and because it will benefit a majority (unborn babies). They believe it is morally unacceptable to end the life of the unborn.