Is Abortion Ethical Or Ethical?

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.

Women should not be able to make decisions about how to live their lives. Clearly, by the looks of the statistics, with approximately 42 million abortions a year, women are foolish. Women should not have the option of deciding when or whether to have children. They do this by making choices regarding when to have sexual intercourse and what contraceptive methods to use. The government should have all the power to make these decisions. Abortion reflects a women's value, her family, and her career.

When the beginning of life actually occurs is clearly not a topic to be taken lightly in today’s modern world. Majority of the population’s answers to this question are based on each individuals opinion and is supported by what they believe. In general, there are two sides of the argument. One is that life begins at the time of conception. The other belief is that life doesn’t begin until the drawing of the first breath. The true dilemma here is not the accurate pinpointing of life’s beginning, but the questions that accompany this topic and each individuals desire to do the right thing, the moral thing. While one point of view allows for abortion the other does not. The issue raises many questions of morality. Is abortion moral? When does it become murder? When is it permissible? (Life of the mother at stake / A product of rape). Should it be the mother’s choice? Many arguments for both sides pull from scripture and scientific articulations.

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.

Why should any female be forced to carry a baby she does not want to keep? Abortions have been legalized since 1973 in the “Roe v. Wade” decision. And upholding that was the “Right To Choose” which referred to the pro-choice stance. With the evolving moral standards of society, abortions are becoming more and more justified. Abortions, the practice of removing a fertilized egg from a mother has become a controversial issue in the country, should be allowed because she might not be in the place for a child, could have an unsafe abortion, and may be a rape victim.

People who oppose abortion who believe women have abortions for their own convenience belittle the trauma women go through when making this decision. Motherhood cannot be undervalued. It is a lifelong responsibility. The baby has never asked to be born so the responsibility lies with the women carrying it, to provide it with a decent life. If for whatever reason the baby is not welcome, the woman has the right to terminate the

If a woman agrees to engage in sexual activity and doesn’t properly use contraception, then she would know that pregnancy can occur. Being pregnant means a woman has a new life growing inside of her and I believe that the woman has an ethical obligation to that life. Woman should not be able to deny a child the right to life just because they made a mistake that they want to cover up. Using abortion as a means of birth control is not healthy psychologically or physically and is not a responsible approach to deal with the repercussions of sex. Women who have abortions are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and other emotional disturbance, they are also at higher risk for pelvic inflammatory disease, and HIV/AIDS. Abortion can also affect a woman’s fertility and make it difficult/ impossible for her to have children later on if she

An 18 year old girl gets pregnant and can’t decide whether to keep the baby or have an abortion. Her parents are very religious and do not believe in sex before marriage therefore would not take to kindly to their daughter being pregnant.

One reason women may choose to have an abortion is they don’t have the financial resources to support themselves or a child. By allowing women to make their own reproductive choices, it will allow women in poverty stricken situations to choose what they feel is right. A study from The University of Massachusetts at Amherst conducted on Oct. 2010 found that women at all income levels earn less when they have children.

Is abortion ever morally justified? Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. In the past it has been argued over whether abortion should be considered moral or even legal. For the sake of sticking to one argument we will not discuss whether or not abortion should be legal. The word moral, by definition, is being concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character there are several reasons as to why some women choose to abort. The word justified means having, done for, or marked by a good or legitimate reason. There are many reasons as to why women choose to abort .To list a few reasons; cannot afford a baby now, a baby would interfere with school/employment/ability to care for others, and because they would be a single parent. Through the lens of

Faye Wattleton, the longest reigning president of the largest abortion provider in the world - Planned Parenthood- argued as far back as 1997 that everyone already knows that abortion kills. She proclaims the following in an interview with Ms. Magazine:

Abortion is defined as “The removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end the pregnancy” (dictionary.com). However, if only the debate over the abortion issue was as easy as the definition listed above. However, similar to most things in life, a statement or opinion is never right nor wrong, but simply left open for clarification. Those who are against abortion believe that abortion is the murder of innocent human beings who aren’t given a chance at life and the ability to function as a normal individual. However, those who are for abortion believe that it is a women’s right to choose what she does to not only her baby but

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

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.

The right to an abortion is a right that women should have. Many women face difficult situations where they find themselves needing to have an abortion. It is up to a woman to choose what is best, according to her, for her life. Modifications to one’s body is allowed, and abortion is just another modification. Women should build one another and not tear each other down by judging each other’s decisions. Women, who decide either to have an abortion, make a life-changing decision that everyone should