Is Abortion Morally Wrong?

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.

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.

Ever since the case of Roe v. Wade in 1973, abortion has been one of the most contentious issues in our society. In some cases people think abortion is murder, in others, it’s reasonable for some cases. Then there are people who use it just to take advantage of it. The legal stance of abortion is a hot topic in today’s society.

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.

In people’s minds, abortion is one of many solutions to get rid of a baby that is not wanted or it’s not the right time to raise a baby; it is also one of the most controversial issues of our time. Abortion has it’s own effects on people and society mostly in a bad way. Church and other religious groups are against abortion, while others in our society are supporters. There are some options other than abortion to solve this issue, such as: adoption, teen parenting, and more. “How many more women will be exploited, injured or killed by abortion? More than 4,000 women choose to abort every day. That’s about 1.5 million abortions each year.” (lovematters.com).

The topic of abortion is very controversial. Many believe that an abortion is morally wrong while others think that everyone should have a choice whether to keep the baby or not. Shafer-Landau states in the introduction of The Ethical Life, “morality is the code that we should live by” (Shafer-Landau 1). Many different religions have different point of views whether abortion is morally right or wrong. Many different people have questions about how we ought to live and what we should believe (Shafer-Landau 1). I personally sit on the fence whether abortion is right or wrong because I can agree with certain points from both pro-life and pro-choice but, for this paper, I’m going to support the pro-choice side of abortion. I believe everyone who is having a baby should have a choice to abort it if that is what they want.

We can all agree that abortion is a controversial issue debated in our society today, especially in Texas, which is one of the most conservative’s states in the nation. Some people argue that abortion is morally wrong, because it has to do with ending a life which, according proponents begins at conception, not at birth. Others contest that it is a woman 's constitutional right to make reproductive decisions, particularly in situations of rape, incest, and health risks. In this paper I will survey the viewpoints regarding abortion presented by conservatives, Christian scholars, and advocates of women 's reproductive rights.

Every single year, this silent horror kills about as many Americans as have been killed on all the battlefields in all of the wars in U.S. history combined according to Michael Snyder. Every time an abortion takes place, a innocent human is being killed. Some people call it murder. Every since 1973, the Roe v. Wade case on abortion this subject has been a world controversy, and the supreme court division gave women the right, in consultation with their physicians, to choose abortion (Gale). After 1973, abortion was not illegal anymore. Ever since, this has been a major issue. Yes, people make mistakes, but people have to live with their mistakes. Abortion should not be an option to anyone except in a few specific situations. Abortion not only is very bad for the mother's health, it can also lead to complications for later babies down the road. Every human has rights. Every human has the right to be protected whether he or she is in the womb or standing alone. The fetus is still a human. Abortion is morally wrong. Not only in some religions, but is wrong period. Killing a baby is not a way to fix the mistake made. There are only a couple specific situations where any woman should try and argue the reason why they should get an

still stick to the barbaric belief that abortion is wrong. Yes, you have the right to believe it is

Having the choice of abortion is telling women that they do not have to be responsible for their actions. The woman knows that no matter if they took all the precautions to not become pregnant, there still are chances of it happening. Abortion is just an immoral way for women to coward away from responsibility. A Census Bureau study noticed “that women who have their first child out of wedlock get less education and are more likely to be unemployed and single - even many years later - compared with other women” (Harris). Women need to realize that they made the choice of bringing a baby into their lives even if they unknowingly did. It does not matter if it is inconvenient for the woman or it would set the woman back in life. The woman needs to grow up and take care of the baby like an adult

Abortion is morally wrong for many reasons and should be illegal. What is so unethical about it, doesn’t a woman have the right to do what she wants with her body? Yes she does. However, if it is at the cost of another human life it is unjust and wrong. In addition, the mother is not the only one effected by the murdering of the child, imagine all of the lives the child could have touched and changed. Lastly, life is good and killing is wrong. So how could killing an innocent child be perceived as “okay” or acceptable? It just doesn’t make sense, but somehow, the US refuses to outlaw abortion. Jackson from the federalist reported a horrific story. A Colorado woman, who was seven months pregnant, was attacked and left for dead. Her unborn daughter

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:

When it comes to the ongoing debate on whether abortion is a moral thing to do or not, it is often hard to come to a conclusion on which way of thinking is right or wrong or if any way of thinking is wrong to begin with. In the case of Immanuel Kant’s various arguments in the novel Ground for the metaphysics of morals, I believe that Kant would feel that it would be a morally permissible thing to do to abort a fetus, and I feel this way due to his opinions on the differences between a person and a thing and the viewpoint of while the fetus may not be a thing, it’s 1P stage where it cannot self-determine should allow mothers to consider an abortion if that is what they desire.

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

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.