The Moral Permissibility Of Abortion Essay - 2270 Words

The Moral Permissibility of Abortion When faced with the choice of life or death, most people would choose to live. In fact, most would not want someone else making that decision for them. They would claim that as a living and independent entity it is solely their choice as to whether they continue to live or not. While this concept may seem fairly straightforward, there seems to be some great debate when it is applied to abortion. For many, they will maintain that the fetus has the right to life no matter the situation. There are some who will argue that abortion is morally permissible in specific circumstances and there are even those that will claim that abortion is always permissible. Why is there such a great divide? A major factor that plays a part in this is whether abortion involves more than one life. Because determining the beginning point of life is such a complex and emotional debate, there will be the same allowance in this paper as there was in Judith Jarvis Thomsonâ₠¬â„¢s â€Å"A Defense of Abortion†. As she eloquently put it â€Å"I propose then, that we grant that the fetus is a person from the moment of conception† (p. 721). This will allow for a look into the moral debate of abortion from a more grounded stage. As discussed early in Thomson’s paper, most of the debate on abortion rests on whether the fetus is alive or not. Whereas the focus should be on the many other aspects of pregnancies that may lead to a mother wanting an abortion. With the allowance given to theShow MoreRelatedThe Moral Permissibility Of Abortion Essay1485 Words   |  6 PagesThe moral permissibility of abortion other than if necessary to save the life of the mother does not depend on whether the fetus is a person. This essay examines the argument to why abortion is morally permissible and defends this notion using three central impressions, to which the essay is organized by the following: first, abortion does not depend on whether the fetus is a person, because the fetus is not a person. Second, the moral permissibility of abortion cannot be exclusively contingent inRead MoreThe Moral Permissibility Of Abortion974 Words   |  4 PagesMoral Permissibility of Abortion Abortion has been a debating issue for many decades. Most of the countries, permit abortion, however, some religions and countries consider abortion to be morally and ethically impermissible. In Canada, the abortion was legalized in 1988 based on the fact that the law should not force a women to carry a fetus beyond her priorities as it would interfere with her body and her own securities towards life. Many would argue against this view by stating that a fetus doesRead MoreVirtue Ethics : Moral Philosophy For Determining The Moral Permissibility Of Abortion1283 Words   |  6 Pagesis the preferable moral philosophy for determining the moral permissibility of abortion because it avoids the drawbacks from the utilitarian approach, and the deontological approach. I will demonstrate that virtue ethics is preferable because (i) it does not require a comprehension of problematic abstract concepts, and because (ii) it is sensitive to circumstantial variation. This paper will argue that virtue ethics is the preferable ethical approach to the question of abortion because it avoidsRead MoreAbortion : The Morality Of Abortion1442 Words   |  6 Pagesdebated topics in bioethics is the morality of abortion, or the ending of a pregnancy without physically giving birth to an infant. Often times abortions are categorized into either spontaneous, a natural miscarriage; induced or intentional, which is premeditated and for any reason; or therapeutic, which albeit intentional, its sole purpose is to save the mother’s life. It seems however that moral conflicts on issue mainly arise when discussing induced abortions. In general, people universally agree itRead MoreThe Ethical Justification Of Abortion Essay1095 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Ethical justification of abortion is a controversial subject consisting of numerous significant theories that have been presented based on studies and researches. Basically, abortion refers to termination of pregnancy through removal of the undeveloped fetus. Seemingly, the act is highly condemned by majority sociologists and health practitioners due to violation of humanitarian ethics and morals. However, this particular perspective is orientated by the normative ethics system entailingRead MoreOn Thomson s A Defense Of Abortion Essay1278 Words   |  6 PagesOn Thomson’s â€Å"A Defense of Abortion† Abortion is the intentional and deliberate termination of a human pregnancy that results in the death of a fetus. It is a practice that has sparked many debates centering around arguments over women’s right and fetal rights. Judith Jarvis Thomson’s essay, â€Å"A Defense of Abortion,† argues that a fetus’s right to life does not always override a women’s right over her own body and thus abortion is not morally impermissible. By using thought experiments, ThomsonRead MoreWomen s Rights By Judith Jarvis Thomson s A Defense Of Abortion1614 Words   |  7 Pageswomen’s rights entail? For instance, should abortion be considered one of the select inalienable rights for women? This topic of human rights, specifically that of pregnant women, is discussed in Judith Jarvis Thomson’s â€Å"A Defense of Abortion†. In this defense, Thomson makes her claim â€Å"While I do argue that abortion is not impermissible, I do not argue that it is always permissible† (655 Perry). In other words Thomson has come to the conclusion that abortion may only be permissible under certain circumstancesRead MoreEssay about Abortion: Morally Permissible or Impermissible?2524 Words   |  11 PagesAbortion: Morally Permissible or Impermissible? Abortion can be defined as a means of terminating a pregnancy by removing or expelling a fetus from the uterus before viability. Abortion has been, and will always be, a controversial issue in today’s society and in the future. People have always struggled to determine whether it is ethical to abort a fetus; morally permissible (acceptable) or morally impermissible (unacceptable). The polarizing views that are associated with abortion makes thisRead MoreWhy Abortion Is Permissible? Essay1587 Words   |  7 PagesAs I mentioned in my last paper, people often disagree on moral issues. Strong opinions lead to the formulation of strong arguments whether opposing or advocating for a specific stand. To say, one of the most widely debated moral issues is abortion, which is defined as the termination of a pregnancy followed by the death of the embryo or fetus. The point of contention on abortion is that we are putting two lives in jeopardy, the mother’s and fetus’ life. Although this issue is highly discussed, debatersRead MoreA Defense Against Abortion By Judith Jarvis1439 Words   |  6 Pages In her article â€Å"A Defense Against Abortion,† Judith Jarvis Thomson explores the permissibility of abortion through both the rights of a fetus and of a woman, and further argues that abortion is sometimes permissible under circumstantial situations. Thomson offers multiple thought-experiments, but the one I am focusing on in my paper is her burglar-based argument. In short, this situation involves you leaving your window open, knowingly increasing the risk of a burglar entering your home. She further