The issue that this essay is dedicated to assist to this never ending battle of abortion. This essay will be written from the point of a pro-abortion utilitarian however I must also consider the argument against abortion to get a full understanding of how serious this issue is, the against argument is of a deontological stand-point. First while I argue that abortion is not impermissible, I do not argue that I is always permissible. It allows for and supports our sense, for an example, that Ms Judith Jarvis Thompson states in her A Defence of Abortion, “a sick and frightened teenaged school girl who is pregnant due to being raped may choose abortion and it should be morally permissible however choosing to terminate your pregnancy when you are
Marquis stresses the concept that abortion is equal to that of killing a fully adult human. He illustrates that because of the mindset that to abort a fetus, except in special scenarios, is a serious moral wrong. Marquis introduces the idea of the morality of abortion with identifying that typical arguments by anti-abortionists and pro-choice believers are weak and stubborn. Marquis explains that anti-abortionists praise the notion that fetuses exhibit adult behaviors, and the other hand, pro-choice argues that fetuses lack sorts of features that are necessary to be considered for insertion in moral society. (Insert Source Here) Both sides putting immense effort to argue in favor of an opinion that will clarify killing or murder so that It
When it comes to abortion one can not state that there is simply a conflict between a woman’s right to privacy/autonomy of her body (i.e. the right to choose) and the right to life (particularly the right of the fetus to be born). It is also not adequate to claim that the alternating theories of when life is created is at the core of the conflict over abortion, because the definition of the creation of life does not determine when and why the state will protect the right of the life of the fetus. The overlying issue is a combination of both claims. By carefully analyzing the moral and empirical claims surrounding the abortion issue, we believe that the best position for our candidate is one of pro-choice with some restrictions.
Marquis acknowledges that fetuses don’t have the capacity for self-conscious awareness, but believes that despite their lack of awareness they still should be given a right to life. He goes on to make the argument that abortion can be on the same level as the murder of an adult human. And, Marquis explains that people have reservations against murder because it denies them the right to their future experiences, projects, activities, and enjoyments. While he still believes abortion to be immoral, he does condone abortion under certain circumstances, those circumstances being when the loss would be equal, such as when the mother’s life is at risk because then the mother wouldn’t be allowed the same right to future experiences as the fetus otherwise. An easy objection to make to Marquis statement is that the value of one’s future is reliant on someone’s ability to be cognizant of their future, and as fetuses aren’t it would make abortion morally permissible. To that point Marquis responds that a fetus has the potential to become self-conscious. And according to him, because fetuses have the potential to personhood makes abortion morally
Abortion has been one of the topics of hot debate for the last three decades in our nation. Since the Roe v/s Wade decision in 1973, some Americans feel the need to ponder whether aborting fetuses is a moral action. On the one hand, some people feel that abortion should be legal because a woman has a right to choose whether she wants to continue a pregnancy or not. It's her body. On the other hand, some feel that fetuses have no advocates and deserve a right to live, so it is immoral to abandon their rights and kill them. This issue is not only at the center of political debate, but philosophical debate as well. In this paper, I will examine and critique Mary Anne Warren's On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion, where she examines the moral humanity of the fetus and its right to life.
From this point, Marquis attempts to outline common objections to anti-abortionism, and give replies in which may better support his view, by characterizing and defining situations which are commonly brought up in such arguments. Firstly, an anti-abortionist will hold that it is “prima facie seriously wrong to end the life of a baby”, which is a generally obvious position. A pro-choicer would typically respond that it is only seriously wrong to take the life of another member of the human society, which refers to active members and social beings in a community. This leads to a point where it is commonly seen that anti-abortionists hold too narrow of a principle, while pro-choice views are too broad. Thus, it stands that both parties must further elaborate to support their claims. Furthermore, an anti-abortionist will claim, “it is prima facie seriously wrong to end the life of a human being”. However, this do...
The importance of the mother’s life versus the importance of the child’s life, the beginning of life in a fetus, and finally the consequences of abortion to the mother’s health condition and future pregnancies are all important factors that pro-life activists and pro-choice supports all consider when making a decision about whether or not abortion should be legal and funded for or not. Pro-choice activists ended up with the stronger arguments in that there are very valid arguments that point out why abortion should be illegal. Some of these reasons include the guilt and regret that the mother feels after abortion, the fact that abortion is the same thing as murder, as well as not viewing everyone equally. “In brief, there are no occasions in which the intentional killing of the pre-born child is justified.”
The following essay will examine the morality of abortion with specific reference to the writings of Don Marquis, Judith Jarvis Thompson, Peter Singer and Mary Anne Warren. I will begin by assessing the strength of the argument provided by Marquis which claims that abortion is impermissible because it deprives a being of a potential “future like ours,” and then go on to consider the writings of Singer, Thomson and Warren to both refute Marquis claims and support my assertion that abortion is morally permissible primarily because of the threat to the freedom and bodily autonomy of women extending the right to life to a foetus in utero would pose.
A controversial topic around the world that I do not agree with is abortion. How would you feel if someone took your ability away to live? Imagine not having any say in whether or not you get to have a life. Well babies don 't have a choice in their mother’s womb. If a woman decides to abort her baby, they can 't do anything about their life being taken away from them. I believe abortion is wrong in any circumstance, there is always a better answer. Abortion is wrong because it is considered brutal murder, there are many other safer solutions, and it can harm the mother as well. If someone were to get pregnant after engaging in sexual activity, then they should take responsibility for their actions, and a life should not be destroyed due to inconvenience. Abortion is a terrible thing, you are purposely terminating a life, and that is the point I would like to push in the argument.
Firstly, Marquis makes clear that we are working under the assumption that the fundamental disagreement present in the abortion debate is whether or not the fetus is a being worthy of being saved, and cites several writers that also believe in this fundamental disagreement to support his case. He then examines this paradigm as it pertains to the abortion argument, with pro-choicers on one side saying that fetuses are not rational actors, and pro-lifers on the other side saying that life begins at conception and making emotional appeals. He writes that the prima facie cases of the pro-choice and anti-abortionist movements are, respectively, that “being a person… gives intrinsic moral worth,” It is only… wrong to take the life of a member of the human community;” “It is always… wrong to take a human life,” and “it is always… wrong to end the life of a baby.” Marquis does not, in actuality, reject the validity of either side’s claims (185).
Marquis holds that: if it is a morally impermissible to kill and deprive someone of a “future-like-ours”, then it is wrong to abort and deprive a fetus of a “future-like-ours”. It is morally impermissible to kill and deprive
Due to the conflict of opinions from both sides, it is virtually impossible to solve the issue of abortion. On one hand, advocates believe that all humans should have the right to live regardless of the mother’s choice. On the other hand, the mothers’ rights are put into consideration because her body will forever be changed. All anyone can do is try to comprehend all aspects of this issue so that if put in such situation they can make an educated and thoughtful decision for themselves.
There are two great short articles that try to make sense of the whole abortion debate, shedding light on both sides of the issue. Judith Jarvis Thomson’s “A Defense of Abortion” (1971) is surely the most compelling philosophical article published on abortion. The structure Thompson puts in place has largely shaped the discussion since, by offering the observation that a child’s position as a person is irrelevant to the question of whether a woman has the right to seek an abortion. The opposing argument, “Why Abortion is Immoral,” by Don Marquis, supports the belief that killing a fetus is no different than killing a human, that the act itself is ethically and morally wrong In taking a neutral approach without interjecting my opinion, I’ll summarize both articles and attempt to portray each author’s raw emotional beliefs toward the issue.
Marquis is not specific in his arguments in regards to when life begins, but rather a “majority of deliberate abortion is seriously immoral.” While Marquis is not taking the typical stance on pro-life, “It is always wrong to take a human life,” he does feel this viewpoint is too broad. Marquis enters his argument from a different angle than typical pro-life arguments. His primary argument is killing is not an act that is acceptable on any level. Additionally, when someone is killed, they are basically robbed of their future. What if the person killed was to have been the person who would have found a cure for cancer? Then the death of this person would be costly to society. This includes the case of an abortion where we basically are robbing the future of this unborn child. The unborn child taken because of an abortion could very well be the person that would have cured