Compared to some writings on abortion, it is very short. Our medical system deliberately fails to cover the facts. . Here is the key point for this argument: Given the type of entities that human fetuses are, they have all of the traits of persons laid out by Mary Anne Warren. This is important. Does Abortion Treat the Fetus in an Unethical, Callous Way? The media shows a sanitized version of all of it. But I would argue that it should be, in either case. If it is a self-contradiction or a contradiction of the will, you have a duty (perfect or imperfect) not to act according to that maxim. Traditional ethics was encoded in the "Oath of Hippocrates" (Greek physician), to which almost all doctors swore from 400 B.C. Even if it is not a person, however, this doesn’t mean that it can’t have any moral standing. I have obligations to the puppy, given what kind of creature it is, that I don't have to a table, or any other inanimate object. Why are so many people drawn to conspiracy theories in times of crisis? Given that autonomy exists as an ethical necessity, the question becomes how far that autonomy extends. Once the fetus looks like a baby, the choice to terminate becomes infinitely harder. Taking the discussion to "morality" keeps it in a grey area and creates a debate. Religious Debates Over the Ethics of Abortion. I live in a small town, and thanks to their non coverage of the issue, most residents have no idea how many homeless children we have in our community, thousands. And it is short for good reason: utilitarianism really has very little to say on this issue. We can examine them microscopically. Hursthouse herself wrote on abortion (See Virtue Theory and Abortion 1991), and though she may be against talking about the more general cases I so think it’s important to consider particular … But it is crucial to determining the morality of abortion, one way or the other. People who believe in this theory endorse the opinion that fetus is a human being irrespective of its … Teleology and Ethics: Actions and Consequences. Abortion and Virtue Ethics By Mathew Lu Introduction My goal here is to consider what contemporary virtue ethics … I agree, that is a central feature of the debate. A tip of the proverbial iceberg. While the debate is often reduced to matters of religious belief, the issues are also addressable through purely secular ethical concepts. If men had the ability to get pregnant, I query whether there would even be a debate. Others don't even survive. What is needed is to put the same kind of thought before bashing opposing positions on this issue! And, no, I don't condone violence against clinics! Excerpt from Term Paper : Utilitarian Abortion Considerations: The utilitarian perspective applied to the abortion issue would focus on whether permitting or prohibiting elective abortion would contribute more positively the interests of society (Mill, 2003 p160). Abortion is widespread now days all over the world. Can the state really force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term? Site like this should stick to factual information instead of this kind of framing and paltering, but their corporate advertisers would frown on that. For example, if I break a leg off of a table, I haven't done anything wrong. This may allow the debate to move forward and for progress to be made. - … Abortion also touches upon a significant number of important, fundamental ethical questions: the nature of personhood, the nature of rights, human relationships, personal autonomy, the extent of state authority over personal decisions, and more. This is a synthesis of several pro-life arguments. However, this argument contends that fetuses are persons because in an important sense they possess all of the traits Warren lists.3. This is an important aspect to focus on, because what a thing is determines how we should treat it, morally speaking. If a woman consented to sex and/or didn’t properly use contraception, then she knew that pregnancy might result. They do not possess these traits in their actualized form. The principal difference between the utilitarian and … One in six hospitals in the US is a religious institution, they are no better when it comes to outcomes than the for profit hospitals. Ehtical Absolutism. And abortion is the only moral choice which actually respects that. What would be wrong, however, would be to imagine that religious values should be the determining factor in these debates. Everything you mention here is a moral issue, or a moral question, and my point is simply that one central moral question, the nature of the fetus, is too often ignored by many on both sides of the debate. Self-motivated activity: ability to choose what to do (or not to do) in a way that is not determined by. It is relatively safe, but can cause a number of side effects including but not limited to naudea, abdomen pain, and internal bleeding. This has nothing to do with abortion, or anything for that matter. Should women give fathers any say in deciding whether the pregnancy is carried to term? 5. For some people, abortion in essence is completely wrong, as it is a serious blow to the existence of morality and human values. The importance of virtue ethics is based on the fact that it helps guide women to d… Most Americans have no idea what their odds are when going to their local hospital to deliver a child. If people approach the debates openly and with a willingness to learn from others with different perspectives, then it might be possible for everyone to have a positive impact on others. There are both political and religious dimensions to ethical debates over abortion. In countries with developed healthcare systems, in-clinic abortions are responsible for one or less maternal deaths per 100,000 procedures. There is nothing inherently wrong or superior to either approach. This author had no authority to put his thought on the matter in any forum. Ethics of Personal, Bodily Autonomy It’s arguable that a right to abortion is a right to control one’s body and the death of the fetus is an unavoidable consequence of choosing not to continue a pregnancy. Ethical Theories Of The Debate Over Abortion 1741 Words7 Pages There is a vast number of ethical theories, whether or not you believe in those theories is a matter of opinion and personal belief. The Natural Law on Abortion is supported by other absolutist ethical theories. Have a nice day. Rates of STDs are climbing, and these can have terrible consequences for fetuses, yet funding is being taken away for prevention. This essay is an analysis of abortion in utilitarian terms. Virtue ethics is the best tool to use when it comes to dealing with abortion. And lastly I will discuss my own personal view on the issue of abortion. Maybe you should Google some pictures of Fistulas, they tend to avoid this topic when discussing forced birth in young girls. After all, it's the destruction of life, no matter how it's rationalized. The mother health, should be the key here, not theological discussions about the "nature of fetuses." Facts about the reality of childbirth pregnancy and complications were glossed over by males in veneues liek this one. An ethical theory should be able to guide action, to tell us what we ought to do given our particular circumstances. . Providing women with a choice definitely affects those numbers. The media toned down the coverage. Not permitting women a choice over being pregnant and reproducing is not compatible with justice in a free, democratic state. Most likely he also pe… Not one of these so called Christians has ever referred to Usury ever. One might believe, as many do, that at least some abortions are immoral but that the law should not restrict choice in this realm of life. Extreme religious types don;t see a moral problems interfering with woman's lives and healthcare, and imposing forced birth on girls as young as ten. Women who choose to abort when they cannot be good mothers are making the most ethical choice open to them. None of these, including "heartbeat" laws, are currently in effect.1. Women with dead fetuses in their uterus's are refused D and C's at religious hospitals because it "could be considered abortion." In the few cases of late term abortion the fetus is already dead. This controversy has a long history and is still heavily discussed among researchers and the public—both in terms of morality and in terms of legality. Corporate media created and alternate reality to sell products, where every baby is part of a warm family and thus they could sell products. This still covers the vast majority of abortions that occur in the United States, however. At 12 weeks, for example, fetuses are not able to engage in reasoning, they don't have a self-concept, nor are they conscious. They try to avoid low income women, just like the big for profit hospitals. However, it is suggested that medical institutes and hospitals providing safe abortions should be aware of all ethical issues and the … Early in pregnancy it is a cluster of cells. The fact is that when abortions are restricted women die, or are subject to long term consequences, for themselves, the child and the rest of their children. 4. I do not, however, have the actualized capacity to communicate in Spanish on this issue. Is it Ethical to Give Birth to an Unwanted Child? Ethics and the Consequences of Sexual Activity: Does the Woman Have Ethical Obligations to the Father? With recognition has come critici … whether this would be a debate or not. Virtue Ethics (teleological and consequential ethics): takes into account the consequences of an action reflecting well or not well on the moral agent.So supports the idea that a woman seeking an abortion would … Much debate about the legality of abortion involves debating the legal status of the fetus. Being against abortion is not about real, tangible issues, it's not about the baby, it's about the feelings of butthurt religious conservatives being hurt, people who have zero regard for the actual well being of the child and have no grasp of the real life … The existence of a heartbeat is not enough, on its own, to confer a right to life. How about those folks having to pursue child support in the family justice system, because the donors of DNA, don't wish to acknowledge the financial or filial obligation to their children. Some believe that the law shouldn’t legislate morality, but all good law is based upon moral values. Do you have the ability to extrapolate? The FBI also failed to properly investigate these extremist groups. They have been replaced with marketing, showing actors appearing to be a happy American family. Abortion is, once again, center stage in our political debates. Against Abortion Lisa Wilson Political Science December 5, 2012 I am strongly against abortion and feel that no one has the right to take away another's life. How many children are born into poverty? I supposed part of this is grounded in my view that there are moral facts, and that we can know many of them. We do have rights, including the right to life. Second, thanks for engaging here. Instead they replaced them with the sanitized and misleading false narrative given by our media, and advertisers. Are there wider social issues surrounding abortion, such as the effects on the mental health of the mother, or the erosion of the sanctity of human life in other areas? My point is simply that this aspect of the debate--the question of fetal personhood--whichever of the arguments in the post you believe to be more plausible, is also a central feature. I will talk about how these two ethical theories would look at abortion and where they would fall on the scale of right and wrong in my opinion. Mary Ann Warren has argued that fetuses are not persons; they do not have the right to life.2 Therefore, abortion is morally permissible throughout the entire pregnancy. Also, I'm curious, you claim that it is not about an abstraction, but about "the human right to the sanctity of one's own body". We already know when fetuses are viable outside the womb. The sort of ethical theory derived from Aristotle, variously described as virtue ethics, virtue-based ethics, or neo-Aristotelianism, is becoming better known, and is now quite widely recognized as at least a possible rival to deontological and utilitarian theories. Austin Cline, a former regional director for the Council for Secular Humanism, writes and lectures extensively about atheism and agnosticism. None of us even have access to the facts, like how many women died or had major complications at a local hospital. Different branches of the study of ethics look at where our views of morality come from and how they shape our everyday lives. So many men think they are entitled to chip in their two cents. Pregnancy can only occur with the participation of a man who is equally as responsible for the existence of the fetus as the woman. You and I do have these traits, therefore we are persons. Also funny is how she stated the reason abortion was legalized was because of all the women dying from illegal abortion- in 1972 there were 24 deaths from LEGAL abortions and 39 deaths from illegal abortions. And let's not forget the children who are neglected and/or abused by their parents. Not one of them has had to suffer through any of it, the intrusive questions, the rudeness and judgement of doctors and health staff. Kant’s ethical theory regarding the immorality of abortion highlights that every individual is endowed with some sense of dignity and respect. They can be shamed, treated like cattle and ignored when they get pregnant, and if there is a complication they can be left to suffer, while a dead fetus rots in their uterus. Ability to communicate: on a variety of topics, with some depth. Whether the fetus is a person or not, and whether the state takes a position on abortion or not, it’s arguable that a woman has some sort of ethical obligation to the fetus. To be clear, I'm not advocating either position here; I'm simply trying to bring some clarity to the issues. Unfortunately the media has not covered many of the facts to preserve corporate profits. Modern sexual liberty, however, is often focused on freeing sex from traditional consequences. The child welfare/protection system presently is overwhelmed through the sheer volume of children that need the state and "other adults" to step up to care for children, whose parents failed to do so. Why No One Should Be Surprised by Politicians' Scandals. However, how is that any less an abstraction than the right to life and the personhood of the fetus? The Bible is silent on abortion, yet refers to Usury multiple times. Anti-choice activists rely heavily upon this and they have a point. In countries with developed healthcare systems, in-clinic abortions are responsible for one or less maternal deaths per 100,000 procedures. It also examines the application of ethical theories along with related approaches focusing on abortion. Can Having an Abortion Make you a Criminal? I noted that there are many other relevant issues, not easily dismissed. The Buddhists’ approach to the issue is the most complex and reasoned, although it believes that abortion is intrinsically wrong and forbids it in all cases which is an issue for many people, it is the most valid argument. But they have them in their latent form, because of their human nature. was that "the strong shall not injure the weak [15:36]." I'm demonstrating that capacity right now. They send just as many women home to die form complications as the for profit hospitals. Consciousness: awareness of oneself, the external world, the ability to feel pain. It is therefore unethical to try to prevent those consequences -- whether through abortion or contraception. I fear, however, that one thing that gets lost in all of the dialogue, debate, and rhetoric surrounding the abortion issue is the nature of the human fetus. This is the ideal of anti-choice activists, but would it be ethical? Many believe that in order to achieve this goal, we need to provide much greater support to women who may want to give birth and raise their children, but choose not to for financial, psychological, health, or relationship reasons; that adoption should be much less expensive, so that it is a live option for more qualified parents; and that quality health care should be accessible to all. Ethical Theories Against Abortion. Pregnancy almost invariably occurs as a consequence of sexual activity; thus, questions about the ethics of abortion must include questions about the ethics of sex itself. This is not an abstraction for debate. Does the Woman have Ethical Obligations to the Fetus? Perhaps the most significant error which people make is to confuse the two, acting as though a decision on the religious front should necessitate a particular decision on the political front (or vice-versa). 101-123. That people have some ethical claim to personal, bodily autonomy must be regarded as fundamental to the conception of any ethical, democratic, and free society. The facts have been sanitized out, leaving a nauseating TV version of reality. They don't show the babies in incubators, to small or deformed to survive. Even if the fetus is a person, though, abortion may be justified as necessary to women’s bodily autonomy -- but that wouldn’t mean that abortion is automatically ethical. Studies Link Abortion & Crime: Good or Bad For Donald Trump? Others, of course, argue that abortion is immoral and should be illegal in most or all cases. Ideally, fathers would be consulted, but not every relationship is ideal and men don’t run the same physical risks as a pregnant woman. On this, I believe many pro-lifers are mistaken. Perhaps you need to go check your facts before responding. Data on children has been distorted also, because it is inconvenient for advertisers. This is about the human right to the sanctity of one's own body, not to be interfered with by the state. There is also the issue of terrorism at women's clinics, which our media failed to cover adequately, since they were white males who were responsible. In order to mask the number of deaths, hospitals put the dead mother on a ventilator to avoid reporting the deaths, or send them home with embolisms, or other deadly complications. Zealotry and moral indignation don't feed, clothe or educate children. One problem with this argument is that we now know that fetuses are conscious at roughly the midpoint of a pregnancy, given the development timeline of fetal brain activity. Is Atheism Incompatible With Free Will and Moral Choice? Note that I didn't actually give my view, I simply described two different arguments in order to try and bring some clarity to part of this controversy. Go spend some time in a NICU ward, then preach about morality. Based on Kant’s theory, all human behaviors as well as actions are done simply because are considered the right and appropriate things to be done. They choose to frame the problem in simplistic terms. No I'm not being paid! With each decision to commit adultery, he commits adultery more easily. At first glance, this sounds ridiculous. I'm sorry you feel that way, but I really struggle to see how offering two philosophical arguments, representing both sides of the abortion debate, constitutes "mansplaining" or fails to "stick to factual information". Most of the people who feel entitled to weigh in here still believe it was real. 43-61. The following basic questions may characterize the subject in more detail: Is abortion morally justifiable? For more, see the work of Robert George and Francis Beckwith on these issues. This highlights how little actual thought went into his framing of the argument. Stephen Napier (Dortrecht, The Netherlands: Springer Verlag, 2011), pp. … For some people, their approach to the ethical questions will be purely secular; for others, it will be heavily informed by religious values and doctrines. People on both sides of the debate would do well to build their views with this in mind. Abortion is a worldwide practice, and is discussed in multiple other practices (BioMedical Ethics). The latent capacity I have now to communicate in Spanish would become actualized. That lie was amplified across all media, yet this clever man writing about this topic is unaware of that fact. It plays its part by choosing the way that seems best to it, and of a thousand paths it says that this one or that was the most wisely chosen." Political vs. The 3rd ethical foundation of the abortion debate, that of circumstances of horror and hardship surrounding the pregnancy, is really a combination of the first two. This includes the right to life. I appreciate it! Before the 2016 Election, a nasty right wing group, To see how, consider an important distinction, the distinction between latent capacities vs. actualized capacities. Utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical theory that views abortion, and other ethical dilemmas, through the Principle of Utility, which promotes the maximisation of welfare in society. One is acquiring a certain character which helps determine how one will behave in the future. An ethics of virtue is also referred to as an ethics of character, in view of the fact that in acquiring virtues or acquiring vices one is also forming one's character. Much has been written about abortion from a philosophical perspective. 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