ABORTION: SHOULD IT BE LEGALIZE?

Napoleon Montero Jr.

April 2020
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It has been debated recently in the Philippines if abortion should be legalize, some say

yes because of the fact that people are suffering from poverty making it hard for poor parents

to take care of the child and some say no because the reason is that our country is a Catholic

based country.

According to the Philippine law, it has state that abortion has been a crime since 1930. It

is a crime whether it is intentional or unintentional. Abortion is the process. Abortion is the

process in which a pregnant person terminates its fetus before its viable. In a study by the

University of the Philippines Populations Institute it was given that about 90,000

hospitalizations where having abortion complications thus giving further harm in physical and

psychological health due to these painful surgeries. Despite the pain you receive in illegal

procedures even with those legal procedures in hand, women still face prejudice and abuse not

just to the medical staff but also to their neighbors as well thus, affecting them socially.

1. Attorneys of the Philippines, 2015

2. The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary. S.v. "abortion." Retrieved April 21 2020

from https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/abortion

3. https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Abortions-Should-not-Be-Legalized-in-the-FKC3RD4JDB6S
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In a general overview of this paper, we will be dealing on how abortion should not be legalized

based on the observations of Aristotle’s virtue ethics. In Aristotle’s eyes, he views life differently

and these composed of nutritive, perceptive, and rational in simpler terms these are plants,

animals and humans. For him he views animate objects as something that has change internally

meaning that the individual has potential growth and change. For Aristotle, abortion shouldn’t

be justified, for it to be justified is putting it into terms where you can easily kill babies and

toddlers. In the same way many would suggests that abortion should be legalize due to the

factors that revolves within this. For example, a parent whose unable to comply the needs of

the child due to the result of her being pregnant because of rape. People would suggest that it

is within the mother’s rights to decide if she should take the life of the child. And this is the

problem that virtue ethics have on abortion and that is relativity . Relativity is the explained as

one culture views an act as a virtue while the other regards that as a vice.

To deeply understand relativity, we need to understand that not everyone views something

virtuous the same way another views them, for example, in some states in America it is

practically fine for them for a person to commit abortions.

4. Branson Parler, 2019 Aristotle and Abortion

5. James Rachels, 2015 Ethical Relativism

6. Abortion Laws By State Population. (2020-04-07). Retrieved 2020-04-23, from

http://worldpopulationreview.com/states/abortion-laws-by-state/
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In view with Aristotle’s golden mean he greatly emphasized the freedom of individuals, which

proves that each individual especially pre mature infants has the right to live in freedom, but

somehow people will disagree to this because of the fact that by agreeing with abortion, that

certain act leads to good which was started by Aristotle also “Every action and pursuit is

thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that

at which all things aim”7 but in this case Aristotle didn’t mean by that. He actually meant that

there are two acts that the actor believes to be good or in fact good. 8 to deeply understand the

context given let’s say a certain woman wants to abort her fetus, in her belief that is good, but

according to Aristotle which aims for moral philosophy that considers not just for the individual

but also for the whole community.8In my understanding that it is morally right to not legalizing

abortion due to the fact that killing in means of taking an innocent life for a chance to live in

this world is depriving its right of freedom of this world.

7. Aristotle, 499

8. https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1700653.html
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The best way in dealing with abortion and not going against our morality as human beings is to

properly educate ourselves as an individual leading into a more developed character. Based on

the article that I have read online the best way to deal with abortion is with proper sex

education on the matter9 with this if we grasp on the understanding of what this is then there

will be less unwanted pregnancies that will lead to higher pregnancy rates. In the same way

with a planned parenthood10 with this it is important to plan ahead in time, a study in the US

shows that planned parenthood prevented 1.4 million unwanted pregnancies resulting lessen

percentage of abortion rates.11 and lastly, the reason why women prefer to commit abortion is

due to the fact that they are unable to sustain the child’s need like food and clothing. To

combat this problem it is highly encouraged that woman should have paid maternity leave,

better healthcare and education.12 with these we can combat abortion and help lessen the

percentage rates.

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9. Sam Corey, 2015 Ways to lower abortion rates that are effective than closing clinics

10. Sam Corey, 2015

11. Adam Sonfield, 2008 (Guttmatcher Institute)

12. Sam Corey, 2015

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Applying these solutions coming from experts such as Doctor’s and especially grounded on the

ethical standpoint of Aristotle strongly suggests that abortion should be banned from legalizing

especially it brings harm to the health physically, emotionally, and mentally. Likewise, there are

many alternatives in preventing this especially if it starts deep within the person. If a person has

developed a good character and a sense of morality, then I believe that abortion rates will

lessen as Aristotle said “Every action and pursuit is thought to aim at some good; and for this

reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim” If such actions

were to be aimed then there will be good present in this world.

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BIBLIO GRAPHY

1. https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/abortion

For Miller-Keane Encyclopedia:

abortion. (n.d.) Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health,

Seventh Edition. (2003). Retrieved May 4 2020 from https://medical-

dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/abortion

2. https://attorney.org.ph/legal-news/35-the-criminal-law-on-abortion

 Pinoy Attorney; The Criminal Law On Abortion/https://attorney.org.ph/legal-news/35-

the-criminal-law-on-abortion/ October 15, 2015

3. https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Abortions-Should-not-Be-Legalized-in-the-FKC3RD4JDB6S

Bertleby.com great books online /Abortions Should not Be Legalized in the

Philippines/https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Abortions-Should-not-Be-Legalized-in-the-
FKC3RD4JDB6S

May 4 2020

4. https://www.bransonparler.com/blog/aristotle-and-abortion\

Branson Parler; Aristotle and abortion https://www.bransonparler.com/blog/aristotle-and-

abortion, May 4 ,2020

5. https://www.britannica.com/topic/ethical-relativism

CITE
 Contributor:James Rachels

 Article Title:Ethical relativism

  Website Name:Encyclopædia Britannica
 Publisher:Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.
 Date Published:August 24, 2015
 URL:https://www.britannica.com/topic/ethical-relativism

6. https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/abortion-laws-by-state/

Abortion Laws By State Population. (2020-04-07). Retrieved 2020-05-04, from

http://worldpopulationreview.com/states/abortion-laws-by-state

7. https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1700653.html

plato and Aristotle and issue of abortion(1969 December 31) In LotsofEssays.com Retrieved 09 44 May
04 2020, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1700653.html

8. https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1700653.html

plato and Aristotle and issue of abortion(1969 December 31) In LotsofEssays.com Retrieved 09 44 May
04 2020, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1700653.html

9. https://www.elitedaily.com/news/politics/lower-abortion-clinics/1290840

COREY,SAM. 3 Ways To Lower Abortion Rates That Are More Effective Than Closing
Clinic. https://www.elitedaily.com/news/politics/lower-abortion-clinics/1290840 November 19, 2015

10. https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2008/08/family-planning-clinics-prevent-14-million-
unplanned-pregnancies-annually-save-billions
 Adam Sonfield,Guttmacher Institute: Family Planning Clinics Prevent 1.4 Million
Unplanned Pregnancies Annually, Save Billions of Government Dollars, August 6
2008

11. https://www.elitedaily.com/news/politics/lower-abortion-clinics/1290840

COREY,SAM. 3 Ways To Lower Abortion Rates That Are More Effective Than Closing
Clinic. https://www.elitedaily.com/news/politics/lower-abortion-clinics/1290840 November 19, 2015