ASSIGNMENT COVER

REGION: HARARE SEMESTER: 1st YEAR:

PROGRAMME: Bachelor of Arts in Ethics and Organizational Leadership

6th INTAK E:

FULL NAME OF STUDEN T: Reuben Mbara PIN: P2303936

EMAIL ADDRESS: rbnmbara@yahoo.com

CELL: 0773325428 ID. NO.: 63-1129765-N-25

COURSE NAME: FARS PRINCIPLES OF ETHICS COURSE CODE: 101

ASSIGNMENT NO. e.g. 1 or 2 2 STUDENT’S SIGNATURE rmbara

DUE DATE: 31-10-2023 SUBMISSION DATE:

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Discuss the pros and cons of abortion from a rights ethical theory
perspective.

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Abortion is defined as the expulsion of a fetus from the uterus before 28 weeks’ gestation, the
arbitrarily established time of viability. Since the beginning of recorded history women have
chosen to have abortions. Abortion is one of many difficult ethical issues today involving
human judgment on the line between life and death, sitting alongside questions concerning
stem cell research, organ transplants, birth control, assisted suicide. 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.

The rights ethical theory is a type of ethical theory that focuses on individual rights.
According to this theory, individuals have certain fundamental rights that must be respected.
These rights include the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to property, and the right to
equality. The rights ethical theory holds that these rights are universal, meaning that they
apply to all people regardless of their race, gender, or religion. The main goal of the rights
ethical theory is to protect and promote these individual rights. It’s different from other ethical
theories, such as utilitarianism, which focuses on the greatest good for the greatest number of
people.

When it comes to abortion, there are pros and cons from a rights ethical theory perspective.
The pros and cons of abortion can be examined through the lens of individual rights and
autonomy. It’s important to note that perspectives on this issue can vary, and the following
points outline some common arguments:

1)The key argument for the pro-choice side of the abortion debate is that abortion allows a
woman to make decisions about her own body and her own future. Around the world, there
are millions of women who lack the basic right to choose for themselves whether to marry,
when to have sex, if and when to become a mother. They’re denied their bodily autonomy: the
right to make decisions about one’s own body, without coercion.

Bodily autonomy is defined as the right to make decisions about your own body, life, and
future, without coercion or violence. It includes deciding whether or not to have sex, use
contraception, or go to the doctor. Bodily autonomy has long been recognized as a
fundamental human right. When women and girls are making decisions about their futures,
they have to be able to decide whether and when to have a child. This is often seen as a
fundamental right, as it allows a woman to have control over her own life and destiny. It’s
argued that by denying a woman the right to an abortion, we are denying her the right to
control her own body and her own life. This is a very important right from a rights ethical
theory perspective, as it relates to the right to freedom and self-determination. Advocates
argue that women should have the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies without
interference or coercion from external sources, including the state.

2) Another argument for the pro-choice side is that abortion can be necessary for the health of
the mother. For example, if the pregnancy is high-risk or if the mother has a serious medical
condition, abortion may be the best option to protect her health and well-being. International
law guarantees women the right to “the highest attainable standard of health.” Unsafe abortion
can have devastating effects on women’s health. Where death does not result from unsafe
abortion, women may experience long-term disabilities, such as uterine perforation, chronic
pelvic pain or pelvic inflammatory disease.

From a medical and ethical standpoint, when the life or health of the mother is at risk due to
complications of pregnancy, abortion may be seen as a necessary intervention to safeguard her
well-being. This can include situations where the pregnancy poses a threat to the mother’s
physical health, such as in cases of severe medical conditions or complications like
preeclampsia or ectopic pregnancy. It can also encompass instances where the pregnancy has a
detrimental impact on the mother’s mental health, such as in cases of severe emotional
distress or risk of harm.

When a pregnancy is unwanted, its continuation can take a heavy toll on a woman’s physical
and emotional well-being. Decisions one makes about one’s body, particularly one’s
reproductive capacity, lie squarely in the domain of private decision-making. Only a pregnant
woman knows whether she is ready to have a child, and governments should play no role in
making that decision for her.
In such circumstances, the decision to pursue an abortion is often made in consultation
between the pregnant individual and their healthcare provider, taking into account the medical
advice and considering the potential risks and benefits to both the mother and the fetus. It’s
important to recognize that the decision to have an abortion for health reasons is a deeply
personal and complex one, and it highlights the importance of ensuring access to safe and
legal healthcare options for individuals facing such circumstances.

It's important to distinguish between therapeutic abortion and elective abortion. Therapeutic
abortion is the termination of a pregnancy for the purpose of preserving the health of the
mother. This is typically done in cases where the pregnancy poses a serious threat to the
mother’s life or health. Elective abortion, on the other hand, is the termination of a pregnancy
for non-medical reasons. Both types of abortion have different implications for the rights
ethical theory. While therapeutic abortion may be justified from a rights ethical theory
perspective, elective abortion is more controversial. The pro-life side of the abortion debate
often argues that the right to life of the fetus should take precedence over the right to self-
determination of the mother. This is because they see the fetus as a separate entity from the
mother, with its own right to life. The argument is that the mother’s right to self-determination
does not outweigh the fetus’s right to life. This is a very difficult ethical dilemma, and it’s one
that the rights ethical theory must grapple with.

3)Women’s rights and equality: Access to safe and legal abortion is seen as essential for
women’s rights and equality, as it allows women to have control over their reproductive
choices and pursue education, careers, and other life goals. This is often referred to as the
“equality argument” for abortion rights. It’s based on the premise that women should have the
same opportunities as men, and that access to safe and legal abortion is essential for achieving
this goal. This argument is often made in conjunction with the “health argument,” which
emphasizes the importance of protecting women’s physical and mental health by ensuring
access to safe and legal abortion.

Governments should respect a woman’s human right to make decisions regarding her
reproductive life. A woman who decides to have an abortion—as 46 million women do
annually —must have access to the facilities and care that will enable her to terminate her
pregnancy safely. Governments that prosecute and punish women who have had abortions
penalize women for exercising their basic rights. These rights are no less compromised when
a woman who decides to terminate a pregnancy can do so only by under taking a serious risk
to her life and health.

Countries in which abortion is legally restricted, women seek abortions clandestinely, under
conditions that are medically unsafe and therefore life-threatening. According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), about 20 million women have unsafe abortions every year.
These unsafe abortions are responsible for the deaths of nearly 70,000 women annually.

When women have access to safe and legal abortion, they have the ability to make choices
about their own bodies and reproductive health. This empowers them to plan their families,
pursue education and career opportunities, and participate fully in society on an equal footing
with men. Without access to safe and legal abortion, women may face significant barriers and
risks to their health and well-being. They may be forced into unwanted pregnancies, which
can have profound impacts on their physical, emotional, and socioeconomic circumstances.
Restrictions on abortion can disproportionately affect marginalized communities, exacerbating
existing inequalities.

Recognizing and respecting women’s reproductive autonomy and ensuring access to safe and
legal abortion services is an important step towards achieving gender equality. It allows
women to exercise control over their own lives, make decisions about their futures, and have
the same opportunities as men to pursue their goals and aspirations.

4) Another argument in favor of abortion from a rights ethical theory perspective is that it can
help to prevent poverty and hardship for women and their families. Unwanted pregnancies can
often lead to financial hardship, as well as other challenges such as social stigma. Abortion
can give women the opportunity to make other choices, such as pursuing an education or
career, that may not be possible if they were to have a child. Women who want an abortion but
are denied one are more likely to spend years living in poverty than women who have
abortions. Most women who seek abortions are poor or low-income and already have
children, Adding another member to the family requires women to stretch limited resources
even further, resulting in higher levels of poverty and reliance on social welfare benefits.

There is evidence to suggest that abortion can have a positive impact on women’s economic
security. For example, one study found that women who received abortions were more likely
to have higher incomes and be employed two years later, compared to women who were
denied abortions. Additionally, another study found that the financial costs of having a child
are often greater than the financial costs of having an abortion. Making abortion more
accessible and affordable – for example, by requiring Medicaid and all government and
private insurance plans to cover abortion – could help women better take care of the children
they already have and have children when they are ready to do so.

5)Women have the ability to control their own fertility and family planning. A woman has a
right to make decisions regarding her own body. Support for this right is found in a number of
human rights instruments, which ensure freedom in decision-making about private matters.
Such provisions include protections of the right to physical integrity, the right to decide freely
and responsibly the number and spacing of one’s children and the right to privacy.

From a rights ethical theory perspective, there are some arguments against abortion:

1)One of the main arguments against abortion from a rights ethical theory perspective is that it
involves the termination of a developing human life, which some believe violates the fetus’s
right to life which some argue violates the fetus’s right to life. The rights ethical theory faces a
dilemma here: it must decide whether the right to life of the fetus outweighs the right to
bodily autonomy of the mother. Opponents argue that the fetus should be granted the same
moral consideration and protection as any other human being, and that ending its life through
abortion is morally wrong. This perspective places significant importance on the inherent
value and right to life of the fetus, considering it to be a separate individual deserving of
protection. Those who hold this view often emphasize the moral and ethical implications of
ending a potential human life, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy.

2)Another con of abortion from a rights ethical theory perspective is that it can be used as a
form of eugenics. Eugenics is the practice of selectively breeding humans in order to improve
the genetic makeup of the population. This can involve the sterilization of individuals with
certain genetic conditions, or the abortion of fetuses that are considered to have undesirable
traits. This is a highly controversial topic, and it has been widely condemned by many human
rights groups. The practice of eugenics is often seen as a violation of the right to self-
determination, as well as the right to life. Some critics of eugenics argue that it is a form of
discrimination and a violation of the principle of equality.

Critics argue that if abortion is used to selectively terminate pregnancies based on certain
characteristics, such as disabilities or undesired traits, it can perpetuate discriminatory
practices and devalue the lives of individuals with those characteristics. They contend that this
undermines the principle of equal rights and respect for all individuals, regardless of their
physical or genetic attributes.

While some argue that it is a valid concern, others emphasize the importance of individual
autonomy and reproductive choice, asserting that decisions about abortion should be made by
the pregnant individual based on their own circumstances and values. The ethical implications
of eugenics and its potential connection to abortion highlight the need for careful
consideration of the broader societal and ethical implications surrounding reproductive
choices and the protection of individual rights.

3)In addition, another con of abortion from a rights ethical theory perspective is the potential
for unintended consequences associated with abortion. Critics argue that legalizing and
normalizing abortion may have broader societal implications that undermine the value of
human life and the rights of vulnerable populations. They contend that widespread access to
abortion can contribute to a devaluation of life, as it may create a perception that human life is
disposable or can be terminated based on personal convenience or preferences. This, in turn,
may impact societal attitudes towards the sanctity of life and the protection of vulnerable
individuals.

Some also argue that the availability of abortion may lead to a decrease in efforts to support
alternative options, such as adoption or comprehensive reproductive healthcare. They express
concerns that the focus on abortion as a solution may overshadow the importance of providing
comprehensive support and resources for women facing unplanned pregnancies. Critics also
raise concerns about the potential for coercion or pressure on women to choose abortion,
particularly in situations where societal or economic factors may influence their decision-
making process. It is important to consider these potential unintended consequences and
engage in thoughtful discussions about the ethical implications of abortion from a rights-based
perspective.

It’s important to note that the debate around abortion is complex and multifaceted, and
different individuals and societies hold diverse beliefs and perspectives on this issue. The
question of when personhood begins and how it relates to the right to life is a subject of
ongoing ethical and philosophical discussion. In the end, it’s a matter of balancing the rights
of the mother and the rights of the fetus.

REFERENCES

Center for reproductive rights (2011) “Safe and Legal Abortion is a Woman’s Human Right”

Cohen R (2018) “Denial of abortion leads to economic hardship for low-income women”
Available at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-abortion-hardship-idUSKBN1F731Z
Accessed on 2 November 2023

Fromer M. J (2022) “Abortion ethics” Available at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7041095/

Accessed on 1 November 2023

MSI United States “My body my choice :Defending bodily autonomy” Available at
https://www.msiunitedstates.org/my-body-my-choice-defending-bodily-autonomy/ Accessed
on 1 November 2023
Population Media Centre (2021) “It Is Women’s Right To Choose Their Futures” Available at
https://www.populationmedia.org/the-latest/it-is-womens-right-to-choose-their-futures
Accessed on 2 November 2023

The Pluralism Project (2021) “The Ethics of Abortion” Available at https://pluralism.org/the-

ethics-of-abortion Accessed on 1 November 2023

United Nation Human Rights Office of the High Commission (2020) “Abortion” Information
Series On Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights