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Abortion

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Personal and/or Communal Ethical Factors

People's views over whether abortion is ethically wrong and if it should be illegal are

very parallel. Some ethical factors are against abortion because it hurts the moral rights of an

unborn child. Although the moral status of unborn life is at the heart of the ethical dilemma,

people have different ideas about whether or not it has the same right to life as any other

individual from conception. In the same way, some people think that the fetus may have no

rights because it has not been born yet, so biologically speaking, it is not a person. Institutions

like the church speak out against abortion and call it murder. Other moral reasons support

abortion, like when it is the only way to save the mother's life (Rachels & Rachels, 2019). Even

though treating such an ectopic pregnancy may kill the baby, the primary objective is to save the

mother's life, not kill the baby. A therapeutic procedure like this is never done just to kill the

unborn child. The same cannot be said about choice-based abortion. The term "therapeutic

abortion" is a misnomer because ending the child's life is not therapeutic and is never enough to

save the mother's life.

Kantian ethics

From a Kantian viewpoint, abortion is highly divisive since it is so sensitive from a

theological and moral standpoint. Abortion is unethical because it denies a rational person their

life and is ethically wrong, as several Kantian agents would agree. However, many would agree

that a woman's right to autonomy over her reproductive organs supersedes a child's right to life.

Because it would be unreasonable for every pregnant woman to exercise her autonomy and

choose to have an abortion, abortion is morally wrong (Rachels & Rachels, 2019). If the

principle is universalized, every pregnant woman will terminate her unborn child, which would

finally put an end to human life. A compromise must be achieved between the instincts and the
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purely pragmatic reason that confers autonomy. If the strict application of Kantian principles

were applied to abortion, it would be deemed immoral; nevertheless, by delving further into the

Kantian viewpoint, the autonomy of a woman as a rational creature has been defended. Thus, the

ethics of abortion remains an unsolvable subject that makes it challenging to find a practical

solution, like many other severe moral issues in today's society.

Source 1

Bachiochi, E. (2015). Embodied equality: Debunking equal protection arguments for abortion

rights. Harv. JL & Pub. Pol'y, 34, 889.

In the article Bachiochi (2015) speaks about the "sexist assumptions" (p. 11) that support

abortions that reduce women's equality. Additionally, it presents both pro-life versus pro-

abortion viewpoints. It explains the many circumstances in which an abortion could be required,

such as the mother's burden and inability to provide adequate care for the unborn child. The

stress that comes with parenthood has been related to the high and rising suicide rate among

young moms. This article provides helpful information about the constitutionality of abortion

and the reasons it should continue to be lawful. Because there are hundreds of thousands of

unwanted births each year, doing so would be unjust and risky to have a kid born whose parents

couldn't care for them. The legality of abortion, according to Bachiochi, "does not make it

ethically good, but regrettably, it is essential and should stay legal." (p. 17). This article helped

focus on the importance of an increase in infant mortality rates, among other issues.
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Source 2

Reader, S. (2018). Abortion, killing, and maternal moral authority. Hypatia, 23(1), 132-149.

In this article, Reader (2018) talks of a "feminist approach" (p. 22) and illustrates why

abortion is evil and should be prohibited. The hazards of abortion are discussed throughout the

article, both for the woman receiving the procedure and the growing fetus. It also contrasts

whether a discussion was essential about apartheid and whether it was acceptable to injure to

whether a discussion about abortion is discussing whether it is ethical or immoral to hurt women.

Both abortion and slavery were harsh to black people. This article takes a moral perspective on

why abortion would be a wholly undesirable practice and should be illegal. Reader contends that

"mothers must care for their kid before it is born" (p. 14). The author continues to discuss the

attachment a woman has with her unborn child and other factors that contribute to the high rate

of abortions. According to the author, losing a kid via abortion causes the same mental condition

as losing a pregnancy and may result in despair that lasts for a very long time. Overall, the paper

argues that motherhood is no longer a natural process but a life-structuring technique

undermined by abortion.

Source 3

Devins, N. (2019). How" Planned Parenthood v. Casey"(Pretty Much) Settled the Abortion

Wars. The Yale Law Journal, 1318–1354.

This article focuses on two Court Rulings that have contributed to the debate over

whether or not abortion should be permitted. In the first instance in 1973, Roe was a woman who

falsely claimed she had been raped in order to undergo an abortion and was discovered in the

deception. Devins argued that the woman could have an abortion "if she was still in her first
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trimester" (p. 31). Planned Parenthood for Southeast Pennsylvania v. Casey was brought up after

this case had been controversial for years. Casey filed a lawsuit against Pennsylvania because

she found certain "situation contradictions" (p. 35) in the state's abortion statute. The case

concluded that the court would adhere to Roe v. Wade's ruling to support Roe and let a woman

terminate a child during the first trimester. This article says it would be futile to legalize or

outlaw abortion entirely. This is why many seeking public office refrain from expressing their

views on abortion. The issue will never be resolved, despite demonstrations, pro-life and pro-

abortion marches, and other such events.

Source 4

Potts, M. (2010). Abortion perspectives. The European Journal of Contraception &

Reproductive Health Care, 15(3), 157-159.

In the article, Potts (2010) considers ''the history of abortion" and "the medical practice of

abortion today" is a safer, more efficient procedure. He generally concentrates on the US,

Europe, and Africa. The author claims that "the history of abortion" (p. 9) is a constructive

process that helps women with social illnesses recover. In his subsequent argument, Potts asserts

that "there are many more constructive approaches to thinking about abortion" (p. 13) and claims

it is feasible to make abortion a standard medical treatment. This article explains abortion from a

pro-choice (pro-abortion) viewpoint and argues that, contrary to what would be assumed, it is not

the murder of a child. This viewpoint on abortion is unique and unorthodox, and it will assist in

providing a whole fresh viewpoint on the subject.

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Source 5

Campbell, B. A. (2017). The crisis inside crisis pregnancy centers: How to stop these facilities

from depriving women of their reproductive freedom. BCJL & Soc. Just., 37, 73.

In the article, Campbell (2017) wrote about women's legal access to abortions before the

hearing of the case, which Campbell refers to as "Planned Parenthood" (p. 18) v. Casey, "which

threatened to limit women's access to abortion" (p. 18). No matter their professional or

educational achievements, women sought control over their reproductive life and believed they

were not on an equal footing with men. Women's rights activists fought for the right of all

women, regardless of their socioeconomic status, to choose an abortion. Some pro-choice

organizations and other pro-lifers support waiting periods and other limits on abortion. In

contrast, some pro-lifers feel that abortion should be permitted in circumstances of rape or incest

(Arguments for and Against Abortions). Since abortion involves murder, which is wrong and

should be prohibited, Campbell argues that "the fetus is a living being from the time of

conception" (p. 20). Pro-lifers contend that since the fetus cannot live outside of the uterus

entirely on its own, it is not yet a human being.

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References

Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2019). The elements of moral philosophy. [VitalSource Bookshelf].

https://bookshelf.vital-source.com