INDE 410: Engineering Ethics

2.8 Case study: Abortion

Read the following case and then address the questions below. There is no need to submit
anything but you need to be ready to answer any of the questions in class on Wednesday. So it is
highly advised that you take written notes of your answers.

The issue of abortion is one that has polarized people for ages. Very few people are on the fence
about it, and the issue is one that keeps coming up in elections and debates. On one side you
have people who are pro-life, and maintain that it is never right to kill an innocent person – the
fetus in this case. On the other side, you have people who are pro-choice – that it is the woman’s
body and she can choose to do what she pleases with what is inside her. Read more here about
the recent state of affairs in the US, where abortion is always a very controversial issue.

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/publiceditor/2019/05/29/728069483/reviewing-nprs-
language-for-covering-abortion

1. What is the ethical dilemma when it comes to abortion it? Formulate it in terms of value
conflicts, virtue conflicts, or norm conflicts.
2. Formulate the strongest possible argument for or against abortion from a utilitarian
perspective. Make sure to address critical questions.
3. Formulate the strongest possible argument for or against abortion from a categorical
imperative perspective, using either of the two formulations. Make sure to address
critical questions.
4. Now do the same thing from a virtue ethics perspective.
5. Which of these three arguments do you think is the strongest? What is your opinion? Use
critical questions to bring down any other arguments that you do not agree with.