Abortion: The Ethical Battle Essay

Submitted By benwadams
Words: 1064
Pages: 5
Open Document
Abortion: The Ethical Battle

Background

Abortion has been around since the beginning of recorded history, but only now in the 21st century has it become something that is frowned upon. In many cultures such as the Assyrian, Jewish, and Greek, it was very normal to have abortions and was not at all frowned on. In fact, the Romans would use abortion to limit family sizes. Even in these situations though the father of the family would always take the decision as to whether or not it was ethical and if the abortion would be performed or not. This debate even though very little before, turned into a very large and popular debate with the roe v. wade case in the 1973. This case made it legal for a woman to have an abortion in the earlier months of her pregnancy. After this, there was an evolution in abortion cases. Abortion went through a phase where it became legal to perform them in hospitals or in private clinics. This made it a lot safer for women to abort a pregnancy, but quickly following these events, many people who were against abortion began to harass those getting abortions and protest even to the point of violence in some cases.
Points of View

The issue of abortion has been a problem for many years. A large part of the debate over abortion is the ethical issue of it. Is it unethical or immoral to have or to perform an abortion? When this is brought up, generally people form into two main groups which are pro-choice and pro-life. Still, many are not against, nor do they promote abortion. People who are pro-choice commonly believe that an abortion has nothing to do with morals, and those who are pro-life who believe it is an ethical issue. Inside of their two debates, it boils down to whether or not it is killing. People who are pro-life generally take a biological approach to abortion, arguing that a human being is a human being no matter how small. On the other hand, pro-choice people take a more thought based approach where they believe that it is only a problem to kill a being that can think and function on its own. It then comes down to whether or not it is okay or not to kill a fetus. While these two approaches make sense and are both valid, Professor of philosophy from Kansas University Don Marquis states (2006) that “[killing] deprives one of all the experiences, activities, projects, and enjoyments that would otherwise have constituted ones future.” This would mean that we should avoid killing anything that has the possibility of a valuable future.

Pro-choice

Those who are pro-choice like mentioned before take a more psychological approach to abortion. On this side, a person is a person when they can reason and function for themselves which means that a fetus still doesn’t have valuable life worth saving, but that after birth when the baby functions on its own then it is a person and has it’s worth of life. They also focus on the fact that a woman should have the choice to decide what she wants to do with her own body and life. Finally, Pro-choicers believe that those who follow pro-life movements promote the violation of human rights. Pro-choicers believe that an embryo is not yet a person, they are against the religious belief that at conception, an embryo is a person. When a baby is conceived, the first couple of days, the cluster of cells are often times no bigger than a raisin. According to this information, these cells are far smaller and more primitive than a fish or a bird. It is for reasons like these that those who are pro-choice don’t believe that abortion is murder because these reasons show that a fetus is not yet a person. A woman should have the opportunity to do what she wants to with her own body and with what she wants to do with her life. Women who can’t have an abortion and have to have
Show More

Related Documents: Abortion: The Ethical Battle Essay

Roe Vs Wade Research Paper

Since its landmark decision in 1973, Roe v. Wade has been at the center of one of the most contentious debates in American society. The ruling, which legalized abortion nationwide, has continually faced challenges from various political, religious, and social factions. Roe v. Wade originated from a Texas law that criminalized most abortions unless performed to save the mother's life. The case reached the United States Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Norman Dorsen, asserting that a woman's right…

Words 990 - Pages 4

Roe Vs Wade Research Paper

Since its landmark decision in 1973, Roe v. Wade has been at the center of one of the most contentious debates in American society. The ruling, which legalized abortion nationwide, has continually faced challenges from various political, religious, and social factions. Roe v. Wade originated from a Texas law that criminalized most abortions unless performed to save the mother's life. The case reached the United States Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Norman Dorsen, asserting that a woman's right…

Words 990 - Pages 4

Abu Ghraib's Argument Against Abortion

waterboarding, a kind of torture that mimics drowning, on detainees during the Iraq War. Mistreatment of inmates violates fundamental human rights and international humanitarian law. Waterboarding and other torture methods violate international law and ethical norms. The Nuremberg Principle would require prosecutors to accuse not only those directly involved in the abuse of war crimes, but also those who sanctioned or permitted such behavior. In addition, there are significant doubts about Guantanamo Bay…

Words 532 - Pages 3

Roe V. Wade Pros And Cons

Legislation Introduction: The landmark Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade in 1973 legalized abortion nationwide, establishing a woman's constitutional right to terminate her pregnancy. However, since its inception, Roe v. Wade has remained one of the most contentious and polarizing issues in American society and politics. Over the decades, it has sparked heated debates, protests, and legislative battles. Recently, with shifts in the composition of the Supreme Court and the political landscape, there…

Words 2282 - Pages 10

Reproductive Rights Argumentative Analysis

debated whether or not they are ethical are abortion and menstrual cycles. People believe that abortions are immoral, while others believe it is a woman’s choice. In an article, it discusses that abortion is “a constitutionally protected right” (Morris, 2016, para. 19). This provides the support that whether one is against or for abortion, it is a protected right in the constitution that cannot be infringed. According to the author, taking away the right of abortion is breaking the law. Then, some…

Words 1303 - Pages 6

The Next Generation of Abortion Essay

The New Generation of Abortion: “What Choice?” The New Generation of Abortion: “What Choice?” The cover story of the January 14, 2013 edition of TIME magazine, entitled “What Choice?” by Kate Pickert, brings to light new emerging issues with respect to the familiar topic of abortion. The article discusses a number of current problems that are threatening and weakening the pro-choice effort. These problems consist of time and money-wasting “red-tape,” opposing ideology between Republican and…

Words 1068 - Pages 5

Grade Religion Class Essay

will always stand in the way. The problem at hand is abortion! Research shows that physicians face many problems when they are asked to perform a procedure that they are personally against. Many doctors find it immoral and unethical to preform abortion. They feel as though they are killing a human and that they could potentially be punished for it. In a Catholic hospital in Phoenix, a Bishop rebuked a Sister of Mercy for allowing an abortion to take place in the hospital (Grossman). This provides…

Words 957 - Pages 4

The Fight For Women's Suffrage In The United States

When society comes together in this modern era to address women’s rights, we have to take many things into consideration because there have been so many challenges to overcome. In the last one hundred years, women have achieved victories in many battles toward equality with men but are not yet finished with their hard work. The difference can even be felt in the most powerful military in the world. Little by little, there are arguments being made to allow women to serve in combat infantry units where…

Words 1018 - Pages 5

Abortion and Human Life Essay

have died after attempting to perform abortions that are not legal in their places of residence for a variety of reasons. There are many reasons why abortion is frowned upon by many societies in the world including religious objections, ethical considerations and legal constraints. There has been a raging debate about abortion in the United States ever since the Supreme Court decided Roe vs Wade in 1973 and many facets of the debate have been exposed. Abortion has been decried as an extension of the…

Words 3189 - Pages 13

Teen pregnacy Essays

Roughly every two minutes, a young lady in the United Declares gives birth” (Guernsey 6). While this reality may be sad and stunning to most individuals, it is indeed the truth. Over the past few decades, the problem of youngster maternity has grown significantly in this country. It has been receiving significant amounts of public and official interest recently, including expression of issue from President Clinton and New Shirt s Governor Whitman (Schurmann 7). However, the most extensive situation…

Words 1888 - Pages 8