Is Abortion Morally Acceptable?

In Judith Jarvis Thomson’s philosophy paper, A Defense of Abortion, she argues that abortion is permissible because an individual’s right over their own body outweighs a fetus’s right to life. In this paper I will focus on whether or not abortion is always permissible. First, I will present Thomson’s argument which says that abortion is sometimes permissible. I will do so by describing her “famous violinist” thought experiment. Next, I will object to Thomson’s claim and expand the scope of her argument by arguing that abortion is in fact, always permissible. I will do so by presenting a new thought experiment. Finally, I will conclude in saying that Thomson is correct and abortion is in fact only sometimes permissible.

I believe abortions are morally permissible. It is a procedure that will occur whether legal or not and I have no moral or legal imperative to prevent a woman from receiving safe medical intervention if she makes that decision. There are no comparable medical procedures where people feel they have a right to prevent a competent adult from exercising their options. Individuals that believe that abortion is immoral have no authority to offer opinions on medical treatment for anyone but themselves. If they are offended by abortion they should not have one.

When the beginning of life actually occurs is clearly not a topic to be taken lightly in today’s modern world. Majority of the population’s answers to this question are based on each individuals opinion and is supported by what they believe. In general, there are two sides of the argument. One is that life begins at the time of conception. The other belief is that life doesn’t begin until the drawing of the first breath. The true dilemma here is not the accurate pinpointing of life’s beginning, but the questions that accompany this topic and each individuals desire to do the right thing, the moral thing. While one point of view allows for abortion the other does not. The issue raises many questions of morality. Is abortion moral? When does it become murder? When is it permissible? (Life of the mother at stake / A product of rape). Should it be the mother’s choice? Many arguments for both sides pull from scripture and scientific articulations.

The question of whether or not abortion is morally permissible is widely disputed amongst those who are pro-life or pro-choice. While in some societies abortion has been outlawed, others either entirely allow for it or consider abortion permissible on a case-by-case basis. Many pro-lifers classify abortion as immoral, some even considering it murder. Abortion is typically defined as terminating a pregnancy before the fetus is able to survive outside of the womb. A crucial factor in determining whether or not an instance of abortion can be considered morally permissible is the demarcation of the age of the fetus. Various hard cases in certain societies that have been considered permissible cases for abortion such as: threat of health to the mother, pregnancy in result of a crime (i.e. rape), reduced quality of life of the child (i.e. genetic problems and physical or mental defects), disadvantaged social factors (i.e. poverty), etc.

Faye Wattleton, the longest reigning president of the largest abortion provider in the world - Planned Parenthood- argued as far back as 1997 that everyone already knows that abortion kills. She proclaims the following in an interview with Ms. Magazine:

Abortion is the willful and deliberate termination of pregnancy before the fetus comes to term; meaning the death of a fetus. Not having access to safe and legal abortions can cause more pain than positive it can lead women to be injured or infertile or even dead. Also, the denial of access to safe and legal abortion is said to be depriving women of the right to control their own body. However, the above point does not persuade people who are against abortion because they believe that fetuses are humans and they have the right to life just as any other human being does. Warren 's main argument is that abortion is morally permissible and s prohibited or making it difficult to obtain should be illegally because it is infringing on the woman 's rights. Thomson and Marquis ' theories about abortion will be employed to find objections to Warren 's theory. Then Warren 's theory will be used to respond to those challenges. Although, both Warren and Thomson agree that abortion is morally permissible; they differ within the premises of the argument as well as when it is permissible. Warren and Marquis not only disagree on the premises but the conclusion as well. All in all, abortion is morally permissible because the woman 's right to her body outweighs the right for the fetus to use her body

Abortion is viewed as an ethical issue worldwide as it has many debates which causes question: Should it be considered morally ethical or not? Should it be legal or illegal? Is it wrong, is it, right? In addition to multiple theories: Beliefs, Morality, Logic, Science and many others. Some argue that abortion is morally wrong because it has a right to life. While the opposing view believe that its morally correct because it holds no right to life.

This subject is probably one of the top five most controversial subjects in the world today. Is it immoral to kill an unborn child? Do we have the right to choose what grows in our bodies before it becomes a citizen in America? Will God punish you for killing a person? So many questions go into this type of situation of what’s morally right or wrong about this matter. In my opinion with abortion it is confusing to really who side to be on in this debate. Me personally I would never have an abortion and have bumped into that situation along the way in my life but do I think it’s

Anti- abortionist believe that no matter how small the child is they can feel the pain. Us humans have the right to live, why wouldn’t we give a child the same right. It’s torturing a life. But on the other hand, Pro- choice believe that abortion is no problem, because, it’s an un born fetus. Women say that they have the right to control their own body, but what about the fetus, shouldn't they have a right too.

Pro- supporters might say that an abortion is murder. Randy Hultgren, a US house representative, stated in an article that 55 million unborn kids have lost their lives. He said that if people believe in abortions then they might as well think that they are disposable (Hultgren Randy). People might come to a conclusion that this is murder because a lot of innocent human beings are being killed. Pro-life supporters believe that an unborn child should have the rights as their mother, while pro-choice supporters feel that women should be able to do what they want with their body.

Abortions are one of the many things that everyone has an opinion on. It is one of the most controversial topics anyone will not agree upon. When abortion is discussed, people tend to assume one of two positions: “pro-life” or “pro-choice.” Pro-life is the view that the woman should not have the ability to terminate a human life. Pro-choice is the belief that the woman carrying an unborn baby should be given the right to decide whether the baby

The philosophical community has remained at debate over the prospect of abortion, and whether it is ethically sound. The debate has caused many philosophers to share their input on whether killing fetuses is morally right or wrong. For instance, Judith Thomson describes various cases to enhance the argument that abortion is morally permissible in distinct situations. In contrast, Don Marquis asserts the idea that it is wrong to kill anything with a future, encompassing fetus life. I will argue for the moral permissibility of abortion in the case of rape, when there is a danger to the mother’s own right to life, and in the case of accidental pregnancy after consensual sex with protection, considering Thomson’s examples of the Violinist case and the People-Seeds case. First, I will explain Thomson’s two cases and justify the strength of her argument. Then I will discuss the value of Marquis’ claim of a future like ours and the implications of his argument. Finally, I will assert why the moral wrongness of killing fetuses does not exceed the consequences that arise in each case: rape, when the mother’s right to life is in danger, and when pregnancy occurs after protected, consensual sex.

The pro-choice side is the side of the argument that is in favor of abortion because they believe that it is the mother’s choice whether to have the baby or not. In the supreme court Roe V. Wade in 1973, abortion became a fundamental right because they said that is was "a guarantee of certain areas or zones of privacy,"(Abortion) and that "This right of privacy... is broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy."(Abortion) this meant that abortion could be legal because it’s a right that women have. Another argument that pro-choice people use is that embryos and fetuses are not real people and that they cannot live outside of the womb meaning that they are not killing anyone because age begins to count from the moment that a baby is born not conceived. Pro-choice people say that abortion should be legal because if it is not legal women will still have abortions in unhealthy

On one side are those who call themselves pro-life. They say that intentionally caused abortion is always wrong (although it may vary rare occasions be the best thing to do). On the other side are those who call themselves pro-choice or supporters of abortion rights, They regard intentional abortion as acceptable in some circumstances. People feel particularly strongly about abortion because there is no way getting any opinion from the fetus (the potential victim). The fetus can easily be portrayed as an entirely innocent and defenseless being.

Abortion is defined as “a pregnancy that is intentionally interrupted and involves (as part of the process or aim of interruption) the intentional killing of the fetus (Timmons 423).” Everyone seems to have a different idea of what really is and its morality. Abortion is morally justifiable under certain circumstances. These include many personal reasons and protection of the mother and/or fetus.