Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
Abortions are becoming more and more common in the world it is legal in many
countries and millions of abortions are performed every year. Religious organisations such
as the Roman Catholic Church campaign against abortion, but womens rights groups (for
example) campaign for greater access to abortions.
Personhood
There is much debate as to when life begins (at conception, at birth or at some point in
between) and thus when the foetus should receive protection under law. Should status
increase incrementally as the foetus gets older or should it be absolute at one end of the
other? Opponents of abortion argue that the foetus has the potential to become a human
life, whereas others argue that a fertilised egg is too different from a human to be classed
the same; it is merely a ball of cells. Personhood may be given when the foetus is viable;
it can survive birth and live outside the womb. Is a foetus a person or a potential person?
The definition of personhood is unresolved, but general contains: consciousness,
rationality, self-awareness. ENSOULMENT?
Is a child A GIFT?
There is
a social norm that
heterosexual couples (often married)
will have sex and have children
Homosexual couples/single people
go against the social norm for having
children
Technically these people are able to
have children through IVF, but does
Is a child A RIGHT?
Applied Ethics
Natural Law
Abortion goes against the primary precepts of preservation of the innocent and
continuation of the species through reproduction - would destroy the telos (purpose
Aristotelian) of sexual intercourse
Women are naturally equipped to have children spontaneous (i.e. natural, not
medical) abortions often occur if there is a chance of severe abnormality in the
child, thus it could be argued that nature will perform abortions if it is necessary
without the need for medical intervention
Abortion is therefore absolutely wrong
The issue of consequences is irrelevant, as natural law is deontological
Double effect could permit abortion in very limited circumstances, but not if it is
intended to kill the foetus; a hysterectomy for cancer would kill the foetus but
would be intended to protect the mother; this is permissible, likewise for ectopic
pregnancy removals
Would not support IVF/surrogacy/embryo research as it is playing God
surrogacy could be considered adulterous (brings a 3 rd person into a relationship)
Fertility treatment could be considered good if it allows an infertile couple to follow
the primary precept to reproduce?
PROBLEMS
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Situation Ethics
Applied Ethics
God gave children to infertile women she who was said to be barren is now in her
third month so it may be more loving, thus we should do so if modern science
makes it possible
PROBLEMS
Are there conflicting absolutes? (SoL principle and most loving thing)
Applied Ethics
Kantian Ethics
Decisions are based upon the categorical imperative to decide where our duty lies
Abortion seems to be universalisable in that the principle every time a woman
wishes to have an abortion she should have an abortion is an acceptable, noncontradictory one
However, the decision depends on whether or not we view the foetus as a person;
if we do then an abortion would be treating the foetus as a means to an end, which
is forbidden by the categorical imperative, therefore even abortions in cases of
severe handicap or rape would be forbidden by Kant
Kant differentiated between humans and animals (you can use an animal
as a means to an end) because of human power of reason. A foetus is not
a rational being, and therefore can be used?
There are two responses to this:
o Foetus has potentiality and will be able to reason in the future
o Kant proposed in intermediary category between things and humans for
infants/children where they are protected from harm
Kant is not directly against IVF or surrogacy but would not want extra embryos
wasted as this would be treating them as a means to an end and therefore going
against the categorical imperative
PROBLEMS
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Utilitarianism
Applied Ethics
PROBLEMS