Ethical Issue: Abortion
ETHICAL ISSUE: ABORTION
INTRODUCTION The root question to ethics is whether abortion is considered murder or a justified killing? Is it morally wrong and if so, should it be made legal or illegal?
There are mainly 2 views towards abortion. The pro-choice regard abortion as acceptable in some circumstances as women should be given a freedom of choice. Whereas the pro-life regard abortion an absolute act of wrong and should be criminalized.
Let us first take a look at various approaches to help us better understand and justify both sides of the argument.
RIGHTS APPROACH A pro-choice would argue that women have the rights to her life, body and health. Before abortion was permitted, women will either have to carry their pregnancy to term or desperately seek to abort due to various reasons (eg. health, incest, rape, career), thus resorting to unsafe and life-threatening procedures. However, with access to safe and legal abortions, women will have the basic right of managing their own bodies and the risk of health will be reduced.
One example is an article extracted from the National Organization for Women which mentioned the deaths of women who turned to illegal and unsafe abortions.
(Refer to Example 1)
Besides, women have the rights to liberty and thus have the power to exercise their rights to abortion. In the event a woman needs to continue her employment or meet other obligations, she will not be forced to bear a child against her will which can result in misery as it becomes impossible for her to carry out her duties and obligations in the usual manner.
An example is from the New York Times Magazine (LIVES - When One Is Enough). A woman named Amy Richards explains why she decided to go for abortion.
(Refer to Example 2)
In addition, women have the rights to sovereignty. By allowing abortion, women would not be unjustly forced into motherhood which in turn forces them into submissive roles in society.
INTRODUCTION The root question to ethics is whether abortion is considered murder or a justified killing? Is it morally wrong and if so, should it be made legal or illegal?
There are mainly 2 views towards abortion. The pro-choice regard abortion as acceptable in some circumstances as women should be given a freedom of choice. Whereas the pro-life regard abortion an absolute act of wrong and should be criminalized.
Let us first take a look at various approaches to help us better understand and justify both sides of the argument.
RIGHTS APPROACH A pro-choice would argue that women have the rights to her life, body and health. Before abortion was permitted, women will either have to carry their pregnancy to term or desperately seek to abort due to various reasons (eg. health, incest, rape, career), thus resorting to unsafe and life-threatening procedures. However, with access to safe and legal abortions, women will have the basic right of managing their own bodies and the risk of health will be reduced.
One example is an article extracted from the National Organization for Women which mentioned the deaths of women who turned to illegal and unsafe abortions.
(Refer to Example 1)
Besides, women have the rights to liberty and thus have the power to exercise their rights to abortion. In the event a woman needs to continue her employment or meet other obligations, she will not be forced to bear a child against her will which can result in misery as it becomes impossible for her to carry out her duties and obligations in the usual manner.
An example is from the New York Times Magazine (LIVES - When One Is Enough). A woman named Amy Richards explains why she decided to go for abortion.
(Refer to Example 2)
In addition, women have the rights to sovereignty. By allowing abortion, women would not be unjustly forced into motherhood which in turn forces them into submissive roles in society.
References: Josh Levinson. (2004). Abortion poses great ethical dilemma. In The daily campus. Retrieved 18 May 2012, from http://www.dailycampus.com/2.7438/abortion-poses-great-ethical-dilemma-1.1067241. Josh Marshall. (2004). The Abortion Dilemma: Legal Isn 't Always Ethical. In Ethics scoreboard. Retrieved 18 May, 2012 from http://www.ethicsscoreboard.com/list/abortion2.html Claire Pomeroy and Pro-Choice through Feminism. In Serendip. Retrieved 18 May, 2012 from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1845 Amy Richards. (2004). LIVES; When One Is Enough. In nytimes. Retrieved 18 May, 2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/18/magazine/lives-when-one-is-enough.html Unknown Abortion Access Project. (2003). The impact of illegal abortion. In ourbodiesourselves.org. Retrieved 18 May, 2012 from http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/companion.asp?compID=100&id=20 Unknown. (2005). When abortion was illegal. In socialworker.org. Retrieved 18 May, 2012 from http://socialistworker.org/2005-2/562/562_06_Abortion.shtml EI Austine Cline. (Unknown). Abortion is a serious ethical issue. In atheism.about. Retrieved 18 May, 2012 from http://atheism.about.com/od/abortioncontraception/p/AbortionEthics.htm Kundan Pandey BrookesB. (2005). Abortion: An ethical dilemma. In writework. Retrieved 18 May, 2012 from http://www.writework.com/essay/abortion-ethical-dilemma