Why Abortion Is Immoral Analysis

In his article, Why Abortion is Immoral, Don Marquis argues that abortion is seriously morally wrong and should not be permitted except in certain cases (2012). The exceptions Marquis makes for when abortion is permissible include, in instances of rape, when the pregnancy could threaten the woman’s life, when the fetus is anencephalic, and during the first fourteen days after conception (2012). In his argument, Marquis attempts to bypass the traditional abortion debate which has largely focused on whether or not the fetus is a person (2012). By explaining why killing in general is wrong, Marquis will seek to prove that abortion is morally equivalent to killing an adult because it robs them of their future (2012).
Marquis sets the stage for his argument by first discussing why the traditional abortion debate is intractable (2012). Marquis examines the arguments of two opposing sides, the anti-abortionist and the pro-choicer. Both sides believe that persons
Marquis suggest that “the loss of one’s life is the greatest losses one can suffer”, because it deprives the individual of a “future like ours” (2012). He states that death, especially a premature death, is bad since it robs the person of all that life has to offer (i.e. experiences, accomplishments, relationships, pleasures, etc.) (Marquis, 2012). Furthermore, Marquis explains that there are substantial implications for accepting this view. He shows that the “future like ours” theory supports the notion that 1) it is also morally wrong to kill other non-humans (i.e. species from other planets) who have futures like ours; 2) that it is morally wrong to kill animals; 3) provides understanding of those who have a terminal illness and defends that euthanasia is sometimes permissible; 4) that infanticide is morally wrong since we accept that infants and children also have a future of value (Marquis,