Contemplating Moral Reasoning: Abortion

Avijit Lodh (Avi)

Contemplating Moral Reasoning Abortion is arguably the most controversial moral issue in America. While some people with a conservative view toward abortion believes that abortion is wrong and should not be legal under any circumstance, some people with liberal view believes that abortion is ok at any stage for any reason. Many people seemed to have a moderate view on the issue, where they believe that some abortions are wrong while some abortions are not, depending on the circumstances that led to the pregnancy and as well as the reasons behind the decision of abortion. Rosalind Hurthouse is one such individual; she believes that abortion is only appropriate if it is deemed necessary through virtue ethics. Susan Heath, a seventy two year old opinionist of New York Times, wrote the article “No One Called Me a Slut” about how she was able to successfully get her abortion done in 1978 without being criticized for her decision. Susan Heath implied, through presenting us with proper reasons behind her decision to abort her child, that she has a moderate view on the topic of abortion. According to the article, Susan was already a mother of four children before her contraception failed her and presented her with the dilemma of bearing a fifth child. Susan explained that she loved her children with a passion however she didn’t want anymore. Hurthouse would in all likelihood deem this to be a virtuous decision. Hurthouse explicates that the decision of abortion should not be judged solely based on the status of the fetus, women’s right, or the sanctity of life. Rather it should be judged to be virtuous or not based on the circumstance and the attitude of the decision maker.
Susan’s circumstance clearly indicated that she was forced to face this dilemma through no fault of her own. She was careful enough to use contraception and it failed her thus she is not responsible for the event that led her to pregnancy. Susan was already a mother of four children that she loved passionately. According to virtue theory her decision to abort the fifth child that came into being through accident would not be an irresponsible decision because she already had four children and she admited that she would not have been able to be a good enough mother to a fifth one. Hurthouse articulates that the attitude is also important to judge if the decision to abort is virtuous. Susan demonstrated her appreciation of children as she proclaimed that she loves her four children with a passion and she “…delight in newborn babies with their delicate weightlessness, the curl of their small fingers around my thumb…” This depicts that she was not simply casting away an unwanted object but instead she was making a conscious decision about what’s better for her life. She mentions that she was absolutely certain about her decision and she even had a required counseling where she actively demonstrated, to the councilor, that she is consciously making the decision of abortion. She had all the proper attitude of a responsible adult making a conscious decision. Thus her attitude toward the abortion also explicates that her decision was virtuous. Throwing away a life without any thought or remorse is quite impenitent, whereas conceiving a child that would pose severe difficulty to the individual or the individual’s household is irresponsible. Despite the event taking place thirty four years ago it sets an example for modern women as to what is a proper attitude toward abortion.