On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion Mary Anne Warren’s argument that “because women are persons and fetuses are not‚ women’s rights override whatever right to life a fetus may possess” because of the characteristics of personhood and moral community that a fetus does not yet have (Warren 164) is shown through the following argument: 1) If unwanted and dangerous pregnancies occur‚ woman should morally and justifiably have the right without any restrictions to have an abortion. 2) Unwanted
Premium Abortion Morality Pregnancy
Edwin Carter Jr. Session Paper Draft Applied Ethics October 15‚ 2010 “On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion”‚ an essay written by Mary Anne Warren‚ defend abortion in any stage of a woman’s pregnancy (pg 468). Warren argues that the potential to become a human being is not the same as being human and deserving the same right to life (pg. 468-472). This essay asserts that in order to be human‚ one must possess five particular traits (pg. 470). These trait are consciousness‚ reasoning‚ self-motivated
Premium Pregnancy Abortion
Abortion is the process by which an embryo or fetus is removed from the uterus‚ resulting in the termination of a pregnancy. Natural or non induced abortions are commonly known as miscarriages. Abortion has had a long and passionate history. It has been induced through various methods ranging from‚ herbal medicines‚ and the use of sharpened tools‚ physical trauma‚ and other traditional methods. The different legal and cultural views on abortion differ around the world‚ and in many regions of the
Premium Abortion Utilitarianism Ethics
L.)‚ a pro-life group‚ about 54‚559‚615 U.S. abortions have been reported‚ since it was legalized in the U.S. in 1973 to 2011. Of this astounding number‚ less than 2% of women who aborted their fetuses say they became pregnant as a result of rape or incest. So what goes through the mind of those who ultimately decide to have an abortion? In what situations should abortion be allowed based on reviewing the moral and legal implications? Legally‚ abortion should be allowed in a case where the mother-to-be
Free Pregnancy Abortion Fetus
Philosophy 200 November 16‚ 2013 The Moral Status of the Fetus The debate over abortion comes down to one essential issue — the moral status of the unborn child. “Those choosing legalization of abortion will argue that the developing fetus lacks a moral status that would trump a woman’s desire to abort the child. Those against abortion argue by making the opposite claim; that the unborn child‚ because it is a developing human being‚ possesses a moral status because of its human existence; and
Premium Pregnancy Fetus
tissue or a bit of the human body” (Hursthouse‚ 1987). The extreme liberal view in standard form looks like this: An unfertilised ovum has the same moral status as a piece of tissue. Working forward from the unfertilised ovum‚ there is no point until birth that the developing ovum comes to possess a different moral status. The foetus has the moral status of a piece of tissue right up until birth. The first premise appears to be uncontentious. Unfertilised ovum in large numbers are lost in a variety
Free In vitro fertilisation Pregnancy Ethics
The Immorality of Abortion Religion‚ personal rights‚ or science normally fuels the debate on abortion. However abortion can be looked at philosophically and debated whether it is moral or immoral. In this paper I will argue that abortion is immoral because it deprives the zygote from any future life. In The Journal of Philosophy‚ Don Marquis argues in his essay‚ “Why Abortion is Immoral” that abortion is wrong because it deprives the fetus of a ‘future like ours’
Premium Ethics Morality Pregnancy
Today‚ an abortion is a big issue concerning all women because for years it has been said that an abortion should not be legal. Many people feel aborting an unwanted child or killing an unwanted child should be against the law. Many people do not’ know what abortion is‚ who can receive abortions‚ and why people would even choose to get them. I feel as though a woman’s body is her own to do with whatever she wants. Therefore‚ on the topic of abortions‚ I am pro-choice. First‚ before a person makes
Free Pregnancy Abortion Fetus
Personhood status and its consequences In the article‚ On the legal and moral status of abortion‚ Mary Anne Warren (1973) states that biological humanity is irrelevant‚ to achieve satisfactory evaluation on the moral permissibility of abortion we need to consider the personhood status of fetus. Through her criteria of personhood she determines that fetus is not a person; therefore‚ abortion is morally permissible. Her argument is certainly deductively valid; however‚ it is unsound because personhood
Premium Abortion Pregnancy Fetus
Biomedical Ethics Chapter 3 Defining the moral status As time passes medicine and the healthcare system has greatly improved the life expectancy of mankind‚ and more options present themselves‚ they also come a price as to which is the right choice to make. How do we defy which life is more important‚ who gets to live and who has second priority? How do you determine who has a higher moral status. What properties should you base your criteria on? We will isolate and divulge on
Premium Animal rights Human Morality