Philosophy (Ehitcs) on Abortion

Running Head: SOCIAL SCIENCES Arguments on abortion Name: Institution: Course: Tutor: Date: Arguments on abortion Introduction Ethics, upon abortion subject, has prompted serious debate over many centuries. Scholars, churches and governments similarly have been involved in the ethical debate with the greatest sincerity. An essay regarded as “Defense towards Abortion” has been written by Judith Thomson, wherein she puts forward an argument concerning how individuals cannot just demonstrate that abortion is at all times wrong. She wanted to shift the arguments concerning abortion from focus upon fetus’ moral attention to that held by the pregnant woman herself. One of the premises held by Thomson states that: if individuals perceive abortion as wrong due to the fact that a) Fetus is an individual b) All individuals hold right to life, this implies that disconnecting unconscious violinist is wrong because a) he is an individual b)Human beings hold right to life. Abortion is wrong and ought to be discouraged because unborn individuals have similar rights as those held by other individuals. Therefore they ought to be given the right to live fully hence abortion practices which terminate their lives should be highly discouraged. However, abortion is not wrong always because pregnant mothers are at times exposed to some conditions which call for abortion practices to be accomplished with the aim of saving their lives. An example in this case is health problems, whereby doctors are faced with choices to make, either to assist a mother to abort or risk losing her life together with that of her fetus. Other arguments concerning abortion Arguments supporting abortion There are a variety of arguments supporting the idea that abortion ought to be discouraged because fetuses are individuals who have right to life. For instance, life starts during conception and therefore abortion has no difference from murder, because it involves human life termination. Abortion is usually undertaken in direct disobedience of the idea which is commonly accepted concerning sanctity concerning human life. This implies that all life ought to be protected and given complete rights towards life. In moral terms termination of individuals’ life is wrong and this also applies to unborn who ought to be allowed to live and develop to complete individuals. Terminating their lives within any stage at the time of their development therefore ought to be highly discouraged. Secondly, societies highly discourage actions whereby intentional harming or killing of human beings by the others occurs and harsh punishment is usually offered to those involved in such actions. This has no difference when compared to abortion hence abortion attempts ought to be highly discouraged and punishable in cases whereby they occur. This implies that the unborn stage is simply a stage of individuals’ development hence involved individuals ought to be highly protected and shielded from abortion just as other living individuals are protected. Thirdly, in accordance with spiritual teachings, it is evident that life termination undertakings are highly forbidden. This is because all life is God’s creation and no one should have authority towards its termination except God. This therefore renders abortion illegal and justified the idea that abortion practices ought to highly be discouraged because such practices are against spiritual teachings which expresses all life as God’s creation. These teachings equalize living human beings to unborn individuals right from conception periods. It therefore requires individuals to protect unborn and avoid abortion which terminates their lives. In addition, just like the other individuals, fetuses have right to life. It has been pointed out that rights held by unborn individuals are usually same to those held by their mothers. Therefore, the mothers have no right to exercise any powers over the unborn because they hold similar rights. This therefore calls for complete protection and respect, whereby the fetus ought to be given all the support and opportunity to live and their ri...