Was Marissa's Abortion Morally Permissible?
Was Marissa’s abortion morally permissible?
PHILOSOPHY COURSE
- Here are the instructions in the syllabus: In writing this essay, briefly explain Marissa’s case and clearly state your thesis early in the paper. Be sure to carefully explain at least 3 arguments from the assigned readings, including arguments that you disagree with. For those arguments that you disagree with, precisely explain why they fail. Be sure to state your favored argument (which may or may not come from the course readings) and explain why you think it is sound. Consider at least 1 targeted objection to your favored argument, and thoughtfully reply to it.
- Essays should be clearly referenced (in text, authors last name, and page number). Your paper should contain select, direct quotes from at least 3 of the assigned readings. No works cited page is needed unless you are using sources not assigned as part of the course readings.
It may be helpful to assume that you are writing for an intelligent, open-minded audience, and you are trying to argue why your view of the matter is correct or most rationally justified. Indeed, it might help to assume that your audience is slightly leaning to the opposing side, and so you will need to work hard to explain why the opposing arguments fail and why your side has the better reasons behind it. Remember to be self-critical; think of possible weak spots in your argument; raise challenges to your argument, and explain how your argument can be defended against those challenges.
Here now is a suggested detailed outline: GRADING GUIDELINES/SUGGESTED OUTLINE:
* Introduction with a brief description of Marissa's case, a precise definition of abortion, and a clear thesis statement that answers the assigned question, e.g., I will argue that Marissa's abortion was (or was not) wrong. A sentence or two explaining the structure of the paper. (1 paragraph).
* Give a developed argument for the opposing side,stated precisely and explained in a fair and thorough manner (1 paragraph). Remember to briefly quote from the assigned reading, in addition to explaining the argument in your own words and relating it to Marissa’s case.
* Raise a targeted objection to that opposing argument (if you have 2 objections to this argument, then 2 paragraphs). Often this objection is a counterexample that targets a premise in the opposing argument. Develop the objection.
* Give another argument that a rival may make, stated precisely, explained fairly and thoroughly (1 paragraph) Remember to briefly quote from the assigned reading, in addition to explaining the argument in your own words and relating it to Marissa’s case.
* Explain why that argument fails. Often this objection is a counterexample that targets a premise in the opposing argument. Develop the objection. (1 paragraph, or more if more than 1 objection)
* Present the favored argument for your own view, state it precisely and explain why the premises are true. Remember to support it with a direct quote from the readings, if you are using an argument covered in the assigned readings. Apply the argument to Marissa's case (1 paragraph)
* Consider and develop a targeted objection to your favored argument. Again, this is often a counterexample to one of the premises of your argument (1 paragraph)
* Give a thoughtful response to that objection. (1 paragraph, or more, if more than 1 response)
* Possibly raise another objection to your favored argument (1 paragraph)
* Develop a thoughtful response to that objection (1 paragraph)
* conclusion that briefly restates the main point of the paper (1 brief paragraph)
THINGS TO LOOK FOR:
* Demonstrates a grasp of some of the relevant literature (not just the textbook or my online lessons, but also the assigned readings on abortion). Remember to quote from at least 3 articles assigned in the course.
* Demonstrates fairness (to opposing views and to critics of one's favored argument)
* Demonstrates thoughtfulness (especially when it comes to one's favored argument, and any problems it might face)
* Clear and concise writing (short clear sentences, no fluff,...) No, "Abortion is an emotional issue"; rather, students should get directly to work answering the assigned question.
* clear organization -- be sure paragraphs are used carefully, with each argument given in its own paragraph, each objection in its own paragraph, etc. Students should not present and reject an argument in one paragraph. Students should not raise 2 problems in 1 paragraph. Everything needs to be in its proper place, so that each idea is developed and clearly explained.
* Originality -- it is always nice to see a student considering a novel argument on the topic, provided that they develop it carefully and think critically about it. But the main thing is they demonstrate familiarity with some of the major arguments on the morality of abortion discussed in the course in the text and in the articles, and they show that they can raise direct, relevant objections to rival arguments, as well as raise tough and relevant objections to their favored argument and reply thoughtfully to them.
* Quotes from the text and especially to the primary source readings are required, though they should be used quite sparingly as supports for your own words. References should be in text (author last name, and page #), e.g., (Findler et al, p. 120) or (Noonan, page 4)
* Be sure students justify why they think their favored argument is sound.It is obviously not enough to say that I agree with so and so.
* Make sure students deal with tough objections to their favored argument, and that they respond to these objections thoughtfully.
* Make sure that students are fair to opposing arguments, and that they thoughtfully explain why they think those opposing arguments fail.
other things...
* Students should write their papers using the first person.
* Students should avoid rhetorical questions, as this is frequently a poor substitute for clearly stating their points, and defending them.
* Students should not just use my Canvas lessons to write their papers, they should engage with the assigned philosophical articles upon which my lessons are based.
ASSIGNED READINGS WILL BE PROVIDED AS FILES
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Was Marissa’s Abortion Morally Permissible?
Introduction
A middle-aged couple named Marissa and Don opted to terminate the fetus of their would-be first child for several reasons. To begin with, a series of blood and ultra-sound tests revealed that if they let the fetus live to term, the child would have Down syndrome, which would render it disabled. As such, the mother felt she was not ready to bear the cumbersome burden of becoming the mother of a disabled child. Apparently, she was under a strong conviction that such a child would grossly jeopardize her marriage. The couple’s resolve inevitably drew sharp criticism from some quarters, which degenerated into a heated debate between two sides of the ethical divide. Some critics contended that their decision to abort amounted to discrimination against the disabled. On the other hand, some observers held that it would be the height of folly to term abortion wrong simply because it discriminates against a specific group of people (Findler et al. 178). To critically evaluate the views of both the opponents and proponents of the abortion procured by Marissa, it would be prudent to understand what abortion means. In layman’s language, abortion refers to the termination of a pregnancy for whatever reason, thereby preventing the birth of a child. When procuring an abortion, involved parties use either medicine or surgery to remove the unwanted fetus or embryo. Undoubtedly, the topic of whether abortion is morally permissible continues to generate a wide array of vicious views from the opposing and supporting sides. Regarding Marissa, I will argue that her abortion had some moral basis since the expected child would be disabled, which would most probably have compromised her marriage.
This paper will thoroughly examine the opinions that both sides of the divide may adopt concerning the question of whether abortion is morally permissible. It will also analyze the weak points of all possible arguments. In addition, it will contain my given view on the same topic and why I have taken that stance. By the same token, I will look at some plausible objections that my stance would have to grapple with and my responses to them. Last but not least, I will conclude by explaining why I feel abortion is morally permissible, especially in Marissa’s case.
Developed Argument for the Opposing Side
As stated previously, the topic of abortion has, over the years, been a contentious one and has split the world down the middle. Regarding Marissa's case, anti-abortionists would be quick to argue that every human being, whether physically sound or otherwise, has the right to live, and no one should deprive them of the same. As Thomson (1971) puts it, "But surely, a person's right to life is stronger and more stringent than the mother's right to decide what happens in and to her body, and so outweighs it. So the fetus may not be killed; an abortion may not be performed". As such, opponents would advise her to keep the pregnancy to term, completely disregarding the repercussions. In a word, they establish claims that look plausible at face value but that would undoubtedly crumble under critical scrutiny. One side, which is where I align myself, is a group of people who contend that abortion has got some moral standing. On the flip side is a group of people who are viciously opposed to abortion. They contend that for whatever reason, abortion should be condemned in the strongest terms possible since it is a gross violation of morality. They feel it is wrong and anchor their position on several reasons they consider plausible. To begin with, opponents of abortion argue that the removal of a fetus or embryo is outright murder. They opine that life begins at conception to consolidate their argument. According to Thomson (1971), "Most opposition to abortion relies on the premise that the fetus is a human being, a person, from the moment of conception." To further their argument, they hold that fetuses look like babies and possess characteristics such as a genetic code that is responsible and both necessary and sufficient for a human
A Targeted Objection to To the Opposing Argument
Logically, if any of the claims espoused by opponents of abortion were to be regarded as good arguments, they would require some claim characterizing fetuses. In addition, they would need some moral principle that would convince proponents that fetuses have the right to life. To be specific, the arguments fronted by anti-abortionists are narrow in scope and, therefore, faulty to a considerable extent. In other words, the principles that anti-abortionists anchor their contentions do not embrace enough and are arguably weak (Marquis 185). As such, in a standoff with proponents of abortion, they would have a lot of explaining to consolidate their position, and I have every reason to believe that they would lose hands down. For instance, substantiating that life indeed begins at conception would certainly be a tall order if not an impossibility. In this regard, they would encounter difficulties with the distinction of viability. The distinction continues to stir up controversy for various reasons. For example, opponents claim that "the fetus, before the age of so many months, is not viable, that is, it cannot be removed from the mother's womb and live apart from it" (Noonan 10).
However, proponents of abortion, I being one of them, would poke holes into such contention by stating that artificia...