Issue of Abortion

This paper will consider some of the philosophical questions which have been raised regarding the issue of abortion. One of the most important such questions regards the extent to which a fetus can be said to possess a right to life. If a fetus indeed has a right to life, then there obviously must be strict limitations on the extent to which be, abortions may considered morally permissible. However, there have been numerous arguments which have cast doubt on the theory that a fetus has a right to life. From this perspective, it may be said that abortion is morally permissible in nearly all cases.

One of the ways in which this question has been approached is from the view that human rights are related to "personhood." In this view, a distinction is made between a human body, which could perhaps be a corpse, and a "person," which possesses such attributes as consciousness, reasoning, self-motivated activity, capacity to communicate, and self-awareness (Harrison, 1983, p. 219). It is obvious that neither a fetus nor a newborn infant possesses any of these attributes of personhood. Therefore, it can be held that "personal life itself does not emerge in the womb at all, nor will it begin to emerge until some time after birth, when the socialization process begins" (Wennberg, 1985, p. 35). It is apparent that, given the normal course of human development, the fetus will eventually become a full-fledged person. However, while still in the womb, a fetus must be defined as b

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seem to be a strong case for arguing that only a substantial threat to the life of the woman would provide an adequate justification for an abortion" (Wennberg, 1985, p. 139). Therefore, it may be argued that an abortion is morally permissible from the view of a fetus' personhood in contrast with the established rights of the mother. However, it can also be argued that abortion is best justified when it occurs during the early stages of gestation. Those who are opposed to abortion believe that the potential personhood of a fetus is enough to give it a right to life which may "supersede the rights of the pregnant woman" (Denney, 1983, p. 108). On the basis that the fetus is a helpless human being with a right to life, the anti-abortionists argue that it is morally wrong for a woman to decide for herself when or if it is permissible to terminate such a life. Many of the arguments of anti-abortionists center around a belief in the fetus being possessed of the "image of God." Thus, it is believed that only God has the right to cause an abortion, such as in natural stillbirth. However, such arguments are wholly emotional and not based on rational concerns. It may be reasonable to assume that fetal life originates at the momen

Category: Philosophy - I