Abortion

Question 1

What are the options for the start of human life?

Answer 1

Conception
Birth
Viability ~ when baby can survive without mother
Primitive streak ~ 14th day of fertilisation
Consciousness or brain activity

Question 2

Who believes life starts at conception?

Answer 2

Roman catholics and Protestant evangelicals

Question 3

Who believes life starts at birth?

Answer 3

Jews

Question 4

Health risks

Answer 4

Abortion can cause cause emotional and psychological damage
Risks at birth
Heart and blood pressure problems during pregnancy/birth

Question 5

Right to self defence

Answer 5

Women have a right to self defence, should not be forced to keep foetus inside them. Thompson’s example, foetus may kill mother, abortion is self defence.

Question 6

abortion in the UK

Answer 6

The rights and the welfare of the mother is more important than those of the foetus
How ill birth/ abortion effect already existing children?
Takes into account whether foetus is handicapped, or if mother already has handicapped children
Usually only allowed up to 24 weeks

Question 7

What do Roman Catholics think about abortion?

Answer 7

it is intrinsically evil. NOT ALLOWED!!

allow double effect

Question 8

What is double effect

Answer 8

Doing something to save the mother’s life, which will then lead to the baby dying. unfortunate side effect

Question 9

What do protestant evangelicals think about abortion?

Answer 9

God should be the author of life and death
Humans should have no right to take life
Abortion is the murder of an innocent

Question 10

What does the church of england think about abortion?

Answer 10

Individuals can make their own decisions.

Question 11

What do liberal protestants think about abortion?

Answer 11

Oppose in principle but allow in certain situations

Question 12

What do situationists think about abortion?

Answer 12

concerned with quality of life, can the mother cope with another child?
can be the most loving decision

Question 13

What do utilitarians think about abortion?

Answer 13

Can be the greatest good for the greatest number of people

Question 14

Handicap is a reason to abort a foetus

Answer 14

minimises suffering of parents and of child
could have a bad quality of life
big sacrifice for parents having to bring up a handicapped child

Question 15

Handicap is not a reason to abort a foetus

Answer 15

still possible to live a good life with a disability

all human life should be treated with care and love

Question 16

Rape is a reason to abort a foetus

Answer 16

continued trauma for mother and family, the child would remind them of the incident, may not be loved </3
How will the child feel when they find out?! :((

Question 17

What do strong sanctity of life christians say about abortion?

Answer 17

they base their ethics on the authority of the bible, and they think that abortion is murder and is intrinsically wrong.
All humans are made in the image of God, so we should not destroy it!!!

Question 18

What do weak sanctity of life christians say about abortion?

Answer 18

Allow abortion is some cases <3 like if foetus is a threat to mother
Its the official view of the church of england.

Question 19

What do Hindus say about abortion?

Answer 19

its wrong unless baby is a threat to mother’s life.

May allow it because the soul will be returned to samsara.

Question 20

why do people think abortion is murder?

Answer 20

If they believe human life starts at conception (RC)
life is sacred ~ sanctity of life
It is taking an innocent vulnerable life

Question 21

why do people think abortion is not murder?

Answer 21

if they believe life starts later on i.e viability
no personality
foetus is not a human being

Question 22

What is the position of the Catholic Church?

Answer 22

They think that the embryo is a person from the moment or conception so it can never be right to abort or use the morning after pill

Question 23

What is proportionalism?

Answer 23

A variety of natural law, which says that sometimes abortion may be permissible

Question 24

How could situation ethics accept abortion?

Answer 24

In certain situations because it produces most love

Question 25

What do utilitarians take into account when considering abortion?

Answer 25

The long term effects, someone may regret it in the future

All those who it will effect, like the father and the wider family

Question 26

What do kantian ethics argue?

Answer 26

Everyone person has a lot or worth, may never be used as a means to an end. But he does not address whether or not an embryo is a person

Question 27

What are the religious issues with abortion?

Answer 27

The Hippocratic oath
Life is sacred
We should not have the right to take away life, this is God’s role

Question 28

What did Mary Anne Warren say about abortion?

Answer 28

If abortion wasn’t allowed there would be undesirable consequences like backstreet abortions.
Abortion can be essential for the well being of individual and the family.

Question 29

Explain Judith Jarvis Thompson’s violinist example

Answer 29

• Someone attached to a famous violinist for 9 months to keep them alive (pregnancy)
• Did not volunteer (represents pregnancy as a result of rape or accident)
• They are told by the hospital ‘but a person’s right to life outweighs your right to decide what happens in and to your body.’
• They may end up being told that they have to stay attached for the rest of their life (having to be a mother to the child)

Question 30

Christine Overall & abortion

Answer 30

• It is morally wrong to ignore the private wishes of the mother
• She has reproductive autonomy, both genetic & social
• Mother is the most appropriate person to decide best interests of foetus
• Removing her right to decide is an example of patriarchal society

Question 31

Thompson & abortion

Answer 31

-Accepts the foetus is a person BUT the mother’s right to self defense justifies abortion if her life is threatened

Question 32

Mary Anne Warren on abortion

Answer 32

Women should be allowed to abort unwanted pregnancies as criminalisation of abortion will lead to undesirable consequences such as;

• Backstreet abortions
• Poverty as families are forced to care for children

A woman’s life is more important that a foetus’ so they should not be given equal rights

Question 33

Joanna Jepson & abortion

Answer 33

Jepson was born with facial deformities and argues against the abortion of not seriously handicapped foetus’
This was after a child had been aborted for a cleft palette

Question 34

What factors would utilitarians consider when assessing abortion?
(5 factors)

Answer 34

• Greatest happiness principle
• Utility principle
• Hedonic calculus
• Swine ethic
• Preference utilitarianism - best interests of everyone involved

Question 35

Utilitarianism and sentient beings and abortion

Answer 35

All sentient beings are equally important

Question 36

Utilitarianism and general benevolence and abortion

Answer 36

Everyone’s happiness is to be regarded as the same therefore mother and babies happiness is of the same worth

Question 37

Rule Utilitarianism and abortion

Answer 37

Higher pleasure= having a child
Lower pleasure= having unprotected sex
therefore the higher pleasure of having a child may not be deserved from the lower pleasure of unprotected sex

Murder is a sin so abortion is wrong

Question 38

Utilitarianism and the swine ethic and abortion

Answer 38

People may justify action as they simply generate happiness.
This can result in people acting out of selfishness
e.g. mother chooses to abort child without considering the happiness that the child may experience

Question 39

What factors would a Situationist consider when assessing abortion?
(4 factors)

Answer 39

-Agape love; unconditional, selfless and based on Jesus’ teachings

Question 40

What is the primitive streak?

Answer 40

The faint streak which is the earliest trace of the embryo in the fertilised ovum
this is usualy the 14th day

Question 41

In Islam when does life begin?

Answer 41

On the 120th day

This is when they believe ensoulment occurs