Abortion Flashcards
What are the options for the start of human life?
Conception
Birth
Viability ~ when baby can survive without mother
Primitive streak ~ 14th day of fertilisation
Consciousness or brain activity
Who believes life starts at conception?
Roman catholics and Protestant evangelicals
Who believes life starts at birth?
Jews
Health risks
Abortion can cause cause emotional and psychological damage
Risks at birth
Heart and blood pressure problems during pregnancy/birth
Right to self defence
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.
abortion in the UK
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
What do Roman Catholics think about abortion?
it is intrinsically evil. NOT ALLOWED!!
allow double effect
What is double effect
Doing something to save the mother’s life, which will then lead to the baby dying. unfortunate side effect
What do protestant evangelicals think about abortion?
God should be the author of life and death
Humans should have no right to take life
Abortion is the murder of an innocent
What does the church of england think about abortion?
Individuals can make their own decisions.
What do liberal protestants think about abortion?
Oppose in principle but allow in certain situations
What do situationists think about abortion?
concerned with quality of life, can the mother cope with another child?
can be the most loving decision
What do utilitarians think about abortion?
Can be the greatest good for the greatest number of people
Handicap is a reason to abort a foetus
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
Handicap is not a reason to abort a foetus
still possible to live a good life with a disability
all human life should be treated with care and love
Rape is a reason to abort a foetus
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?! :((
What do strong sanctity of life christians say about abortion?
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!!!
What do weak sanctity of life christians say about abortion?
Allow abortion is some cases <3 like if foetus is a threat to mother
Its the official view of the church of england.
What do Hindus say about abortion?
its wrong unless baby is a threat to mother’s life.
May allow it because the soul will be returned to samsara.
why do people think abortion is murder?
If they believe human life starts at conception (RC)
life is sacred ~ sanctity of life
It is taking an innocent vulnerable life
why do people think abortion is not murder?
if they believe life starts later on i.e viability
no personality
foetus is not a human being
What is the position of the Catholic Church?
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
What is proportionalism?
A variety of natural law, which says that sometimes abortion may be permissible
How could situation ethics accept abortion?
In certain situations because it produces most love
What do utilitarians take into account when considering abortion?
The long term effects, someone may regret it in the future
All those who it will effect, like the father and the wider family
What do kantian ethics argue?
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
What are the religious issues with abortion?
The Hippocratic oath
Life is sacred
We should not have the right to take away life, this is God’s role
What did Mary Anne Warren say about abortion?
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.
Explain Judith Jarvis Thompson’s violinist example
- 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)
Christine Overall & abortion
- 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
Thompson & abortion
-Accepts the foetus is a person BUT the mother’s right to self defense justifies abortion if her life is threatened
Mary Anne Warren on abortion
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
Joanna Jepson & abortion
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
What factors would utilitarians consider when assessing abortion?
(5 factors)
- Greatest happiness principle
- Utility principle
- Hedonic calculus
- Swine ethic
- Preference utilitarianism - best interests of everyone involved
Utilitarianism and sentient beings and abortion
All sentient beings are equally important
Utilitarianism and general benevolence and abortion
Everyone’s happiness is to be regarded as the same therefore mother and babies happiness is of the same worth
Rule Utilitarianism and abortion
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
Utilitarianism and the swine ethic and abortion
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
What factors would a Situationist consider when assessing abortion?
(4 factors)
-Agape love; unconditional, selfless and based on Jesus’ teachings
What is the primitive streak?
The faint streak which is the earliest trace of the embryo in the fertilised ovum
this is usualy the 14th day
In Islam when does life begin?
On the 120th day
This is when they believe ensoulment occurs
