Abortion Flashcards
When does life begin? - birth
- Personhood is only applied at the stage of physical birth
- Mary Anne Warren - “birth, rather than some earlier point, marks the beginning of true moral status”
When does life begin? - Viability
Personhood is applied when the foetus can exist beyond any dependence on the mother
When does life begin? - Potentiality
Personhood is applied once the primitive streak is seen after 14 days
When does life begin? - Conception
Personhood is applied from the point of fertilisation
John Grigg - “conception is the magic moment”
When does life begin? - Consciousness
Personhood is applied at the first point of awareness
When does life begin? - Ensoulement
Personhood is applied when the soul enters the body
Define the doctrine of double effect
Even if a good act results in bad consequences, then it is still right to do that act. E.g. Treating a woman for cancer could kill the foetus
The right to life - Torah
“Her life takes precedence over its life”
Issues involving the right to life
- If rights are applied to the foetus, are they limited/restricted?
- Does the woman’s right to choose overrule the foetus’ right to life?
When is abortion deemed necessary by law?
Abortion Act 1967:
- If the woman’s physical health is threatened by having the baby
- If there’s a high risk the baby would be disabled
- If any existing children would be harmed physically/mentally by the birth of the child
Roman Catholic response to abortion
- Abortion is murder
- Only God can take life away - sanctity of life
- Accepts the doctrine of double effect but does not agree with it
- Pope Pius XI “What could ever be a sufficient reason for the direct murder of the innocent?”
Church of England response to abortion
- Abortion is a “great moral evil”
- But sometimes, the lesser of two evils
The issue of “when does life begin?”
- If a foetus is not a human being then it may not have same rights as a fully independent human being and need not have the same protection in law
- If human life begins at conception then, in theory, the foetus should have the same rights
- If this is the case, could lead to a conflict between rights of the foetus and mother