Abortion and Natural Law Flashcards
Why is abortion not natural?
- does not allow for eudiomonia
- preventing embryo fulfilling gods purpose
- going against some of the primary precepts
what primary precepts does abortion go against?
- to preserve life
- to reproduce
- to live harmoniously (in some circumstances)
Hierarchy of law and abortion
you can ignore state law and follow divine law and natural law.
so even though state law allows for abortion divine and natural law do not, so abortion is wrong because of the hierarchy of law
what is the embryos purpose?
to reflect the perfect image of god
how does double effect allow for abortion?
if the birth threatened the mothers life, you could abort the baby as you are following the precept ‘to preserve life’ by protecting the mother.
an unfortunate by-product is that you break the precept to reproduce
how does proportionalism allow for abortion?
sometimes abortion is wrong but necessary- it is for the greater good
give an example of abortion and proportionalism
mother who has suffered extreme post natal depression in the past
sin and abortion
you have misapplied you reason
abortion as a secondary precept
we can work out, using our reason/synderesis, from the primary precepts ‘to reproduce’ and ‘to preserve life’ that abortion is wrong
STRENGTHS (there is 5)
- proportionalism
- double effect
- absolutist
- sanctity of life
- ‘to live harmoniously’
how is proportionalism a STRENGTH of natural law and abortion
- allows for exceptional circumstances e.g. post natal depression
how is double effect a STRENGTH of natural law and abortion
e.g. preserving life of mother
how is being absolutist a STRENGTH of natural law and abortion
unlike utilitarianism there will not be a culture of killing
how is sanity of life a STRENGTH of natural law and abortion
god designed the foetus for s purpose and this should not be dismissed
how is ‘to live harmoniously’ a STRENGTH of natural law and abortion
avoids conflict, sex should only occur when a child is wanted
what are the WEAKNESS’S of natural law and abortion (there is 6)
- secondary precept
- doesn’t account for personal circumstance
- people no longer religion
- sin is patronising
- prolong suffering
- outdated
how is natural law being ‘outdated’ a WEAKNESS of natural law and abortion?
when Aquinas wrote his natural law there was no way of scanning to see if a child would be handicapped or not
why would a strict follower of natural say that it is wrong to have an abortion, and how is this a WEAKNESS?
abortion is wrong as a secondary precept as you are not ‘preserving life’ or ‘reproducing’ (which are both primary precepts)
how is natural law not allowing for circumstances a WEAKNESS of it’s opinion on abortion?
e. g. does not allow for a woman with 8 pre-existing children who cannot afford another
e. g. a 16 year old girl who was raped
how can ‘sin’ be patronising and a WEAKNESS od naturals rules on abortion?
by saying a woman who has wrongly applied her reason is patronising if she has previously suffered form pot-natal depression for example
how can natural law ‘prolong suffering’ in issues surrounding abortion? (WEAKNESS)
not having an abortion because the child is ‘sacred’ is speciesist (peter singer) and may prolong suffering for a handicapped child
