Bioethical Thoughts on Abortion (Unit 3)

Question 1

What is abortion in Canada like?

Answer 1

No Canadian law on abortion
- Able to abort a baby at any point before being birthed

Question 2

Who is George Grant?

Answer 2

Was a world renowned Canadian philosopher in the later 20th century
- Devout Christian
- Originally known for his political philosophy he became focused on religious and ethical matters later in his career.
- Final major work Technology and Justice dealt with several ethical issues including abortion and Euthanasia

Question 3

What are Grant’s three arguments to the abortion topic?

Answer 3

Grant argued that we should consider 3 main questions when examining the issue of Abortion:
- Is the fetus alive?
- Is it human?
- Is it a person? (more difficult to answer)

Question 4

What is Grant’s question of ‘is the fetus alive’?

Answer 4

Scientific standard says that the fetus is alive
- It grows, takes in nutrients etc… Thus by any scientific analysis it is a living thing.

Question 5

What is Grant’s question of ‘is it human’?

Answer 5

Fetus is a product of human sperm and a human egg.
- Contains human DNA.
- Not any other animal, but a human

Question 6

What is Grant’s question of ‘is it a person’?

Answer 6

Essential question that drives the abortion debate on both sides.
- Oppose: tend to say a fetus should be considered a person.
- Support: tend to say it is not a person
If it is a person it might be considered to have value and rights and that would make abortion immoral.

Question 7

What is Grant’s answer?

Answer 7

We should not base our decision around life and death on whether or not a fetus is a person.
- Deciding personhood and how to treat people has led to discrimination and prejudice in the past
- Treatment of marginalized/oppressed people because they weren’t considered human

Question 8

If we don’t judge on personhood, then what?

Answer 8

We should accept the premise that any living human ought to be preserved (avoids harming/killing people by our prejudices, changing views or misunderstandings of the term)
- If its human and alive, it gets protection

Question 9

What are other considerations for personhood?

Answer 9

Some say personhood begins when a certain level of intelligence or capability is reached
- Based on a an instrumental view of the value of human life
- If our essential value is determined by our capabilities then we are open to the possibility of harming any number of groups based on their capabilities or lack of them, subjective (ex. children, elderly, disabled)

Question 10

Catholic church’s approach to abortion?

Answer 10

Morally wrong, if one goes against the Catholic position there are still huge bioethical issues that must be dealt with