...A Regrettably Inadequate Defence of Abortion This essay shall examine and critique Judith Jarvis Thomson’s analogy of the sickly violinist, as it relates to the moral permissibility of abortion. I shall conclude that the analogy is ultimately too dissimilar from a general case of abortion to be an accurate representation of the mother-foetus relationship. I will further conclude that at best the analogy only provides justification for abortion in cases of rape, and when a developing foetus becomes a threat to the mother’s life. The Impermissibility Argument Much of the debate concerning the permissibility of abortion surrounds the notion of ‘personhood’, specifically whether a developing foetus qualifies as such a being. Opponents of abortion expend much energy arguing for the conferring of personhood to the moment of conception, whilst the proponents argue this would be a misclassification. One would not call a pinecone a pine tree; to label a foetus as a person is similarly inappropriate (Thomson: Page 47). Thomson argues this tact distracts from the primary concern of abortion, for even if one grants that a foetus is a person, one’s work is still ahead of them to argue against the permissibility of abortion (Thomson: Page 48). The argument runs as follows: P1: As a person, the foetus has the right to life. P2: As a person, the woman has the right of autonomy concerning her own body. P3: The right to life is more important than the right to autonomy over one’s...
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...English Argumentative Essay Should embryonic stem cell research carry on? Embryonic stem cell research creates an ethical dilemma. It forces us to choose between two moral principles: the duty to prevent or lessen the suffering; or the duty to respect the value of human life. In embryonic stem cell research, it is impossible to respect both moral principles. To get embryonic stem cells, the early embryo has to be destroyed. This means destroying a potential human life. But embryonic stem cell research could lead to the discovery of new medical treatments that would lessen the suffering of many people. So which moral principle should have the upper hand in this situation? The answer hinges on how we view the embryo. Does it have the status of a person? Some say it does, as many people think of an embryo as a fully-grown human. The reason for this is the fact that, once an egg is fertilized, unless stopped, it will grow into a fully-grown adult. This opinion is often related to religious rules which state that conception marks the beginning of human life or the presence of a soul. It has been argued that "the line at which an embryo becomes a human life remains as chance as ever". Others argue that embryos are not humans, believing that the life of Homo sapiens only begins when the heartbeat develops, which is during the 5th week of pregnancy, or when the brain begins working, which is about 54 days after conception. Embryos are of value, however they are not equivalent...
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...ABORTION Abortion remains a divisive and contentious issue which conjures visceral emotions within our contemporary political landscape. The dominant political approach to abortion witnesses Queensland Government engaging in the rights-based realm asserting that foetal life is to be afforded liberal rights at the expense of a woman via the formulation of anti-abortion laws . However, the politics of abortion is patent in ways far beyond centralised government with the discursive framing of abortion often being left to non-governmental actors given the sensitivity and unwillingness of politicians to copiously address abortion. This has resulted in the emergence of a rigid debate between foetal rights and women's rights making liberal rights...
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...Abortion is one of the most persistently controversial and debated issues in American politics, culture, and media today. While it is depicted as a two-sided argument, with constituents being either prochoice or prolife, the debate over abortion is overwhelmingly multifaceted and involves an extensive look into the healthcare, biology, ethics, morality, and constitutional rights that affect the issue. It is definitively impractical to generate a logically consistent position on abortion without being subject to abandoning another beliefs, let alone attempting to find a middle ground. Yet with any heated debate, the issues cannot methodically be traced into the confines of black and white. In trying to vindicate or denounce abortion, it is often necessary to observe the grey as we attempt to deduce whether, if ever, abortion can be justified. The abortion debate begins with the moral status of the fetus If the fetus has no rights then the abortion is not an issue, but if the fetus does indeed have rights, then abortion does not solely concern the freedom of the mother, rather it constitutes the deliberate destruction of a human being with personal freedom. However, in the cases of self-defense, just war, and capital punishment, don’t we a society allow the murder of human beings, each with their own set of personal freedoms? Implicit in the claim that it is unethical to kill a human being deliberately is the idea that we have rights because we are human beings therefore can...
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...difficukt to continue treating them. This confilct comes down to the classic debate between the physciains "oaths, expertise and professional responsibilites and the patients right to make decisins. If a person is not comfortable with the way their doctor is handling their case, or feels as if the doctor is wrong with the way they have been treated so far, the patient will and can refuse treatment of the doctor. Once a refusal is know, an array of issues arisses. The relationship between the patient and healthcare provider seems "technically simple and morally clear" (pg. 71). However, certain ideas and beliefs many simmer below the surface during treatment and complications start to arise. Values and cultures can start to clash and moral issues arise from these conflicts....
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...The scientific definition of abortion is termination of a pregnancy prematurely by removing a fetus or an embryo from the uterus. Abortion is a very sensitive matter that has people with differing opinions about its permissibility. Some people believe that abortion is similar to committing murder since the fetus is a human with a life. On the other hand, others feel that parents have a right to choose whether to see a pregnancy to full term or to terminate it before it's due. This argument is usually centered on the notion that removing a fetus or an embryo from the uterus cannot be compared to murder as this is not yet a baby. The major controversy about abortion lies in the definition of what stage of development the fetus is in and at which point...
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...“Abortion is impermissible, because it deprives a being of a future like ours. Accordingly, it is morally similar to killing a healthy adult.” Critically discuss this argument, drawing upon at least one of the authors we have looked at in the readings. Abortion in general can be defined as terminating a pregnancy before birth and this still remains a controversial topic in the world today of whether it is immoral or moral to do so. Besides certain exceptions, the view of abortion as a seriously immoral action has minimal support or evidence in present-day philosophical literature (Marquis, 1989). However, views exist when it comes to illuminating the permissibility of abortion, particularly when future prospects of the foetus are taken into account. This is what the future like ours argument also points out that killing an adult human being is wrong because it deprives the adult of a future and the foetus has a future as well, killing foetuses is wrong in the same way that killing adult human beings is wrong (Kuflik, 2008:417). The future like ours argument is parallel to controversial religious claims and does not appeal to perplexing or difficult philosophical theories (Kuflik, 2008:418). In this essay an attempt will be made to critically discuss abortion being impermissible as it is similar to killing a healthy adult. People against abortion normally depend on the idea that the foetus is a human being or a person from the moment of conception, this notion is argued for...
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...Judith Thompson presents an interesting slant on the moral permissibility of abortion in that she assumes the fetus is a person from conception, therefore having the right to life. However, the fetus’ right to life does not suggest that it has the right to unlimited means to ensure its survival. An abortion is still permissible if the mother does not grant fetus the right to use her body. Thompson gives several analogies of scenarios in which abortions are morally permissible, in which the right for mother to have an abortion outweighs the fetus’ right to use the mother’s body. In the Jane scenario she would argue that it is ultimately morally impermissible for her to obtain an abortion because the fetus is given the right to use the mother’s body. Jane’s pregnancy can be thought of as an accident, because she and her husband almost always faithfully use condoms to prevent accidental conception. Therefore she did not intend to carry the fetus. Thompson states that if the mother did not intend to conceive, and attempted to follow the proper safeguards, then she does not grant the fetus the use of her body. Some may view Jane’s one instance of not using a condom as culpable because she should understand the risk of pregnancy during unprotected sex, and therefore, she is responsible for the fetus’ existence. Thompson states that it is preposterous to argue that the conception of a fetus due to a misjudgment such as forgetting a condom should be seen as an invitation for the fetus...
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...Background Information Abortion is the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced. The term abortion most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy. Induced abortion has long history, and can be traced back to civilizations as varied as China under Shennong, Ancient Egypt with its Ebers Papyrus and the Roman Empire in the time of Juvenal. There is evidence to suggest that pregnancies were terminated through a number of methods, including the administration of abortifacient herbs, the use of sharpened implements, the application of abdominal pressure, and other techniques. Introduction The ethics of abortion is a highly controversial issue that had been going continually argued over for the past few years and probably many years to come. Usually, debates about abortion focus on politics and the law: should abortion be outlawed and treated like the murder of a human person, or remain a legal choice available to all women? Behind the debates are more fundamental ethical questions which aren’t always given the specific attention they deserve. Some believe that the law shouldn’t legislate morality, but all good law is based upon moral values. A failure to openly discuss those values can obscure important discussions. The labels “Pro-life” and “Pro-choice” imply that...
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...scholars and Muslims to begin by interpreting different, broader views of sex, procreation, life, etc. to come to a conclusion that falls in line with the straight path of Islam. A good start at explaining the context for views on contraception is that “While the Qur’an has expressions of chastity that are open for interpretation and fairly progressive religious views on sex, “Thus while the Qur’an’s emphasis on chastity reveals some anxieties about sex, it does not treat sex itself as dangerous or dirty. Rather, the Qur’an views sex as fulfilling and wholesome in itself, that is, outside of its procreative role.” While this shows that Islam has a more progressive fundamental view of sex, it is also important to acknowledge that the Muslim moral standard condemns sex outside marriage, so its teachings about birth control should be understood within the context of husband and wife. Due to varying interpretations, there is no sole consensus on contraception in Islam, however “eight of the nine classic schools of Islamic law permit it.” The religion of Islam promotes family, community, and procreation, and with this, scholars have statements on birth control promoting the greater good of Islam. “Fadlallah, like other fundamentalist ideologues, believes strongly in the application of ijtihad, especially if it is in the interest (maslahah) of the ummah [Muslim nation]. Thus, he has gone so far as to permit birth control, in view of the ummah’s suffering from...
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...The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10354), informally known as the Reproductive Health Law or RH Law, is a law in the Philippines, which guarantees universal access to methods on contraception, fertility control, sexual education, and maternal care. While there is general agreement about its provisions on maternal and child health, there is great debate on its mandate that the Philippine government and the private sector will fund and undertake widespread distribution of family planning devices such as condoms, birth control pills, and IUDs, as the government continues to disseminate information on their use through all health care centers. Passage of the legislation was controversial and highly divisive, with experts, academics, religious institutions, and major political figures declaring their support or opposition while it was pending in the legislature. Heated debates and rallies both supporting and opposing the RH Bill took place nationwide. The Supreme Court delayed implementation of the law in March 2013 in response to challenges. On April 8, 2014, the Court ruled that the law was "not unconstitutional" but struck down eight provisions partially or in full.[ Criticism[edit] Opponents of the bill argue that: People's freedom to access contraceptives is not restricted by any opposing law, being available in family planning NGOs, stores, etc. The country is not a welfare state: taxpayer's money should not be used...
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...Unit 7 Project Part 3: Opposing Sides My initial position Euthanasia is wrong and should never be legalized Laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are in place to prevent abuse and to protect people from unscrupulous doctors and others. They are not, and never have been, intended to make anyone suffer. Activists often claim that laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are government mandated suffering. This claim would be similar to saying that laws against selling contaminated food are government mandated starvation. In a society as obsessed with the costs of health care and the principle of utility, the dangers of the slippery slope are far from fantasy. Assisted suicide is like a half-way house, or a stop on the way to other forms of direct euthanasia. If terminating life is a benefit, the reasoning goes, why should euthanasia be limited only to those who can give consent? Why do we need to ask for consent? In cases like Schiavo's touch on basic constitutional rights, such as the right to live and the right to due process, and consequently there could very well be a legitimate role for the federal government to play. There's a precedent as a result of the highly publicized deaths of infants with disabilities in the 1980s. The federal government enacted 'Baby Doe Legislation, which would withhold federal funds from hospitals that kept lifesaving treatment from newborns based on the expectation of disability. The medical community has to have restrictions...
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...Abortion, Bioethics, and Personhood: A Philosophical Reflection Post Date: 11/19/2001 Bioethics Human Dignity Author: Francis J. Beckwith, PhD Abortion is the issue that first brought evangelical Christians and other cultural conservatives into the arena of bioethics. Although today bioethics is dominated by other issues that are perceived as more pressing, the answer to the philosophical question lurking behind abortion--Who and what are we?--turns out to be the key that unlocks the ethical quandaries posed by these other issues. After all, if human persons ought not to be either subjects of research or killed without justification, and if the fetus from conception is a human person,1 then embryo experimentation, abortion, and cloning2 are prima facie morally wrong. However, some bioethicists have attempted to deal with the issue of human personhood by either sidestepping it or making a distinction between human beings and human persons, putting the fetus in the former category but not the latter. In this paper I will address both attempts. Sidestepping the Issue: The Failure of Neutrality Some bioethicists seek to sidestep the question of personhood by suggesting a neutral posture toward it. They maintain that bioethical decisions can be made apart from answering this question. Take, for example, the 1994 recommendations of the National Institutes of Health Embryo Research Panel, a body consisting of bioethicists across many disciplines including philosophy, theology...
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...In the case of Julie and Jin, they are informed that their fetus is carrying a genetic mutation causing pre-lingual deafness. Through the perspective of Newell in “Disability, Bioethics, and Rejected Knowledge”, he argues that “people living with disability remains a form of rejected knowledge” (273) and the politics involved in post-screening decisions are framed by the dominant hearing community (276). He would state that it is morally impermissible to prevent disability after screening. Contrary, in “Disability, Prenatal Testing, and Selective Abortion”, Steinbock argues that respecting the rights of women to respond to the results of prenatal testing is not inferring that they are not devaluing the lives of the disabled (26). She would...
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... Introduction to ethics. I. II. To what extent is reasoning possible in ethics? One assumption: ethics is subjective A. If subjective then no disagree: Paul I like my coffee sweetened, Helen unsweetened: no disagreement B. If Paul “drs should sometimes assist their patient’s death, Helen: No (then real disagreement) C. There is a point here about disagreement A characteristic of ethics and ethical argumentation consistency: A. It is always wrong to kill a human being B. Abortion is not always wrong C. I am committed to holding that abortion isn’t always the killing of a human being a. This sets a limit on the subjectivity of ethics b. Another such limit: factual accuracy c. One can enjoy a taste without knowing what it is d. In ethics we have to understand the facts of the matter: patient’s prognosis, wishes etc in regards to resuscitation (2) Ethical relativism A. Similarity to subjectivism: B. Ethics depends upon a group, a culture etc. a. Darius: eat or burn one’s dead b. Herodotus each culture...
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