I need an essay done by 04/25/2020

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Types of Abortion

  • Induced Abortion
  • “The deliberate termination of a pregnancy by surgical or medical (with drugs) means.”
  • Therapeutic Abortion
  • “An abortion performed to protect the life or health of the mother.”
  • Spontaneous Abortion/Miscarriage
  • “The unintentional termination of a pregnancy (due to a medical disorder or injury).”

Stages in Pregnancy

  • Conception
  • Fertilization
  • “when a sperm cell enters an ovum and the two merge into a single cell called a zygote.”
  • Quickening
  • “The point in fetal development when the mother can feel the fetus moving (it occurs at about sixteen to twenty weeks).
  • Viability
  • “The stage of fetal development at which the fetus is able to survive outside the uterus.”

Methods

  • Menstrual Aspiration
  • Performed during first three weeks.
  • Syringe is used to remove the embryo.
  • Suction Curettage
  • Up until twelve weeks
  • Thin tube is inserted into the uterus.
  • Vacuum device is used to empty the uterus.
  • Dilation and Evacuation
  • After twelve weeks
  • Forceps and suction are used to remove the fetus.
  • Saline injection
  • Late abortions
  • Induce delivery before time.

Facts and Figures

  • “Nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended.”
  • About 1.05 million pregnancies were ended by abortion in 2011.
  • “The risk of death associated with abortion rises with length of pregnancy: 1 death per 1 million abortions at or before 8 weeks; 1 per 29,000 abortions at 16-20 weeks.
  • “The risk of death related to childbirth is much higher than [1 death per 1 million]—about twelve times higher.”
  • “36 percent of women having abortions are non-Hispanic white; 30 percent are black non-Hispanic; and 25 percent are Hispanic.”

Roe vs. Wade (1973)

  • “Woman has a constitutional, but not unlimited, right to obtain an abortion in a range of circumstances.”
  • Unrestricted right during the first trimester.
  • After that, state may regulate but not ban to protect the life of the mother.
  • After viability, state can regulate and ban abortions.
  • Fetus is not a person under the law.
  • Women’s Rights
  • Personal Privacy
  • Determination of reproduction, family, and children.

Abortion:
Moral Theories

Abortion:
Natural Law

  • Any type of induced abortion is forbidden.
  • Including therapeutic abortion.
  • Abortion involves killing a person.
  • Fetus is a person from the moment of conception.
  • Even though some inclinations may support abortion, it will never pass the first requirement of the doctrine of double effect.

Abortion:
Kant’s Theory

  • Arguments supporting or opposing abortion rely on whether the fetus is a person or not.
  • Person ≠ Human Being
  • “Person” is a social construct.
  • Depends on the possession of certain properties.
  • “Human” is a biological entity.
  • Means-Ends Principle states that people should never be treated as means. They must be treated as ends.
  • If fetus is a person, it must be treated as an end.
  • If fetus is not a person, it can be used as a mean.

Kant’s Theory:
Fetus ≠ Person

  • Abortion will be supported by the means-ends principle.
  • Mother is a person and as an end, she has the right to decide whether to have an abortion or not.
  • Fetus is not a person so it can be used as means to an end.
  • Some requirements for personhood.
  • “Consciousness, ability to reason, self-motivated activity, capacity to communicate, and the presence of self-concepts and self-awareness.”

Kant’s Theory:
Fetus = Person

  • Abortion will not be supported by the means-ends principle except in the case of therapeutic abortion.
  • Fetus is a person and as an end, its right to life cannot be taken away.
  • Therapeutic abortion is justified because it is an act of self-defense.
  • Fetus is threatening the mother’s life.
  • Mother has a right to defend herself.

Abortion:
Utilitarianism

  • Utilitarianism can support or oppose abortion.
  • Morality is determined by what is most favorable for all those involved.
  • Arguments supporting or opposing abortion rely on its effects on society.
  • Personhood of fetus is not an issue.

Utilitarianism:
For Abortion

  • Abortion is better for society.
  • A form of population control.
  • More people means less resources.
  • Correlations between poverty and crime.
  • Children from unwanted pregnancies may not be properly taken care of.

Utilitarianism:
Against Abortion

  • Abortion prevents happiness.
  • Robs people of the joy of parenthood.
  • Happiness and pleasure increase as the population increases.

Abortion:
Ethical Egoism

  • Ethical Egoism can support or oppose abortion.
  • Morality is determined by self interest.
  • Abortion is moral if it is in the self interest of the individual making the choice.
  • Abortion is immoral if it is not in the self interest of the individual making the choice.
  • Personhood of fetus is not an issue.

Moral Positions: Arguments on Abortion

Abortion:
Positions

  • Conservative
  • Pro-life
  • Liberal
  • Pro-choice
  • Moderate

Conservative Position

  • Induced abortion is immoral.
  • Regardless of how conception took place.
  • Rape, incest.
  • Some will ban therapeutic abortion.
  • Fetus is a person from conception.
  • Justification: Argument from Potential
  • Problem: Potential doesn’t mean actual.
  • Example: A child has the potential of becoming a doctor, but we wouldn’t be justified in going to the child for medical diagnosis.
  • Justification: It is unknown when the fetus can acquire the requirements for personhood because of technological and scientific limitations.
  • Problem: Appeal to Ignorance

Liberal Position

  • Abortion is moral.
  • Unless it will result in the death of the mother.
  • Fetus is not a person until birth.
  • Justification: Lack of characteristics necessary for personhood (see slide 11).
  • Problem: Newborn doesn’t have those characteristics either.
  • Implications: It would be morally permissible to kill newborn babies.
  • CAUTION: Stripping away personhood from a human can lead to inhuman treatment.

Moderate Position

  • Abortion can be allowed, but only under certain circumstances.
  • Circumstances
  • Stage in pregnancy.
  • Method of conception

Stages in Pregnancy

  • Abortions are allowed until fetus gains personhood.
  • Fetus becomes a person at quickening.
  • Problem: Quickening depends on a woman’s ability to feel the fetus move, not on the intrinsic properties of the fetus.
  • Example: A fetus doesn’t gain the ability to reason just because the woman feels it move.
  • Fetus becomes a person at viability.
  • Problem: Viability depends on medical and technological advances, not on the intrinsic properties of the fetus.
  • Example: A fetus doesn’t gain consciousness because it is born in a hospital that has access to incubators.

Method of Conception

  • Personhood of fetus not an issues, accountability for one’s actions is.
  • People choosing to engage in sexual behavior should know the consequences of doing so.
  • A potential consequence of having sex is pregnancy.
  • People need to be accountable for their actions.
  • Abortion is allowed only if a person did not choose to engage in sexual behavior or took the necessary measures to prevent pregnancy.
  • Examples: Incest, Rape, and Failure of Contraceptives

Problems with Methods of Conception

  • Incest doesn’t classify as a legitimate exception because a person can willfully decide to engage in sexual acts with a family member
  • Failure of Contraceptives doesn’t classify as a legitimate exception because a person should know that all contraceptive methods have a failure rate.
  • Only legitimate exception would be rape.
  • Caution: Avoid “Blame the Victim” mentality.