Philosophy- Ethical Reasoning

For today's class, choose a case from the list below. Use that case to prepare a presentation, following the format at the end of the list.

On your final two slides, construct an argument for EACH  side of the question raised by the case (one for, one against) using an  ethical theory or principle as the main reason for or against the  morality of having an abortion in the case. Try to use ideas from the  four articles that you have read to strengthen your argument(s).

So: two valid, defensible arguments, one on each slide.

Then, in a sentence or two for EACH premise (one and two) in EACH argument, suggest how one might defend that premise.

To choose your case: Below is s set of difficult instances of  abortion, taken from the BBC website  http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/philosophical/difficultcases.shtml  (downloaded 2/14/2016):

Cases where there is a serious medical problem

• the pregnancy endangers the life or health of the mother (Links to an external site.) 
• there are too many foetuses (Links to an external site.) in the womb for them all to survive
• the foetus is so defective (Links to an external site.) that it will die later in the pregnancy
• the foetus is so defective (Links to an external site.) that it will not live after the birth

Cases where the child will not be 'normal'

• the child will suffer from some mental or physical abnormality (Links to an external site.) that the parents (correctly?) think will very seriously damage its quality of life

Cases where the pregnancy is entirely unintentional

• pregnancy caused by rape
• pregnancy caused by failure of contraception where the potential parents are not to blame
• pregnancy caused by a badly done vasectomy
• pregnancy caused by the parties not knowing that sexual intercourse causes pregnancy 
  • such cases would include persons who are not mentally capable of understanding this

Cases where the pregnancy is unintentional but where a risk was taken

• pregnancy caused by failure of contraception within the known risk of that contraceptive method
• pregnancy caused by carelessness in the use of contraception
• pregnancy caused by failure to use contraception

Cases where the pregnancy has lifestyle consequences

• having a child would prevent the mother achieving some life objective
• the mother is incapable of looking after a child
• the mother is incapable of looking after another child
• another child would lower the family's standard of living
• there is not enough food to support the child
• having another child would result in criminal proceedings against the parent
• the child is not of the preferred sex
• coping with the child's disability would damage the family's lifestyle
• coping with the child's disability would disadvantage existing family children

Choose ONE of these cases, and write a short case (either from your  experience, from the news, or a fictionalized case) based on that one  instance. Then prepare a presentation based on that case, following the  usual format:

Summarize the case or caselet.

What is the ethical issue(s) in this case?

What are some possible solutions to the case?

What reasons support those solutions?

What do you think should be done, and why?

What are some questions for class discussion?

For your final two slides, follow the directions above (two  arguments, one for each side of the case). Show how an ethical theory  (or two) that we have studied or read about might help you with this  case.

Please turn this Powerppoint presentation in to Moodle.