Critical Thinking (philosophy!)

Conflicting Viewpoint Essay

21st April 2015

Part I - Prewriting: 

SOLUTION:

Step 1:

From the www.procon.org, I select abortion. Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy.

Proponents, identifying themselves as pro-choice, contend that choosing abortion is a woman's right that should not be limited by governmental or religious authority, and which outweighs any right claimed for an embryo or fetus. They say that pregnant women will resort to unsafe illegal abortions if there is no legal option.

Opponents, identifying themselves as pro-life, contend that personhood begins at conception, and therefore abortion is the immoral killing of an innocent human being. They say abortion inflicts suffering on the unborn child, and that it is unfair to allow abortion when couples who cannot biologically conceive are waiting to adopt.

Personally, I don't support abortion. Abortion is murder and hence illegal both in a country's law and religiously

Step 2:

1. The US Supreme Court has declared abortion to be a "fundamental right" guaranteed by the US Constitution.

The landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, decided on Jan. 22, 1973 in favor of abortion rights, remains the law of the land. The 7-2 decision stated that the Constitution gives "a guarantee of certain areas or zones of privacy," and that "This right of privacy... is broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy."

2. Reproductive choice empowers women by giving them control over their own bodies.

The choice over when and whether to have children is central to a woman's independence and ability to determine her future. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in the 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, "The ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives." Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in her dissenting opinion in Gonzales v. Carhart (2007) that undue restrictions on abortion infringe upon "a woman's autonomy to determine her life's course, and thus to enjoy equal citizenship stature." CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, JD, stated that Roe v. Wade was "a landmark of what is, in the truest sense, women’s liberation."

3. Personhood begins after a fetus becomes "viable" (able to survive outside the womb) or after birth, not at conception. Embryos and fetuses are not independent, self-determining beings, and abortion is the termination of a pregnancy, not a baby. A person's age is calculated from birth date, not conception, and fetuses are not counted in the US Census. The majority opinion in Roe v. Wade states that "the word 'person,' as used in the Fourteenth Amendment [of the US Constitution], does not include the unborn."

Step 3:

Pro Number 1:

What's interesting or helpful about this view?

What interests me is that abortion is a right yet murder is illegal in the same constitution.

If one believes this law, the law is based on a case of 1973 which is not neccessary the situation in all murder cases.

In what sense or under what conditions might this idea be true?"

The right of privacy in a broad way encompasses a woman's decision to abort or not. This makes the argument true that abortion is a fundamental right since right to privacy is also a right.

Pro Number 2:

While abortion enhances freedom of a woman over her body it is interesting to note that it undermines life of a foetus. If one believed this view you would notice that upholding the well being on one individual and undermining the other is zero work.

Finally, this pro upholds well being of the living and fails to subject them to them to suffering due to unwanted pregnancy.

Pro Number 3:

Personhood begins after a fetus becomes "viable" (able to survive outside the womb) or after birth, not at conception. It is interesting to note that this argument assumes the idea that during the 9 month period of pregnancy, the foetus is living and developing. This idea is like ignoring stage 1 of a process and arguing that the process starts at stage 2.

It is notable that this idea is only viable when arguing about the feeling of loss of the relatives or maybe the emotional torture of the victim.

To some degree, one would agree to viability of the above idea in that a person is visible hence a foetus aint a person.

CONCLUSION

The abortion case is a tight argument on both ends but my persomal stand is that abortion is illegal and adults should be careful to avoid being in such a circumstance.