Chapter 9, please select ONE of the following primary source readings:
“A Defense of Abortion” by Judith Jarvis Thomson (starting on page 237)
-or-
“On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion” by Mary Anne Warren (starting on page 247)
-or-
“Why Abortion is Immoral” by Don Marquis (starting on page 256)
-or-
“Virtue Theory and Abortion” by Rosalind Hursthouse (starting on page 268)
-or-
“Abortion Through a Feminist Lens” by Susan Sherwin (starting on page 274)
Write a short, objective summary of 250-500 words which summarizes the main ideas being put forward by the author in this selection.
On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion
Summary
In the chapter, “On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion”, Marry Anne Warren raises serious issues regarding abortion. In particular, the author highlights the ideological divide between pro-abortionists and opponents of the practice, detailing the principles underlying every group’s beliefs. On the one hand, pro-abortionists believe that denying a woman abortion rights amounts to denying her control over her body, which is a violation of the fundamental human rights and freedoms (Vaughn 185). Besides, those advancing the abortion cause belief that denial of such rights results in serious side effects, especially when one procures the service through illegal means.
While pro-abortionists insist on granting abortion rights to all women, those opposed to it believe that it violates the fundamental human right to life. Those opposed to the abortion agenda believe that a fetus is a human being. Therefore, life should be preserved. In defending the fetal right to life, opponents of abortion contend that unborn children have similar instincts as adult human beings. For example, they can feel and respond to pain. Also, their brain is quite active, meaning they have similar consciousness as other human beings (Vaughn 192). Based on these characteristics, opponents of abortion believe that granting legal abortion rights would equate to sanctioning murder.
In general, the points raised in this chapter center around the legality or illegality of abortion and the fundamental beliefs held by proponents and opponents of the practice. While pro-abortionists belief that a fetus is not a complete human being, and therefore does not have the right to life, those opposed to the practice cite the fetal ability to feel pain and portray other human aspects such as consciousness to demonstrate that that unborn children are complete human beings, and therefore have a right to life.
Work Cited
Vaughn, Lewis. Doing Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues. Vancouver, B.C: Langara College, 2010. Sound recording.