Why abortion is morally wrong
No matter how you slice it, abortion is morally wrong. Although that should not be misinterpreted for a pro-life stance on abortion because there are numerous circumstances that must be considered in each situation. Just because abortion is morally impermissible, it does not mean that society will deem you a bad person for getting an abortion under extreme circumstances. For that reason, abortion is a specifically tricky topic to discuss. There is no clear-cut answer as to whether or not abortion should be allowed and because of that the government should not downright illegalize abortion. Following Don Marquis’ ideology, I agree that abortion is morally wrong because it deprives a being of a valuable future. In order to create a strong argument I will also be addressing the views of philosopher Judith Thomson.
In Don Marquis’ article Why Abortion is Immoral, he makes the argument that abortion is on the same plane of immorality as killing an adult human. Marquis reasons this by explaining what is wrong with killing is that you are depriving someone of a future. He goes on to explain that you deprive them of a future of experiences, achievements, relationships, etc. Importantly, he notes that this does not only apply to humans but rather to all species, or anything with a future of value for that matter. Furthermore, Marquis says that having a valuable future is not a necessary condition for killing to be immoral, but it is a sufficient reason, and that having a valuable future is not the only reason that killing a being could be wrong. Essentially, Marquis offers one explanation as to why killing could be immoral while clarifying that it could be one of many reasons for killing to be immoral.
Marquis then connects this idea with abortion by saying that aborting a fetus is depriving a being of a valuable future. Regardless of what pro-choice or pro-life views somebody might have, the bottom line is that the fetus has the potential for a valuable future and
In Don Marquis’ article Why Abortion is Immoral, he makes the argument that abortion is on the same plane of immorality as killing an adult human. Marquis reasons this by explaining what is wrong with killing is that you are depriving someone of a future. He goes on to explain that you deprive them of a future of experiences, achievements, relationships, etc. Importantly, he notes that this does not only apply to humans but rather to all species, or anything with a future of value for that matter. Furthermore, Marquis says that having a valuable future is not a necessary condition for killing to be immoral, but it is a sufficient reason, and that having a valuable future is not the only reason that killing a being could be wrong. Essentially, Marquis offers one explanation as to why killing could be immoral while clarifying that it could be one of many reasons for killing to be immoral.
Marquis then connects this idea with abortion by saying that aborting a fetus is depriving a being of a valuable future. Regardless of what pro-choice or pro-life views somebody might have, the bottom line is that the fetus has the potential for a valuable future and
References: Marquis, Don. “Why Abortion Is Immoral.” N.p., 1989. Web. 08 May 2014. <https://myelms.umd.edu/courses/1056989/files/32707184?module_item_id=7195906>. Warren, Mary Anne. “On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion.” N.p., 1973. Web. 08 May 2014. <https://myelms.umd.edu/courses/1056989/files/31386874?module_item_id=7083927>.