Preview

Ethical Paper on Abortion Essay Example

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1825 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Ethical Paper on Abortion Essay Example
Abortion What is abortion? An abortion is a medical or surgical procedure used to terminate a pregnancy. A medical abortion is an abortion that is brought about by taking medications that will end a pregnancy. (1) A Surgical abortion is an abortion which ends a pregnancy by emptying the uterus (or womb) with special instruments. (1) Some of the reasons for a woman to get an abortion may be that they can't afford a/another child, health reason of the child's or her own safety, social reasons such as unwanted child or not ready for having a child, and rape or incest. Abortions performed in the seven to nine weeks of the first trimester are medical abortions. (2) All abortions after nine weeks are surgical abortions. Surgical abortions are performed from week six to 21, and any abortion after 21 weeks is very rare; less than ”2% of abortions are provided at 21 weeks or after, and they are extremely rare after 26 weeks of pregnancy. Very few abortions are provided in the third trimester, and they are generally limited to cases of severe fetal abnormalities or situations when the life or health of the pregnant woman is seriously threatened.” (3) In this essay I will compare the articles of Leonard Peikoff and Kerby Anderson on the topic of abortion. Leonard Peikoff is Pro-Choice, which is in favor of the women's right to chose to have an abortion. Kerby Anderson is Pro-Life, which is opposed to the women's right to chose to have an abortion in favor of the rights of the fetus to live. In Abortion Rights are Pro-Life by Leonard Peikoff, he states throughout his article that an embryo or fetus is not a human and is part of a woman. The mother has the right to decide what she wants to do with her body. Here are a few sections from his article that help describe his viewpoint upon abortion.
"The status of the embryo in the first trimester is the basic issue that cannot be sidestepped. The embryo is clearly pre-human; only the mystical notions of religious dogma
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Pro Life Vs Pro Choice Essay
    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Pro Life Vs Pro Choice Essay

    Pro-Choice). If someone is not affecting someone else’s reproductive system, you should not be able to make them do something to their own reproductive system. You should not try to change someone else’s body unless they gave you permission to, or they are trying to terminate them self. “An embryo/fetus in the mother’s womb is the mother’s property and she has the right to decide what to do with that property” (Hansom, the Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice Debate). If anything the embryo is hers as it was attached and developed on her. The embryo is attached and depends on the mother for survival, without the mother the embryo will…

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Which of the Following Helped Prompt the Great Depression?
    • 1652 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Which of the Following Helped Prompt the Great Depression?

    The topic of abortion is a highly controversial issue in today's society, and various views are held concerning the morality of the procedure. Some people feel that abortion is simply cold-blooded murder, because it is their opinion that a 'foetus' is a human being from the moment of conception. However, others would argue that a foetus is merely insubstantial matter, dependant entirely on its mother's body for survival, with no real life of its own. It is for this reason that pro-abortionists support the woman's choice to undergo abortion. After all, why should something so small and insignificant, which is not yet human, be entitled to the same rights and privileges a real human has"…

    • 1652 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ethics Homework: Abortion And Personhood
    • 365 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Ethics Homework: Abortion And Personhood

    When we are discussing the argument of abortion the idea of personhood is raised. Personhood is the status of being a person; it is the quality or condition of being an individual person. Personhood might be claimed when looking at the…

    • 365 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Abortion " Matters of Life and Death Casts Dispersions on Both Pro-Abortion and Anti-Abortion Debates"
    • 1982 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Abortion " Matters of Life and Death Casts Dispersions on Both Pro-Abortion and Anti-Abortion Debates"

    Jonathan Glover, in his article Matters of Life and Death casts dispersions on both pro-abortion and anti-abortion debates citing them as too knee-jerk emotional reactions diminishing the inherent complexity of the other side (1. Glover, CC2006, p. 0110). Glover comprehensively addresses the key points of both sides of the abortion debate and evaluates their inherent virtues, especially for those who hold these opinions, then methodically points out its flaws. Ultimately, Glover comes to the conclusion that though a fetus is a human at the moment of conception, the right to abort lies with the mother and her own self-determination.…

    • 1982 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Moral Status of the Foetus
    • 911 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Moral Status of the Foetus

    The extreme liberal view states that “the foetus is, in most if not all morally relevant respects, like a piece of tissue or a bit of the human body” (Hursthouse, 1987).…

    • 911 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ethical Issues Regarding Abortion Essay
    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ethical Issues Regarding Abortion Essay

    Those against abortion argue that a fetus is very much alive like us and has the capacity to evolve into a complete human being. So killing a fetus is just like killing a human being, which is completely wrong. In response to this sensitive question, pro-choice people come up with their own logical argument. As per the supporters of abortion, there is no fixed definition of "human being" in the womb. Just because a group of living cells exist in the womb, it is not right to call it a "human being". If killing a fetus is wrong, then amputating a hand or a leg in case of accident must also amount to murder. Further, proponents of abortion believe the embryo in a womb must only be considered to be a human after it has reached a certain stage of development. So generally embryos start showing signs of heartbeat development in at least 21 days of conception. Hence, if killed before, it won't amount to killing a life. This argument is further said to be misleading by anti-abortion groups because according to them, if a cell has life, it will experience pain if killed. It is wrong to cause pain and trauma to a potential…

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Abortion: Should It Be Declared Illegal?
    • 1273 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Abortion: Should It Be Declared Illegal?

    A dilemma is brewing for the society as a whole today in the name of abortion which has become a controversial issue that faces everyone countrywide. Abortion is defined as the forcible removal of a developing baby from the womb of his or her mother, using surgical, involuntary, or chemical means. Nowadays, abortion has been a very popular and debatable topic because of the moral and ethical issue associated with it. The most momentous moment in the history of abortion in America was the Roe vs. Wade case, which allowed the option of abortions legal to women across the nation. Today struggle still remains on the moral ethics behind it and the question is asked, “Is abortion the murder of an unborn child?” and the other question asked today is, “should abortion be declared illegal?” The debate over abortion in the United States historically holds ground both politically and socially. America is split into two sides; pro - choice and pro – life, both sides have their points that they stand on. To sum it up, either a living human is or isn’t being killed, and case between life or liberty is born. The differences make it hard to settle the two sides. Though it looks like both sides will never compromise they do share some similarities. Both sides to the abortion controversy share a common objective, which is to make abortion safer, and the overall number of abortions should reduce. There is much debate whether this is an action of life or death, and the difference is rather large. Our nation is split over the legal and moral status of abortion. The two sides of abortion, are the "pro-choice” and the "pro-life." In simple terms, a pro-choice individual believes that the choice to abort a pregnancy is to be made only by the woman; the state should not interfere. A pro-life advocate believes from the second of conception, the fetus is alive; and has rights thus abortion is the…

    • 1273 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Red Rag Top
    • 571 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Red Rag Top

    What is an abortion? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary it is “A medical procedure used to end a pregnancy and cause the death of the fetus” (Merriam Webster, 2016). Every year, approximately 1.2 million women have an abortion in the United States and nearly 42 million women have an abortion every year worldwide. There are two types of abortions an individual can do, either medical abortion or surgical abortion. Medical abortion relies on medicine and is primarily used on pregnancies up to nine weeks. In contrast, surgical abortion can be done for pregnancies from six weeks, all the way up to sixteen weeks. Surgical abortion greatly varies by states as some states of stricter abortion laws than others. For example, abortions in Texas can be terminated up to twenty weeks, while in Arkansas abortions can be terminated up to six weeks. In the United States 47% of unintended pregnancies leads to abortions, this number can lower if women were actively use birth control, however, there is a number of women who have no control and…

    • 571 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Ethical Issues In Abortion Essay
    • 2008 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Ethical Issues In Abortion Essay

    Kate is a seventeen year old uninsured unmarried girl who is eight weeks pregnant. Kate grew up in an abusive foster home, and she has emancipated herself. She now has no support system. She has evaluated her options, but she has decided that her only logical option is to have an abortion. She considered giving the baby up for adoption, but because of her experience as an adoptee given back to the foster system, she does not want to put her child through an abusive childhood. She also considered keeping the child, but she is a senior in highschool who works thirty hours per week and is on her way to a prestigious university on a full-ride scholarship. At this point in her life, she has a very unstable life. Being pregnant at this moment is…

    • 2008 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Fetus Rights
    • 1322 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Fetus Rights

    In the 1973 case Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court proclaimed the unborn are not legally defined as people. However, the court also allows states to restrict access to abortions where fetuses are viable, this means potentially capable to survive outside the womb on their own. Pro-choice supporters argument that you cannot have two entities with equal rights in one body. As a woman and a pro-choice supporter I believe giving rights to an embryo cancels out the mother 's right to life. Pro-life supporters argument that a fertilized egg if left to grown becomes a full develop baby.…

    • 1322 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Abortion: Pro Life or Pro Choice?
    • 1427 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Abortion: Pro Life or Pro Choice?

    Leonard Peikoff on the other hand, is a supporter of Pro choice, He believes, “The embryo is clearly pre-human; only the mystical notions of religious dogma treat this clump of cells as consulting a person.” (Peikoff, abortion rights are pro life). Although each author is completely against one another in terms of abortion, both take different approaches to conveying their opinions. Leonard Peikoff takes the approach of appealing to logic and the women’s’ ability to make an informed decision whether or not to go through with an abortion. Hey says, “If we are to accept the equation of the potential with the actual and call the embryo an “unborn child,” we could, with logic, call any adult an “undead corpse” and bury him alive or vivisect him for the instruction of medical students.” (Peikoff) He uses logic to force people to think about abortion logically and get them to question what an unborn child or fetus actually is. He almost describes an unborn child as a parasite in that it is part of a woman’s body and that it is not an independently existing, biologically formed organism, let alone a person.…

    • 1427 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Argumentative Essay Abortion
    • 1233 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Argumentative Essay Abortion

    Abortion has been a heavily debated political, ethical, and moral dispute continuing for more than a decade after it was legalized in the United States in January 22, 1973. This decade long debate between “pro-life” activists and “pro-choice” activists usually stem from ones ethical and moral values of whether it is right to surgically or medicinally terminate a fetus and the extremes, like death of the mother, which could occur from the pregnancy. In this debate, I would view myself as a “pro-choice” activist because I firmly believe that abortion should continue to be legal to decrease the number of unintended mothers, broken or single parent families, and family poverty.…

    • 1233 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ethical Controversy Of Abortion
    • 1936 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Ethical Controversy Of Abortion

    Whether it's called a foetus or a baby, a form of life is destroyed which deepens the importance of the issue and its…

    • 1936 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Fetus Embryo Research
    • 1050 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Fetus Embryo Research

    The rights of a fetus/embryo can be controversial which allows for the discussion to expand. Human rights are defined by stating that “[e]veryone’s right to life shall be protected by law” (Goldman, 2015). Now when applying this to a human all is well and everything is socially accepted, individuals know their boundaries and they are respected. Transitioning this to a fetus the situation gets blurred and controversy about how to distinguish whether an embryo/fetus is a human being, is brought up. With whether or not equal rights should be given to a fetus/ embryo on their way to becoming a human being. A fetus is identified beginning the eighth week or second month all the way to birth, this is when bones form, nailbeds, gender, and organs…

    • 1050 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Abortions Should Not Be Tolerated
    • 625 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Abortions Should Not Be Tolerated

    Any reasonable and sound person would be outraged and anxious if someone offered to grant mothers a right to kill their babies immediately after birth. This would be called inhumane and immoral – it would be a crime. However, this is what proponents of abortions actually do by standing for etching of the embryo before birth. They ignore the fact that the baby is already a human being, from the very first days after conceiving. According to W. L. Saunders, “Every human being begins as a single-cell zygote, grows through the embryonic stage, then the fetal stage, is born and develops through infancy, through childhood, and through adulthood, until death. Each human being is genetically the same human being at every stage, despite changes in his or her appearance” (Saunders). In other words, abortion is still infanticide, a killing of a living human being, despite the fact that the child is still in the womb.…

    • 625 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More