Ethics: Theory and Practice Jacques P. Thiroux Keith W. Krasemann

Chapter Eleven Abortion

Introduction to the Abortion Issue Definition of terms: Abortion is the premature termination of a pregnancy A spontaneous abortion is a miscarriage An induced abortion is caused by the woman herself or by another, usually a doctor Zygote is a cell or group of cells that results from the union of the sperm and egg cells

Introduction to the Abortion Issue Definition of terms: Embryo is a term to describe the conceptus between the second and eighth weeks of gestation Fetus is the term used to describe the conceptus from the eighth week onward until birth Child is the term normally used after the conceptus is born

Introduction to the Abortion Issue Definition of terms: Conceptus is a neutral term that means “that which has been conceived” Viability is the period of pregnancy somewhere between the 26th and 28th weeks when the conceptus is considered able to survive outside the mother’s womb

Introduction to the Abortion Issue Definition of terms: Amniocentesis is the procedure that can be performed after the 16th week to reveal information like gender and possible deformities Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) is another tool that can be used to diagnose genetic defects in the fetus as early as the ninth week of pregnancy

The Abortion Problem Two basic principles come into conflict in relation to abortion: the Value of Life Principle and the Principle of Individual Freedom When does human life begin, and at what point is it to be valued and protected? Abortion involves two conflicting absolutes: A conceptus has an absolute right to life A woman has absolute rights over her body/ life

The Legal Status of Abortion in the United States Abortion has gone through various stages of acceptance and rejection in American history In 1973, the Supreme Court essentially made abortion legal in the first two trimesters of a woman’s pregnancy but allowed states to forbid abortion in the third trimester except in the case of a serious threat to the life of the mother

The Legal Status of Abortion in the United States In July 1989, in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, the Court allowed states to put some restrictions on abortions when federal and state funds were used and did away with the trimester system In July 1992, in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the Court allowed further restrictions while at the same time upholding a woman’s right to choice

When Does Human Life Begin? Life is present from conception, and from this point on it develops Key stages: All human life starts from an egg the size of a period at the end of a sentence By the third week the embryo is developing various parts By the end of the fourth week, its heart begins to beat

When Does Human Life Begin? Key stages cont’d: By the fifth week, divisions of the brain occur, and developing eyes and limb buds appear By the sixth week, it is about half an inch long, its eyes are still on the sides of the head, and it is developing slits where its mouth and nose will be

When Does Human Life Begin? Key stages cont’d: By the seventh week, sexual characteristics can be discerned, and the face is mammalian but somewhat pig-like By the end of the eighth week, the face resembles a primate’s, there is some lower brain anatomy, and the fetus has reflex reactions

When Does Human Life Begin? Key stages cont’d: By the fifth month, the mother can feel the fetus move; lungs begin to develop during the sixth month, and human brain activity begins at about the seventh month Brain waves with regular patterns typical of adult humans begin only at about the thirtieth week of pregnancy

Arguments Against Abortion Believes in the genetic view of the beginning of human life – that human life begins at conception The sanctity of human life: The right to life is absolute, especially the right of innocent, unborn life Every unborn “child” must be regarded as a human person with all the rights of a person from the moment of conception on

Arguments Against Abortion The Domino argument One proof of its validity cited by pro-life groups is that Hitler started his history of atrocities by legalizing abortion Abortion is both medically and psychologically harmful to women The danger of pregnancy to a mother’s life is almost nonexistent because of medical and technological advances

Arguments Against Abortion There are viable alternatives to abortion Adoption, child welfare agencies Economics cannot be a consideration when human life is concerned Women must accept full responsibility for their sexual activities Innocent life cannot be sacrificed because of carelessness or indiscretion

Arguments Against Abortion Rape or incest usually do not present problems because contraceptives often can be used in time When they can’t, however, even such means of conception do not justify the taking of innocent lives

Arguments for Abortion Women have absolute rights over their bodies, and the conceptus is part of a woman’s body until birth A conceptus cannot be considered a human life until birth

Arguments for Abortion Unwanted/deformed children should not be brought into the world Abortion is more responsible than burdening society

Arguments for Abortion Abortion is a no-risk medical procedure Medical and psychological problems are much greater for women who go through pregnancies than for those who have abortions The Domino argument used by pro-life groups is not supported by hard evidence Hitler’s overall motives for permitting abortions were not at all the same as the motives of today’s women

Arguments for Abortion Pregnancies resulting from rape and incest should never have to be gone through by any women, because of the horror of the circumstances of the conception

Arguments for Abortion Women do have responsibilities for their sexual activities, and having abortions when necessary is a part of these responsibilities Abortion is and must be totally a matter of the woman’s choice – no one else should be able to interfere

The More Moderate Positions on Abortion The strong pro-life and pro-choice positions present an unresolvable conflict of absolutes There is no absolute right to life, even though the Value of Life principle is important There is also no absolute right over one’s body and life, even though it is a strong right

The More Moderate Positions on Abortion The problem of when life begins may be considered through a synthesis The pro-life position draws the line (for when life begins) too early The moderate favors the developmental view of when life beings, which states that life does indeed begin at conception but gains value as it develops through the gestation period