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Essay on Abortion

Here we have shared the Essay on Abortion in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 300, 500, or 1000 words.

You can use this Essay on Abortion in any assignment or project whether you are in school (class 10th or 12th), college, or preparing for answer writing in competitive exams.

Topics covered in this article.

Essay on Abortion in 150-200 words

Essay on abortion in 250-300 words, essay on abortion in 500-1000 words.

Abortion is a highly contentious and morally complex issue that involves the termination of a pregnancy. It sparks intense debate and raises questions about ethics, women’s rights, and the value of human life.

Proponents argue that women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies, including whether or not to continue a pregnancy. They highlight the importance of reproductive autonomy, the preservation of women’s health and well-being, and the prevention of unwanted pregnancies.

On the other hand, opponents argue that abortion is the taking of an innocent human life and therefore a violation of the right to life. They emphasize the moral and religious implications of terminating a pregnancy, advocating for the protection of the unborn.

The discussion surrounding abortion involves complex considerations such as the stage of pregnancy, the circumstances of the pregnancy, and the rights of both the woman and the potential child. It is an issue that calls for thoughtful reflection, open dialogue, and respect for diverse perspectives as we strive to find common ground and ensure the well-being of all individuals involved.

Title : Abortion – The Complex Issue of Reproductive Rights

Introduction :

Abortion is a highly debated and emotionally charged topic that revolves around the termination of a pregnancy. It raises profound ethical, moral, and legal questions regarding women’s rights, the sanctity of life, and societal values. This essay aims to provide a brief overview of the arguments surrounding abortion, recognizing the complexity and sensitivity of the issue.

The discussion surrounding abortion revolves around two main perspectives. Proponents of abortion rights argue that women should have the autonomy to make decisions about their own bodies, including whether or not to continue a pregnancy. They emphasize the importance of reproductive choice, women’s health, and the prevention of unwanted or risky pregnancies. They contend that restricting access to safe and legal abortion puts women’s lives and well-being at risk.

On the other hand, opponents of abortion believe in the sanctity of life and argue that the unborn fetus has a right to live. They view abortion as the taking of innocent human life, and they advocate for the protection of that life. For them, the moral and religious implications of abortion outweigh individual choice and women’s rights.

It is crucial to recognize that the abortion debate encompasses various complexities, including considerations of fetal development, the stage of pregnancy, and the circumstances surrounding each case. Factors such as a woman’s health, her personal circumstances, and the potential for fetal abnormalities often come into play when evaluating the ethical implications of abortion.

Conclusion :

The issue of abortion is deeply divisive and emotionally charged, with passionate arguments on both sides. It reflects the clash of fundamental values and beliefs surrounding women’s rights and the sanctity of life. Achieving a resolution on this complex issue requires open and respectful dialogue, taking into account the diverse perspectives and individual circumstances involved. While no consensus may be easily reached, it is crucial to foster an environment where empathy, understanding, and compassion guide the conversation around abortion.

Title: Abortion – The Ethical Dilemma and Reproductive Rights

Abortion is a controversial and emotionally charged topic that elicits strong opinions and debates worldwide. It involves the deliberate termination of a pregnancy, raising complex ethical, moral, and legal questions. This essay aims to provide an in-depth exploration of the arguments surrounding abortion, examining its ethical implications, the rights of women, the value of human life, and the societal impact.

I. Background and Definition:

Abortion refers to the intentional termination of a pregnancy, either through medical procedures or the use of medication. The legality, availability, and cultural acceptance of abortion vary across countries and regions. The reasons for seeking an abortion can range from health concerns, fetal abnormalities, unwanted pregnancies, financial limitations, or personal circumstances.

II. The Ethical Perspective

A. pro-choice argument, b. pro-life argument.

Proponents of abortion rights argue that women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies, including whether or not to continue a pregnancy. They emphasize a woman’s autonomy, bodily integrity, and reproductive choice. The pro-choice movement emphasizes the importance of safe and legal abortion to protect women’s health and well-being. They believe that restricting access to abortion jeopardizes women’s lives and infringes upon their fundamental rights.

Opponents of abortion, often associated with the pro-life movement, argue that the fetus possesses a right to life that should be protected. They consider abortion as the taking of an innocent human life and view it as morally and religiously wrong. They contend that society has an obligation to protect and value all human life, including the unborn.

III. Fetal Development and Moral Considerations

The question of when personhood begins and the moral status of the fetus is a central point of contention. Some argue that personhood and the associated rights begin at conception, while others contend that it begins at birth or at various stages of fetal development. Different ethical frameworks, such as consequentialism, deontology, and rights-based theories, offer distinct perspectives on the moral status of the fetus and the justifiability of abortion.

IV. Women’s Rights and Reproductive Autonomy

The recognition of women’s rights and reproductive autonomy is a fundamental aspect of the abortion debate. Advocates for women’s rights argue that reproductive decisions should be made by the individual, in consultation with healthcare professionals, without interference from the state or other external forces. They emphasize the importance of bodily autonomy, privacy, and the right to control one’s reproductive destiny.

V. Societal Impact and Access to Safe Abortion

The availability and accessibility of safe abortion services have significant implications for public health and social well-being. Restrictive abortion laws or limited access to safe procedures often lead to unsafe and clandestine abortions, posing serious health risks to women. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that unsafe abortions account for a significant portion of maternal deaths worldwide. Ensuring access to safe and legal abortion is essential for the protection of women’s health and the reduction of maternal mortality.

VI. Abortion Debate and Policy

The abortion debate has influenced the formulation of laws and policies worldwide. Countries have adopted a range of approaches, from highly permissive to highly restrictive abortion laws. Some nations allow abortion on request, while others permit it only under specific circumstances, such as to protect the woman’s health or in cases of rape or fetal abnormalities. The varying legal frameworks reflect complex considerations and differing cultural, religious, and societal values.

The topic of abortion evokes strong emotions and reflects deeply held beliefs and values. It raises complex ethical, moral, and legal questions regarding women’s rights, the value of human life, and societal responsibility. Achieving a consensus on this contentious issue is challenging, but it is crucial to engage in respectful and informed discussions

Persuasive Essay Guide

Persuasive Essay About Abortion

Crafting a Convincing Persuasive Essay About Abortion

How To Write a Persuasive Essay About Abortion?

Abortion is a controversial topic, with people having differing points of view and opinions on the matter. There are those who oppose abortion, while some people endorse pro-choice arguments.

It is also an emotionally charged subject, so you need to be extra careful when crafting your persuasive essay .

Before you start writing your persuasive essay, you need to understand the following steps.

Step 1: Choose Your Position

The first step to writing a persuasive essay on abortion is to decide your position. Do you support the practice or are you against it? You need to make sure that you have a clear opinion before you begin writing.

Once you have decided, research and find evidence that supports your position. This will help strengthen your argument.

Check out the video below to get more insights into this topic:

Step 2: Choose Your Audience

The next step is to decide who your audience will be. Will you write for pro-life or pro-choice individuals? Or both?

Knowing who you are writing for will guide your writing and help you include the most relevant facts and information.

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Step 3: Define Your Argument

Now that you have chosen your position and audience, it is time to craft your argument.

Start by defining what you believe and why, making sure to use evidence to support your claims. You also need to consider the opposing arguments and come up with counter arguments. This helps make your essay more balanced and convincing.

Step 4: Format Your Essay

Once you have the argument ready, it is time to craft your persuasive essay. Follow a standard format for the essay, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Make sure that each paragraph is organized and flows smoothly. Use clear and concise language, getting straight to the point.

Step 5: Proofread and Edit

The last step in writing your persuasive essay is to make sure that you proofread and edit it carefully. Look for spelling, grammar, punctuation, or factual errors and correct them. This will help make your essay more professional and convincing.

These are the steps you need to follow when writing a persuasive essay on abortion. It is a good idea to read some examples before you start so you can know how they should be written.

Continue reading to find helpful examples.

Persuasive Essay About Abortion Examples

To help you get started, here are some example persuasive essays on abortion that may be useful for your own paper.

Short Persuasive Essay About Abortion

Persuasive Essay About No To Abortion

What Is Abortion? - Essay Example

Persuasive Speech on Abortion

Legal Abortion Persuasive Essay

Persuasive Essay About Abortion in the Philippines

Persuasive Essay about legalizing abortion

You can also read m ore persuasive essay examples to imp rove your persuasive skills.

Examples of Argumentative Essay About Abortion

An argumentative essay is a type of essay that presents both sides of an argument. These essays rely heavily on logic and evidence.

Here are some examples of argumentative essay with introduction, body and conclusion that you can use as a reference in writing your own argumentative essay.

Abortion Persuasive Essay Introduction

Argumentative Essay About Abortion Conclusion

Argumentative Essay About Abortion Pdf

Argumentative Essay About Abortion in the Philippines

Argumentative Essay About Abortion - Introduction

Abortion Persuasive Essay Topics

If you are looking for some topics to write your persuasive essay on abortion, here are some examples:

Should abortion be legal in the United States?
Is it ethical to perform abortions, considering its pros and cons?
What should be done to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies that lead to abortions?
Is there a connection between abortion and psychological trauma?
What are the ethical implications of abortion on demand?
How has the debate over abortion changed over time?
Should there be legal restrictions on late-term abortions?
Does gender play a role in how people view abortion rights?
Is it possible to reduce poverty and unwanted pregnancies through better sex education?
How is the anti-abortion point of view affected by religious beliefs and values?

These are just some of the potential topics that you can use for your persuasive essay on abortion. Think carefully about the topic you want to write about and make sure it is something that interests you.

Check out m ore persuasive essay topics that will help you explore other things that you can write about!

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Facts About Abortion You Need to Know

Here are some facts about abortion that will help you formulate better arguments.

According to the Guttmacher Institute , 1 in 4 pregnancies end in abortion.
The majority of abortions are performed in the first trimester.
Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures, with less than a 0.5% risk of major complications.
In the United States, 14 states have laws that restrict or ban most forms of abortion after 20 weeks gestation.
Seven out of 198 nations allow elective abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
In places where abortion is illegal, more women die during childbirth and due to complications resulting from pregnancy.
A majority of pregnant women who opt for abortions do so for financial and social reasons.
According to estimates, 56 million abortions occur annually.

In conclusion, these are some of the examples, steps, and topics that you can use to write a persuasive essay. Make sure to do your research thoroughly and back up your arguments with evidence. This will make your essay more professional and convincing.

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MyPerfectWords.com is a persuasive essay writing service that provides help to students in the form of professionally written essays. Our persuasive essay writer can craft quality persuasive essays on any topic, including abortion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should i talk about in an essay about abortion.

When writing an essay about abortion, it is important to cover all the aspects of the subject. This includes discussing both sides of the argument, providing facts and evidence to support your claims, and exploring potential solutions.

What is a good argument for abortion?

A good argument for abortion could be that it is a woman’s choice to choose whether or not to have an abortion. It is also important to consider the potential risks of carrying a pregnancy to term.

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Keep reading

Abortion Essay Example

05 January, 2020

11 minutes read

Author: Elizabeth Brown

Composing essays is a must during your college studies. Sometimes, you might get a topic that you aren’t fully aware of. Or, you can fail to grasp the idea of what a particular essay topic requires you to reveal in your essay. An abortion essay, for example, has become one of the very on-going issues these days. Professors believe that elaborating an essay on such a topic can help a student learn how to develop appropriate arguments and ideas, even in the most sensitive essays. If you experience any difficulty with the abortion essay writing, you just need to take a few points into account. Regardless of your title, which can be either why abortion should be supported or why abortion should be illegal essay, you can master your writing just by acknowledging several essential facts about it.

Abortion Essay: Definitions, Goals & Topics

An abortion argumentative essay reveals the arguments for or against pregnancy termination. The main peculiarity of such an essay is that one can write it from different points of view. While one may strongly feel like composing an abortion arguments essay and advancing their positioning in terms of healthcare and research, others may think of this essay in terms of psychology and sociology. Regardless of the stance, it is necessary to carry out some preliminary research and make sure you operate on both your arguments and data accurately.

essay sample about abortion with introduction, body and conclusion

Abortion essays require the essay writer to stay tolerant and open-minded. The topic, the selection of arguments, vocabulary – all of these indicators should not offend people who are sensitive to the outlined topic.

All in all, the ultimate goal of an argumentative essay on abortion is to present the topic and provide arguments for and against it. It is likewise essential to give an insight into the subject, reveal its current state, and include most recent findings.

Abortion Essay Titles

When composing a title for an abortion essay, the first critical thing to keep in mind is transparency. The title should not create confusion or offend the reader. To select a title you would like to develop in your essay, decide whether you know why abortion is wrong essay, or if you favor supporting the topic. Here are some of the topics that will be easy to elaborate on in your essay about abortion:

Reasons why women in underdeveloped countries are inclined to abortions
Potential health hazard as a consequence of abortion
How different countries approach abortions
The reasons why calling abortion murder is inappropriate
Depriving a woman of the right to make an abortion is equal to depriving a woman of her freedom

Abortion Essay Structure

As you have already learned, a classical essay comprises three parts: an introduction, several body paragraphs (3-5), and concluding remarks. The abortion essay isn’t an exception. But a structure of an abortion essay should be very specific as it contains several fundamental points that differ from other essay types.

Introduction

First, you need to define abortion as soon as you start writing an abortion essay. Even though almost everyone in the world knows what abortion is, it is essential to state its interpretation. Later, you can mention recent findings or events that fairly make an abortion a topic of heated debate. At the end of an introduction, your primary task is to demonstrate your attitude to the topic. Namely, you need to write a short thesis statement that will mention your opinion. For instance, a thesis statement can be: “Should society decide for women what to do with their lives and bodies?”.

If you decide to support abortion in the essay, you may write the body part in the following way: 2-3 paragraphs supporting abortion + one counter-argument against abortion. Remember to provide arguments and support them, not just admit that abortion is good or bad.

Conclusion

When writing a conclusion, briefly summarize everything you mentioned in the text. You should come back to the thesis you mentioned in the introduction while writing it. Don’t forget to mention your own vision and attitude to a problem.

Best Tips For Writing Abortion Essay

Research comes first.

First of all, explore what is already said and written on the topic of abortions. Namely, don’t just read what people say and don’t make conclusions based on what image abortion has in the media. Instead, you may refer to recent research, speeches, and scientific papers by people whose findings are objective and not based on their subjective, emotional perception. Afterward, try to figure out what your attitude on the topic of abortions is. Are you an opponent of the topic, or would you rather support it?

Pay attention to introduction

An introduction is the most fundamental part of the whole paper. If writing an introduction seems to be too complicated, just refer to scientific papers. Find an attention-grabbing statement and feel free to use it in your paper. If possible, try to paraphrase it.

Think of the implications

Suppose you decided to write an essay as an opponent of abortions. Think of some possible implications that termination of pregnancy may have. Also, consider the hazard of continuing an unwanted pregnancy. Doing so is essential if you want to strengthen your arguments.

Be flexible

Since such a topic might be extremely sensitive, it is vital not to be critical. It isn’t a good idea to get emotional or, what is worse, judgemental in your paper. Demonstrate that even though you support a particular argument, you don’t exclude that the opposite argument may also hold true.

Abortion Essay Examples

Abortion implies a termination of pregnancy by removing the embryo from a woman’s uterus prior to its birth. Uncountable controversies and criticism have increasingly surrounded the topic of abortion. Even though most developed countries officially carry out a lot of abortions annually, this medical procedure is actively discussed in many countries. Today, a lot of people believe that pregnancies are terminated by women who are either underaged, poor, or promiscuous. A woman who terminates her pregnancy can also be mature, having kids already, married, happy, and wealthy. Women make this step due to multiple reasons. Should society take control over a female body and decide her and her kid’s fate, and does the prohibition of abortion indeed decrease the abortion rate?

Official prohibition of abortions isn’t likely to reduce the abortion rate. For example, gambling and prostitution have long ago been prohibited in many countries in the world. However, this doesn’t mean that the people don’t gamble and that particular women don’t make their living by engaging in prostitution. The same concerns abortions. Once abortions are prohibited on a state level, women will be left with nothing but a decision to find a person who will carry out an abortion illegally. Or, what is worse, women might induce a miscarriage on their own if they can’t find a specialist. While a medical abortion procedure is a safe way to terminate pregnancy, the latter is not. The risk of terminating pregnancy elsewhere or even at home might be incompatible with life. A lot of women die because of an unsuccessful pregnancy termination, which is way worse than a safe abortion in a medical institution.

A lot of infants in the US die during the first years, months, if not days of their life. This happens as a result of an inborn pathology. Pathology is usually diagnosed during pregnancy screenings. Since such screenings are performed at an early pregnancy phase, a woman can terminate pregnancy once such pathology is identified. The fact of the matter is that many pathologies are incompatible with life too. For each mother, watching her kid dying and knowing that she cannot help, even if she had all the money in the world, is devastating. And that’s even worse for a suffering child. This leads to the conclusion that terminating a pregnancy is the most humane decision in such a situation.

Prohibiting abortions often equals to forcing a woman to give birth to a child she does not want. The reasons for such an unwillingness are uncountable. First, a woman might not be mature enough, she might have kids already and no money to afford this child. Besides, her pregnancy might be a mistake not because of her fault. Indeed, 2 in 1000 women in the US are raped annually. Why should a woman be judged by her decision to terminate pregnancy which is a result of a sexual assault? Even in cases when no sexual assault took place, it is still irrelevant to shame a woman and criticize her for knowing what will be better for her. It is better to terminate a pregnancy than to give life to a child who will never be loved and secure and be an unsuitable fit for a woman at the same time.

Terminating pregnancy, on the other hand, is not just depriving an unborn child of a right to live a life he or she deserves. Regardless of the woman’s motives, she imposes risks on her health. First of all, an abortion undermines a woman’s emotional and mental health. Additionally, it might set risks for her physical health. Indeed, she might reduce her chances of getting pregnant again or increase further pregnancy complications. Besides, 7 in every 100 women face a risk of having parts of a fetus remaining in her womb.

Overall, abortion is solely a woman’s issue. It should not have anything to do with politics, religion, and disgrace. Bringing a child to the world is the responsibility of a woman who has enough grounds for making an appropriate decision. Although terminating a pregnancy might bring severe health risks, it erases the problems that might be even more severe, such as watching a child suffer and not being able to give them a childhood they deserve.

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The Argument Against Abortion in 250 Words

More by justin.

Scott Klusendorf, president of Life Training Institute , author of The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture and coauthor of Stand for Life: Answering the Call, Making the Case, Saving Lives , writes:

By all means, preach a biblical view of human value. But students in local churches also need to know how to make an essential pro-life argument and convey it to non-Christians. The basic shape of that argument looks like this:

Premise #1: It is wrong to intentionally kill innocent human beings.

Premise #2: Abortion intentionally kills innocent human beings.

Conclusion: Therefore, abortion is morally wrong.

Pro-life advocates defend that argument with science and philosophy.

We argue from science that the unborn are distinct, living, and whole human beings. You didn’t come from an embryo; you once were an embryo.

We argue from philosophy that there is no relevant difference between you the embryo and you the adult that justifies killing you at that earlier stage of development. Differences of size, level of development, environment, and degree of dependency are not good reasons for saying you could be killed then but not now.

Instead of arguing at a fever pitch, Christian students can be taught to ask thoughtful questions aimed at giving people something to think about. Two of my favorites are,

“Do you believe that each and every human being has an equal right to life, or do only some have it based on something none of us share equally?”

“If it’s wrong to hurt people because of skin color or gender, why is it okay to hurt them because they are smaller, less developed, or in a different location?”

The goal of asking is not dominance but thoughtful engagement.

You can read the whole thing here.

Justin Taylor is executive vice president for book publishing and publisher for books at Crossway. He blogs at Between Two Worlds and Evangelical History . You can follow him on Twitter .

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Abortion Argumentative Essay Topics: 30+ Ideas to Get Started

by Antony W

September 25, 2023

Has your teacher asked you to write an abortion argumentative essay? The first step is to choose your topics and single out an idea to focus your assignment on.

The thing is:

Abortion is one of the most sensitive and equally controversial topics to argue about .

How do you convince an audience that it’s okay to take a life because prohibiting them to do so violates women’s fundamental human rights? Can you stand on a quorum and criticize abortion rights based on the principle of health and morality?

The right approach is to have an open and approach the issue holistically than subjectively. That way, you can choose the right topic to focus your essay, and write an A-level paper that earns you credibility even if the reviewer doesn’t agree with your stance on the topic.

In this post, we give you 30+ topic ideas that you can start working on right away.

Key Takeaways

Abortion is a sensitive issue, but you can still write a comprehensive argumentative essay on the same regardless of the position you naturally hold on the issue.
You should choose a topic that interests you, or one that you’ve always wanted to explore.
The topic you choose should have sufficient material for research and allow you to demonstrate why your stance on the issue is more reasonable.

30+ Abortion Argumentative Essay Topics

The following is a list of 30+ abortion argumentative essay topics based on different areas of categorization:

Ethics and Philosophy

Is abortion ethically justifiable?
Should individuals have the right to choose abortion or should the law prohibit it?
Should we use abortion as a means of population control?
Should the government have the power to regulate abortion or should individuals have complete autonomy over the decision?
Should the right to abortion be as a fundamental human right or should individual countries to decide their own policies?

Policy and Law

Should abortion laws be more or less restrictive in the United States?
Should legal restrictions on abortion be increased or decreased in various countries?
Should the government have a say in regulating abortion or should it be solely up to individuals?
Should women have unrestricted access to abortion as part of their reproductive rights?
We cannot view abortion as a form of contraception but a separate issue entirely.

Health and Medicine

Does abortion have a negative impact on mental health?
Abortions have impact on men and they should therefore have a say in the decision.
Should medical professionals play a role in performing abortions?
Should mental health advocacy be part of the broader abortion debate?
Does access to safe and legal abortion reduce maternal mortality rates, and if so, to what extent?

Social and Cultural Impact

What impact does abortion have on families and communities, and is it positive or negative?
Does abortion have a significant emotional and psychological impact on women?
Is abortion a feminist issue, and if so, how should this influence policy decisions?
Does abortion have an impact on race and ethnicity, and if so, how should this influence policy decisions?
Abortion has a negative impact on female and male education.

International and Global Issues

Should abortion be more or less accessible in different parts of the world?
What impact does abortion have on the environment, and should this be a consideration in policy decisions?
What is the economic impact of abortion, and is it positive or negative?
Should we consider assisted reproduction as an alternative to abortion, and how does these impact reproductive rights?
We should view abortion as a research issue and implement relevant ethical considerations.

Special Cases and Circumstances

Should we allow abortion in cases of rape and incest or should we have it prohibited all the time?
Should we advocate for abortion in cases where the fetus has a fatal genetic or developmental abnormality?
Abortion should be legal in cases where the health of the mother is at risk.
Should parental consent be required for minors seeking abortion, or should they have autonomy over the decision?
Should it be okay to do an abortion for non-medical reasons after a certain point in the pregnancy?
Should women be required to undergo counseling or waiting periods before having an abortion or should they have immediate access to the procedure?
Should women be required to view an ultrasound of the fetus before having an abortion?
We should not legalize abortion on the grounds for gender selection purposes.
Do we need to advocate for the legalization of abortion for socio-economic reasons or should we have it prohibited?
Should there be limits on the number of abortions a woman can have, or should she have unlimited access to the procedure?
Medical professionals must have the right to refuse to perform abortions on moral or religious grounds.

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PHI 240: Ethics of Fetal Development & Abortion (Daniels)

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Bertha Alvarez Manninen

Donald marquis, judith jarvis thomson, mary anne warren, essay: the value of choice and the choice to value: expanding the discussion about fetal life within prochoice advocacy.

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Book Review: The Ethics of Abortion: Women's Rights, Human Life, and the Question of Justice

William e. may.

Emeritus Pontifical John Paul II Institute For Studies on Marriage and Family Washington, D.C.

The Ethics of Abortion: Women's Rights, Human Life, and the Question of Justice by Christopher Kaczor. New York:. Routledge, 2011. x+246. pp.

Christopher Kaczor's thorough study of “the ethics of abortion” is logically organized as follows: 1) introduction (1–12); 2) “Does Personhood Begin after Birth?” (14–37); 3) “Does Personhood Begin at Birth?” (38–55); 4) “Does Personhood Begin During Pregnancy?” (56–90); 5) “Does Personhood Begin at Conception?” (91–120); 6) “Does the Human Embryo Have Rights?” (121–144); 7) “Is It Wrong to Abort a Person?” (145–176); 8) “Is Abortion Permissible in Hard Cases?” (177–214); 9) “Could Artificial Wombs End the Abortion Debate?” (215–230). He answers “no” to numbers 2, 3, and 4, and “yes” to number 5. His own answer to numbers 6, 7, and 9 is “yes,” but his strategy is to consider and reject arguments answering “no” to these questions; his own answer to number 8 is “no,” but again his strategy is to consider and rebut arguments for a “yes” answer.

Kaczor asks whether “personhood,” not “human life,” begins at different points. He does so because today many claim that not all living members of the human species are persons with rights; only “persons” have rights, and killing human beings who are not persons does not violate any “right” to life.

First let us examine the rich contents of Kaczor's book. I will then close with an evaluative critique.

1. The Introduction

Kaczor believes that sound philosophical reasoning informed by a careful examination of the evidence can show that the vast majority of abortions are morally unjust (12). But he is convinced that meaningful and respectful dialogue between defenders and critics of abortion is possible if two key truths are honored. The first is the difference between the subjective culpability of the agent and the objective morality of the act as determined by relevant moral principles and norms. We must not, indeed cannot, judge those who choose to have or defend abortions. “Whatever one's view of abortion itself, refraining from making judgments about the character of those touched by abortion (in whatever way) is helpful in treating the topic properly, and more importantly, I believe (but won't defend here), that it is an essential part of being a decent human being” (5). The second is to avoid loaded language such as anti-life, anti-choice , etc. and use instead terms such as defenders of abortion, critics of abortion (6).

2. Does Personhood Begin after Birth?

Defenders of the claim that personhood begins after birth include Michael Tooley and others who accept the definition (or varieties and nuances thereof) of person given by Peter Singer: namely, “a being is a person if and only if the being has 1) an awareness of his or her own existence, 2) over time and in different places with 3) the capacity to have wants, and 4) plans for the future” (17–18). Kaczor provides an exhaustive critique of this definition and the four “person-making” criteria it stipulates, along with a critique of the efforts of many (Julian Savulescu, Galen Strawson, David Boonin, a “later” Tooley and his colleague Laura Purdy, and others) to “nuance” this definition and offer more sophisticated versions of it in order to answer objections, among them the criticism that, if strictly interpreted, Singer's definition would include among non-persons those who are sleeping or anesthetized, and if more loosely interpreted would include those in deep coma or severely mentally disabled (24–32).

A common claim is that the unborn and newly born are not actual persons but only “potential persons.” Responding to this claim, Kaczor distinguishes between a “passive potency” and an “active potency.” The former requires the intervention of an agent extrinsic to the being to effect the change from potential to actual (e.g., a sapling has a passive potency to become the leg of a chair) whereas the sapling has the active potency to become a mature tree (24). In defending this distinction Kaczor shows the absurdity of scenarios invented by writers like Nicole Hassoun and Uriah Kriegel to show how an oyster could develop its own rational powers if it were transported to Mars and if living on Mars made oysters capable of this (24–25).

Kaczor counters Jeff McMahan's argument that neonates and young children are not “persons” by a reductio ad absurdum. McMahan argued that since rational functioning determines moral worth, then there are degrees of personhood, and some persons are of greater value not only than non-rational humans but also than some rational ones. He further argued that there is no logical reason why rational entities with rational capacities might not be manufactured. In fact, McMahan himself had to admit that his idea that those persons whose rational capacities are greater than others have more rights than other persons is “dangerously invidious” (23).

Kaczor also shows that the acceptance of the Dutch “Gronigen Protocol” by Hilde Lindemann and Marian Verkerk is rooted in the a priori and falsifiable presupposition that the most humane way to treat severely handicapped newborns is to kill them to save them from a life of “hopeless and unbearable suffering.” This view presupposes that there is such a thing as a life not worth living and that one can judge that another human being is better off dead than alive. But empirical studies show that individuals who have suffered a lifetime because of a genetically-caused serious handicap or accident do not want to be so killed (33–34).

3. Does Personhood Begin at Birth?

Kaczor's procedure in showing that the answer to this question is “no” is to summarize and criticize the specific views of different authors (e.g., Mary Ann Warren, David Boonin, H. Tristam Englehardt, Ronald Green, Lawrence Tribe), playing them off against each other and showing their inconsistencies and in particular the inconsistencies in the changing views of Warren; he likewise briefly examines the nature of partial-birth abortion, and the Supreme Court's ruling affirming a constitutional right to this procedure and by that ruling reaffirming the conventional pro-choice view that abortion ought to be legally permissible throughout the nine months of pregnancy until the human being has been entirely removed from the woman's body (38–55).

4. Does Personhood Begin during Pregnancy?

Kaczor examines the following stages during pregnancy when different authors think the living human being becomes a “person” with a serious right to life: conscious desires/interests (Bonnie Steinbock); viability ( Roe v. Wade ); quickening/fetal movement (Kaczor names no one who holds this but simply proposes and then disposes of arguments claiming this); sentience (Ronald Green, David Overberg, et al.); human appearance (Roger Wertheimer; Jane English); brain development (Baruch Brody who, however, completely repudiates abortion after the brain appears, although Kaczor fails to note this); implantation (Bernard Nathanson prior to his conversion; Stephan Coleman). Kaczor rebuts these proposals by appealing to relevant scientific studies and to the infighting among defenders of abortion over these criteria for determining the beginning of personhood. In criticizing the claim that the human organism becomes a person when the brain is developed, Kaczor appeals to D. Alan Shewmon's refutation of the rationale used to claim that the brain is the central organizing element in the human person (79–81).

Of special interest in this chapter is Kaczor's presentation of and refutation of the developmental view or the multicriterial approach of Mary Anne Warren in her later writings, which is endorsed by Green and others. According to this approach, each of the criteria noted earlier fails as a sufficient criterion for determining personhood if taken individually. However, if they are taken together they lead to the conclusion that the right to life (a right of “persons”) gradually gains strength as pregnancy progresses, and the more similar the human being in utero is to “full-fledged” persons like those of us who are born, the greater the protection it deserves. Nonetheless before birth this being is not , Warren claims, a full-fledged person with a serious right to life (83–85).

Her claim ignores the vast difference in the right to life and other rights. There are age restrictions on voting, driving, and being elected to public office because these rights imply abilities to discharge specific responsibilities. But the right to life does not imply any corresponding responsibilities and so can be enjoyed regardless of age or mental capacities. And Warren's view has other problems as well.

Since Kaczor had shown in the earlier chapter that personhood does not begin after birth , he ends this chapter by saying that inconsistencies and inner contradictions of the most important arguments that personhood arises during pregnancy point to the logical conclusion that personhood begins at conception, the issue of the following chapter (90).

5. Does Personhood Begin at Conception?

Kaczor begins his yes answer to the question by saying that he will address not one but two questions. The first is “a moral question that inquires as to who is a member of the moral community; the second is a biological question that seeks to know when human life begins” (91). The first question is extremely important, not only for the abortion issue and other ethical issues but also because its answer presupposes or reinforces at least implicitly a general theory of personhood. Kaczor draws on Robert Spitzer's Healing the Culture: A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom, and Life Issues and John Kavanaugh's Who Count as Persons? Human Identity and the Ethics of Killing to contrast the endowment account of personhood and the performance account of personhood (93). After criticizing efforts (e.g., by Jeff McMahan, S. Matthew Liao) to defend the performance account of personhood and efforts to discredit the endowment account (e.g., by Martha Nussbaum), Kaczor argues that every human being is a rational animal (Aristotle's definition centuries ago; man is the zoon logikon , animal rationale ). Moreover every human being is not potentially a rational being, but a currently existing actual rational being. Kaczor illustrates this by using examples from pathology—for instance, some men are sterile and cannot therefore reproduce when united in the bodily act of genital intercourse with a woman. But this is a pathological condition, and these men's generative organs remain generative even if they cannot be exercised. Thus human beings from conception on are the kind of beings who are actual existing rational beings even if these rational powers, rooted in their being, must be developed in order to be exercised, but they could not be developed if they were not there to begin with, etc. (98–102).

The second question, when does a human being begin to exist, is a biological or scientific question and Kaczor, making his own the scientific studies cited by Patrick Lee, 1 shows that this evidence leaves no doubt about the beginning of human beings; they come to be at conception, when the sperm from the man fuses with the oocyte of the woman and a new organism, distinct from mother and father, begins to be, with the active potency to develop into an embryo, fetus, newborn … senile old person. Kaczor then offers another argument, which he calls the “constitutive property” argument, to support this conclusion (105–120). (Kaczor notes that David Boonin had articulated this argument. He does not, however, point out that Boonin's articulation of the argument is in essence a misreading of the argument proposed by Paul Ramsey years ago; Boonin discusses this argument in his widely ac-claimed A Defense of Abortion 2 ). The “constitutive property” is that all human beings from conception on are rational animals , i.e., bodily beings with the active potency to develop and exercise the rational acts of forming concepts, judgments, and arguments, and of making free choices.

6. Does the Human Embryo Have Rights?

In answering “yes” to this question, Kaczor does not give arguments to show that embryos have rights. His strategy is to consider and answer “several major objections to the view that the human embryo is a person, a being due fundamental respect” (121). He had examined those objections and rejected them in chapters 2, 3, and 4. This chapter is thus somewhat repetitious. It focuses on twelve arguments proposed by defenders of abortion to deny personal rights to human embryos: the acorn analogy; the size of the embryo; twinning; embryo fusion; the high embryo mortality rate; hylomorphism (the “delayed hominization theory”); the anti-abortion, anti-contraception argument; the argument that cells are not persons; the embryo rescue case; the bag of marbles analogy; cost-benefit analysis; the uncertainty argument.

I will not consider these objections and Kaczor's replies to them in any detail, but I will illustrate his strategy in his replies to the arguments based on monozygotic twinning and on fusion, as well as the high embryo mortality rate, or “wastage,” argument.

Some (Mary Warnock, Jeff McMahan) argue that the phenomenon of monozygotic twinning proves that an individual human being cannot exist in the early stages of pregnancy. Kaczor's basic reply is that even if one being can be divided into two, this does not mean that it was never an individual being, something demonstrated by cloning, an artificial kind of twinning. He stresses the difference between individuation and indivisibility : the fact that one being can be divided into two does not mean that it was never an individual being. It is also possible that the original human zygote died and in doing so gave rise to two or more individual human beings (127–129).

It may be possible that two human zygotes can fuse into one. The argument (Harris, Green) is that two human beings cannot fuse into one; therefore two human zygotes cannot so fuse but rather become “humanized” with the appearance of the primitive streak fourteen days after conception. All this case shows is that two human beings were in existence prior to fusion (and no instances of the fusing of human embryos have been recorded so far as I know, although Kaczor does not note this), and now the two human beings cease to exist and a new human being takes their place (129–130).

Embryo wastage or high embryo mortality

The argument (Green, McMahan) is that if embryos were truly human beings and especially if they were persons, parents would grieve over miscarriages as they do over the death of a toddler or aunt or beloved friend, whereas they do not. But most women do grieve over miscarriages. Far more important, however, is that grieving a death is itself irrelevant to whether an entity is a human being or person. There seems to be a relatively high rate of “embryo” wastage. But, Kaczor argues, experts think that this is the result of gross abnormalities and serious deficiencies in the reproductive process because of incomplete fertilization. In a majority of cases, it is likely that no human being or person was “wasted” or lost but rather some non-human organism. In addition, all human beings die, some during pregnancy, others at birth, others at different stages of their lives, but their deaths in no way show that they were not human beings or persons when they died (131–133).

7. Is it Wrong to Abort a Person?

Kaczor begins this chapter by declaring: “If every human fetus is a person, is abortion always wrong? It would seem so. Since having others respect one's right to life is a necessary condition for the possibility of enjoying all other rights (including the right to privacy and bodily integrity), it has a necessary priority over all other rights [with a reference to Spitzer's Healing the Culture ]” (145). But Kaczor does not show precisely why intentionally aborting a person, including unborn persons, is always morally wrong. Rather he criticizes some major arguments proposed by defenders of abortion justifying the killing of the unborn. The arguments are the following: the violinist analogy (of Judith Thomson), the burglar analogy (Thomson's), the “no worse off” analogy (Francis Kamm), the “special duties to children but not to fetuses” argument (Thomson), the comparative burdens objection (Thomson, Martha Nussbaum), the “does killing make the fetus worse off” argument (Kamm). Kaczor analyzes and criticizes these arguments from page 150 through page 176, giving special attention to Thomson's different “arguments/analogies” (150–167); in analyzing Thomson's thought he shows the significant moral distinction between foreseeing an evil effect and intending that effect, a distinction Thomson rejects.

I will not consider Kaczor's critique of all these arguments but rather show his procedure by briefly summing up his critique of Thomson's violinist analogy and his treatment of the key difference between foreseeing and intending. Most readers are familiar with the violinist analogy that Thomson used in her famous article “The Rights and Wrongs of Abortion,” published in the inaugural issue of Princeton University's Philosophy and Public Affairs in 1971, two years before Roe v. Wade. Just as a person does not have a moral obligation to allow the violinist plugged into her body while she is sleeping so that his blood can be purified by her kidneys to use her body for this purpose for nine months, so a woman who gets pregnant, perhaps after taking precautions (e.g., contraceptives) not to, has no obligation to allow the unborn child to continue to use her body for nurture for nine months; rather she has a right to have the child removed from her body even if its death is foreseen as an effect of its removal.

Thomson tries to buttress this analogy by referring to the Gospel story of the Good Samaritan. She thinks that if the woman were a “good” or “very good” Samaritan she would permit the violinist to remain plugged into her and the fetus to remain in her body for nurture until birth. But she says we are not obliged to be “good” or “very good” Samaritans, only “decent” Samaritans, and that a decent Samaritan would not be obliged to sustain the life of either violinist or fetus at such a severe cost to his own life.

Kaczor's criticism focuses on the Good Samaritan story. He says that the strength (or initial plausibility) of the analogy rests on the intuition that one may unplug oneself from the violinist, but he argues that Thomson's reference to the Good Samaritan considerably weakens her analogy. He stresses that the point of the story is moral and not legal . Thomson appeals to it as offering us moral wisdom (not religious faith). “Using the Good Samaritan story to justify not helping someone in need is,” Kaczor writes, “rather like using the race between the tortoise and the hare to justify a lack of perseverance” (150–151). He goes on to argue that the violinist analogy can be attacked on other grounds, for instance, on the right of the violinist and fetus to bodily integrity. Unplugging yourself from the violinist suggests that you are not violating his bodily integrity. But what if you could unplug yourself from him only by chopping him up or tearing him limb from limb or suctioning him away by a machine that grinds him to pieces? If one does this, is not one violating his right to bodily integrity, the same right the one to whom he is attached possesses? And to separate herself from the fetus, does not the woman have to have it ripped apart by a curette, or sucked out by a machine that grinds it into pieces, and in so doing she violates its right to bodily integrity? (151–152).

Kaczor emphasizes that Thomson's analogies proceed on the assumption that there is no moral difference between foreseeing and intending the evil effects of our actions, e.g., the death of a human person, say the violinist, the fetus, or an innocent non-combatant in war. But Kaczor goes on to show the centrality of this distinction for morality. We are in some way responsible for the unintended evil effects of our actions, for they would not take place if we did not choose to do the deeds that cause those effects (e.g., the deaths of innocent non-combatants caused by dropping bombs on a military target—what is now called “collateral damage”). However, we have a much greater moral responsibility for the actions we freely choose—i.e., intend—to do, as examples clarify, and here I offer some of my own. For instance, if I drive a car to go to the store, my chosen deed here and now is to drive the car to the store; in driving it I foresee that I will use up gasoline, wear out my tires, and pollute the atmosphere. But I do not intend these evil effects; indeed I would prefer that they not occur. Similarly, a dentist may foresee that he will cause me pain in doing some procedure on my teeth, but he is not intending that I experience the pain; if he does I will go to a different dentist. Many abortion defenders (e.g., Boonin, Thomson) reject this key distinction, and Kaczor takes up their objections in detail and answers them (157–162).

8. Is Abortion Permissible in Hard Cases?

Kaczor answers “no” to this question. He divides the chapter into two lengthy sections separated by a shorter one. The first major section discusses “Hard Cases for Critics of Abortion” (178–191), and these include the following: difficult circumstances, fetal deformity, abortion for the child's good, cases of rape and incest, abortion to save the mother's life. The second major section takes up “Hard Cases for Defenders of Abortion” (193–214), and these include the following: murder of pregnant women; sex selection abortion; abortion for frivolous reasons; safe and legal, but why rare? why parental opposition? prenatal bonding with “our baby”; morally permissible vs. morally objectionable; intermediate moral worth of the human fetus. The third and shorter section concerns “Cases of Conscience” (191–193). It will be useful to consider all of these.

Hard Cases for Critics of Abortion

Difficult circumstances.

The most common reason for abortion is that the circumstances of the pregnancy are not felt to be right either for the mother or for the child to be born. Typical circumstances of formidable difficulties are broken homes, drug abuse, crushing poverty, abusive relationships, fear of public humiliation, inability to complete education or do one's work. It would be arrogant and wrong to judge women seeking abortion because of these circumstances; what they need is support, not condemnation. But these circumstances can and do exist after a child is born and can even be worse. But even defenders of abortion would not use these circumstances to justify the intentional killing of a six-year-old child. Commonly accepted morality holds that such killing of innocent persons or helping others to do so is not ethically permissible even in the worst circumstances. Doing the right thing may be difficult and even heroic, but one is obliged not to do or facilitate such intentional killing (178–179).

Fetal deformity

Kaczor uses the same kind of reasoning to answer this difficulty. He notes the exceptional difficult case when prenatal testing shows that the unborn child has a disease or malady known to be fatal shortly after birth. Even if abortion is not chosen, the unborn child is doomed to death. Abortion will spare the mother the burden of continuing the pregnancy, the burden of giving birth, and the agony of waiting for the child to die after birth. Abortion seems justified by the principle that in such circumstances we should salvage the best out of a difficult situation. But Kaczor notes that abortion itself imposes serious burdens on the woman; more important ethically is that the expected lifespan of a person does not affect the permissibility of killing him. Thus if the human being in utero is a person, then intentionally killing him or her is impermissible even if he or she will shortly die (180–181).

Abortion for the child's good

This difficulty, similar to the previous one, appeals to the emotions and shows that the motives of those who abort unborn children for this reason are used to justify the intentional killing of innocent unborn persons. But good motives are not sufficient to justify freely chosen human acts. They cannot justify the intentional killing of innocent human persons whose lives are integral to their being (181–183).

Cases of rape and incest

In such cases (Kaczor treats incest as often the same as rape, since it usually occurs against the free consent of the woman) abortion is justified as the necessary means to protect the good of the mother. Kaczor first points out that if conception can be prevented, this is morally acceptable because the means chosen is not contraceptive (to impede the beginning of new life through a freely chosen genital act) but is rather to protect the woman from suffering further bodily violence from the rapist. (Kaczor does not himself spell this out in his text, but his footnote reference is to John Finnis's treatment of the matter in his Moral Absolutes of 1991, and Finnis clearly sets forth the reasons why this is true.) Kaczor emphasizes that most women who conceive a child after rape do not abort the child but bring it to birth and either place the child for adoption or raise him or her themselves.

But if the woman wants the abortion so that she will not be reminded of the suffering she endured by being raped, nonetheless the truth remains that the unborn child is an innocent human person with the same inviolable right to life as the pregnant woman. Like all other human persons, the mother has the corresponding duty to refuse to intentionally kill that person, which is what she does if she consents to abortion. Some (e.g., Thomson) object that this would require heroic virtue on the part of the woman. Kaczor acknowledges this, but he then affirms a most important truth, writing: “[S]ome circumstances, including those created by the evil choices of others, can sometimes remove the category of the merely permissible, leaving us with a choice between the morally wrong and the morally heroic. If a dictator orders you to torture your mother to death or face a firing squad, you will be faced with a choice between the morally wrong and the morally heroic” (184–185). And this, one will correctly infer, is the same situation for the woman made pregnant by being raped.

Abortion to save a mother's life

Kaczor addresses these cases by using what he calls “DER,” double effect reasoning, and he then briefly summarizes the requirements of this reasoning as summed up in the principle of double effect by Thomas Cavanaugh. 3 According to this summary of the principle of double effect and of double effect reasoning, performing an act with two morally significant effects is justified if “(1) the evil effect is not intended as a means or as an end; and (2) there is a proportionately serious reason allowing for the evil effect” (186).

Kaczor says that if we apply double effect reasoning to abortion, its first condition shows us the moral difference between “direct” and “indirect” abortion, and it is crucially important to distinguish abortions where fetal death is intentionally brought about (frequently called “direct” abortion) and procedures in which the death of the human being in utero is not intentionally brought about but is the side effect of what a person brings about intentionally (frequently called “indirect” abortion). Direct abortion is not justifiable because it is the intentional killing of an unborn human person. The second condition of double effect reasoning is fulfilled if the mother's life is at risk, because saving her life is a proportionately serious reason for allowing or tolerating the death of the unborn child. Kaczor then examines three cases in which the mother's life it at risk: ectopic pregnancy, cancer of the uterus, and the case when the baby has trouble exiting the birth canal.

He judges that abortion in the first two cases is “indirect” and the death of the unborn child a foreseen but not intended effect, and that therefore abortion in such cases is morally justifiable. He notes some debate among reputable writers who reject all intentional killing of innocent persons over different methods of coping with ectopic pregnancies, especially by use of the drug methotrexate. But he says that the majority of contemporary writers now accept salpingostomy: splitting of the fallopian tube in which the fetus has implanted, removing the unborn child, and sewing the tube up in order to increase the woman's chances of conceiving in the future. This method had been repudiated many years ago by J. Lincoln Bouscaren, a Jesuit canon lawyer who first developed an argument justifying salpingectomy as a morally permissible way to save the life of a mother if endangered by an ectopic pregnancy—a salpingectomy is the excision of the fallopian tube where the fetus had implanted rather than in the womb.

Kaczor also judges morally right radiation therapy or a hysterectomy, that is, removal of the uterus, to save the life of a pregnant woman suffering from cancer of the uterus and for whom life-saving treatment of the cancer cannot be postponed until the baby is born. In such a case, use of radiation therapy that would have as a side effect the death of the unborn baby, or a hysterectomy that would also result in its death, is justifiable insofar as the death of the unborn child is not intended but only the life-preserving therapy done to the mother (186–189).

The third case, when the unborn child cannot exit the birth canal because it is stuck in it and the pressure it exerts can cause the mother to die, is also called the craniotomy case because the unborn child can exit the birth canal if a craniotomy is performed on it, and this requires that the baby's skull be crushed. If the craniotomy is not done then both mother and baby will die; if it is done, the mother's life can be saved. Kaczor identifies four possible outcomes, the first three resulting if the doctor does nothing and the fourth resulting from his intervention: 1) both mother and child will die; 2) the baby will die, and then removing its corpse by crushing its head is not immoral; 3) the mother will die and then the child can be removed safely; and 4) the mother will be saved if a craniotomy is performed on the baby.

Kaczor notes that Germain Grisez, John Finnis, and Joseph A. Boyle have argued that in both the hysterectomy and craniotomy cases the death of the unborn child is neither the means nor the end intended and that there is no moral obstacle to engaging in these performances to save the life of the mother. 4 Kaczor thinks that one could argue that “even if the crushing of the baby's skull is not killing as a means to save the mother's life it may involve another evil means, namely the mutilation or violation of the physical integrity of the child,” and one could thus distinguish the craniotomy case from the hysterectomy case. But he then goes on to consider arguments for and against the claim that crushing the baby's skull is an unjustifiable mutilation because it results in the baby's death and the questions these arguments raise. He judges these questions to be of great importance and difficulty and leaves them as open questions (190–191).

Cases of Conscience

This brief section concerns the debate between critics of abortion and defenders of abortion about the place of conscience. Kaczor criticizes the 2007 paper “The Limits of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine” issued by the Committee on Ethics of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). This document shows that ACOG considers conscience not as one's best judgment concluding a process of moral deliberation from basic moral principles to practical conclusions about what one is obliged to do or not to do here and now. Rather, it regards conscience as someone's own private opinion about what he personally ought to do without any appeal to basic principles to justify that opinion. Conscience is more of a belief that must not be imposed on others. The ACOG document also requires doctors and other health-care personnel to refer patients to others if they feel that they cannot personally provide the standard reproductive services—these include artificially making children in the laboratory, providing contraceptives, and abortion. The ACOG document not only unfairly limits a doctor's liberty in action but also infringes on his right of free speech. For these and other reasons this position regarding the role of conscience must be repudiated (191–193).

Hard Cases for Defenders of Abortion

Murder of pregnant women.

Most people find the raping of women morally abhorrent and particularly odious if the woman is pregnant and even more so if it causes her to have a miscarriage. So true is this that even proponents of capital punishment balk at executing a pregnant woman. At times the male who has caused a woman to become pregnant assaults her in order to cause a miscarriage if she refuses to abort the child. A notorious example occurred when Scott Peterson killed his wife Luci, eight months pregnant with their son Connor. Missing from Christmas Eve, 2002, their bodies, separately, washed to shore on April 14, 2003, and Connor's umbilical cord was still attached. Despite protests by abortion rights advocates, the husband was legally charged by the California Court with two counts of murder, with “special circumstances” calling for tougher penalties. Laws similar to the one in California charging the murderer with two homicides are in effect in many states (193–194).

Sex-selection abortion

If abortion is done because a child of unwanted sex is known to be in the womb, another serious problem for defenders of abortion is posed. Sex-selection abortion almost always means the elimination of females and in some countries/cultures extends to their infanticide should they survive until birth. In the U.S., for instance, eighty-five percent of women and ninety-five percent of men want a male child for the first baby and the first baby may well be the last wanted. If abortion is not the killing of a person, it poses no problem different from the killing of a guppy (as Warren holds), but this kind of abortion troubles female defenders of abortion. But how could they criticize such abortions without implying that abortion itself is problematic? In fact, the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (ACOG) opposes sex-selection abortion. Kaczor gives other good reasons for opposing sex-selection abortion (e.g., it leads to further violence against women) and concludes, “It is not a simple matter to condemn SSA [sex-selection abortion] while upholding abortion for other reasons” (194–200).

Abortion for frivolous reasons

Abortions are frequently done for very frivolous reasons—parents want a child conceived during a certain astrological sign, a Leo, say, rather than an Aries; or they want a child of a certain hair color. Kaczor cites Naomi Wolf, who identified some frivolous reasons used by classmates in her high school during the 1970s (for instance, a girl would try to get pregnant just to find out if she could; and if she did, she would abort the pregnancy). This is enough to illustrate the problem (200).

Safe and legal, but rare?

Abortion defenders frequently claim that they want to make abortion “safe, legal, and rare. “ But if there is nothing wrong with abortion and if it is a woman's right, what difference does it make how often a woman has one? Some sexually active women simply do not want to use contraceptives (and some begin their sexually active lives during their teens), and such women may want to have abortions rather frequently before they reach menopause. Some may say that abortion is bad for their health, physical and psychological, and that they therefore ought to practice birth control to avoid abortions. Certainly abortion is much more invasive and expensive than using contraceptives. But does this championing of contraception over abortion for health reasons not show that the emotional trauma frequently caused by abortion is perhaps due to the recognition that birth control prevents a new human life from coming into existence whereas abortion destroys one that has already come to be (200–202)?

Why personal opposition?

Many abortion advocates say that they are personally opposed to abortion but do not want to impose their views on others and want to keep abortion legal and safe. But presumably one is personally opposed because abortion is the unjust taking of a human life. A rebuttal of this argument is suggested by some defenders of abortion (e.g., McMahan). According to this rebuttal the critic of abortion is inconsistent if he says he is “personally opposed” to killing abortionists. If abortion really is a gravely unjust killing of the innocent, then violence to stop that killing seems morally required. To condemn this violence shows the inconistency of opposition to abortion. Kaczor answers this objection by noting, for instance, that many people think that the war against Iraq initiated by President Bush in 2003 was unjust and led to the unjust killing of many innocent persons. They did not, however, seek to assassinate him, and they have not been accused of inconsistency. So why make this charge against critics of abortion if they do not choose to kill abortionists? Kaczor offers other arguments of a similar kind to answer this problem (202–206).

Prenatal bonding with “our baby.”

Many parents immediately begin to love the unborn human being in the woman's womb as a person. But if this entity is not a person or has no moral worth, as abortion defenders claim, it is difficult to explain why these parents can be so terribly mistaken; in fact, many parents like this grieve deeply over a miscarriage, and if the unborn is not a person, their behavior seems silly or stupid, but it does not seem right to accuse them of this.

Elizabeth Harman offers a sophisticated argument to reply to this objection; her argument is based on what she terms the “Actual Future Principle.” According to this principle, if an early fetus has an actual future in which he or she will be conscious, then this human fetus has moral worth; but if an early fetus does not have an actual future of which he or she will be conscious, then the fetus has no moral worth. Parents who immediately love the unborn human being are acting reasonably since it is likely that this fetus will have an actual future of which it will be conscious, but obviously fetuses to be aborted will not have such an actual future. Kaczor rebuts this argument with four cogent considerations, and there is no need to set them forth here (206–209).

Morally permissible vs. morally objectionable

On this view abortion is legally permissible but morally objectionable. This distinction might help defenders of abortion respond to many of the hard cases and could even be extended to all abortions. Kaczor doubts that this distinction is a real one. There is a real distinction between the morally permissible and the morally heroic, between the obligatory and the supererogatory. Earlier (150–158, pages to which Kaczor now refers), he had shown that at times circumstances so shape a situation that one must choose between a heroic act and seriously violating an innocent person's inviolable right to life, and he suggests that this is the situation here (209–210).

Intermediate moral worth of the human fetus

Kaczor begins this section by writing: “[T]he defender of abortion can respond to all these [previous] cases with one rejoinder. The murder of pregnant women, a condemnation of sex-selection abortion, the moral impermissibility of abortion for insignificant reasons, personal opposition, the desire to see the practice of abortion become rare, and parental love for their prenatal children do not presuppose the personhood of the fetus, but rather that the human fetus has some value” (210). But if the human fetus has some value, so does a puppy, but we do not respect puppies as we do persons, so there is no reason to respect human fetuses as persons.

There are many objections to this claim and Kaczor neatly summarizes them, but in essence this claim was shown to be arbitrary in the chapters of his book showing that personhood does not begin after birth or at some time during gestation (211–214).

9. Could Artificial Wombs End the Abortion Debate?

Kaczor gives a “yes” answer to this question, but examines the issue first from the perspective of ardent defenders of abortion and then from that of ardent critics of abortion, answering objections to a yes answer.

From the Perspective of Ardent Defenders of Abortion

Kaczor asks what is meant by a “right to abortion.” It could mean a right to terminate the human embryo/fetus or a right to extricate it from the woman's body. They seem to be linked at present because methods used to extricate the fetus from the womb invariably kill it. But if an artificial womb becomes available, the distinction would be meaningful. Kaczor's reading of the literature convinced him that many ardent defenders of abortion in fact advocate only a right to evacuate the embryo/fetus and not to kill it, and he refers to many well-known defenders of abortion to show this (the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Warren, Thomson, Boonin). Even some ardent defenders of abortion who also defend infanticide (Singer) think that if someone wants to adopt a healthy fetus brought to term in such an artificial womb it is difficult to see why it should die. Kaczor concludes that if ardent supporters of abortion like those named are willing to let live a fetus brought to term in this way, then artificial wombs could surely end the abortion debate for them (214–219).

From the Perspective of Ardent Critics of Abortion

Kaczor identifies some major objections to the use of artificial wombs by ardent critics of abortion: the artificiality objection, the IVF objection, the deprivation of maternal shelter objection, the birth within marriage objection, the integrative parenthood objection, the surrogate motherhood objection, the wrongful experimentation objection, the objection from the right of the child to develop within the womb of the mother.

The artificiality objection

Kaczor answers this by noting that neonatal intensive care units are highly artificial and are not ethically impermissible, and an artificial womb seems simply to be a further development along the same lines. Moreover, in the case of a pregnant woman about to have a hysterectomy because of cancer to protect her life, she would prefer to have her baby moved to such a womb than die as the foreseen but not intended effect of her cancer treatment.

The IVF objection

This objection fails to distinguish between complete ectogenesis, required by IVF, and partial ectogenesis when an unborn child is already in his mother's womb and is transferred to an artificial womb rather than being killed by direct abortion or as the unintended effect of a legitimate therapy (radiation therapy or hysterectomy for uterine cancer) on the mother.

The deprivation of the mother's sheltering womb objection

This is more serious and difficult to answer. However, unborn children whose lives are at risk in utero (e.g., if the mother is poisoned) are sometimes removed by doctors and cared for outside the maternal womb and there is no objection to this; some cases may become complicated but there is no reason in principle , to exclude use of an artificial womb to preserve the life of an unborn child whose life is in grave danger if he remains in his mother's womb.

The birth within marriage objection

Some critics of abortion emphasize that Donum vitae judges immoral birth outside of marriage as achieved by IVF and warns that IVF techniques can open the way to other forms of biological and genetic manipulation. Critics argue that use of artificial wombs is such manipulation. In fact, the document explicitly mentions the possibility of making such wombs and seems to condemn ectogenesis. But this passage does not condemn partial ectogenesis that in many ways simply extends the value of NICUs (newborn intensive care units) to protecting lives of unborn babies if those lives are in imminent danger of being lost.

The integrative parenthood objection

This objection is based on this passage of Donum vitae in particular: “a child has the right to be conceived, carried in the womb , brought into the world and brought up within marriage.” 5 This text and some others seem to exclude partial ectogenesis as undermining gestational parenthood. But this interpretation does not stand scrutiny. Were it to be understood as absolutely unexceptionable, it would follow that all women who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest ought to marry the unborn baby's father. But marriage after any pregnancy out of wedlock is not a good solution. It would be far better for the child if its mother gave it up for adoption after birth, and this requires heroic action on the mother's part and on that of the adopting parents.

The surrogate motherhood objection

This is based on the truth that surrogate motherhood is clearly wrong and strongly condemned by Donum vitae. But none of that document's definitions of surrogate motherhood include partial ectogenesis as a form of surrogacy.

The wrongful experimentation objection

Kaczor thinks that this is the most powerful objection against use of an artificial womb by women seeking abortion. One ought never subject unborn human persons to risky experiments that are not undertaken for their good but rather for the sake of their mothers, who want to rid themselves of their unborn children. Kaczor argues that basic bioethical principles justifying experimental procedures intended to save the lives of individuals in imminent danger of death could be applied to use of artificial wombs to protect the lives of unborn human persons who would otherwise be killed by abortion. If such experimentation led to the improvement of these techniques, use of an artificial womb would no longer be experimental but a common procedure subjecting a person to no unacceptable risks.

The objection of the right of the child to develop in his mother's womb

This seems a good one in the light of a passage from Pope John Paul II's Centessimus annus : “Among the most important of these [basic human rights] mention must be made of the right to life, an integral part of which is the right of the child to develop in the mother's womb from the moment of conception.” 6 “But,” Kaczor writes, “it is not evident from this or from other passages from John Paul II that he even considered the possibility of an artificial womb as a way of overcoming the impasse over abortion, let alone that he had considered and rejected this possibility” (227). He thus concludes that using this passage as a definitive magisterial judgment against use of an artificial womb for partial ectogenesis is not licit.

Kaczor's conclusion, after sorting through objections and offering responses to them, is that use of artificial wombs might well be a way to end the abortion debate (215–231).

10. Evaluative Conclusion

Kaczor's book gives good arguments to show that individual personal life begins at conception. He likewise shows, by a host of arguments, many of them playing defenders of abortion off against each other, that the distinction between being a living human being and being a “person” is based on erecting arbitrary criteria for personhood, criteria constantly subject to change. He also considers in some depth and with fairness specific arguments by a wide variety of scholars attempting to justify the practice of abortion and the right of women to abort the unborn at any time during their pregnancy. His work, moreover, is based on a comprehensive study of the literature; the bibliography is twelve pages long and references more than 250 items. His bibliography, however, does ignore some older and still important studies, including Germain Grisez's massive 1970 work Abortion: The Myths, the Realities, and the Arguments . 7

A good, strong point of this work, I think, is Kaczor's commentary and conclusion regarding the current dispute among Catholic scholars on the moral licitness of craniotomy as a means of saving the mother's life if the baby is stuck in the birth canal and pressure exerted on her can kill her.

There are some serious weaknesses in Kaczor's study, however. The chapters on the rights of the human embryo and on whether it is wrong to abort a person (chs. 6 and 7) are in my judgment very weak. In chapter 6, Kaczor defends the rights of the human embryo negatively by offering criticisms, many of them good in their own way, of arguments claiming that the human embryo is not a person and hence does not enjoy rights, as we have seen in the earlier presentation of the contents of that chapter. I think he could and should have offered a stronger positive defense of the rights enjoyed by human embryos, in particular the right not to be killed intentionally by others, if he had summarized or briefly mentioned with references, the brilliant work of Wesley Hohfeld, professor of legal ethics at Harvard University in the first half of the twentieth century, which is central to John Finnis's analysis of rights in his Natural Law and Natural Rights . 8 Hohfeld sharply distinguished between a “claim right,” or right in the strict sense, and a “liberty,” or “liberty right.” To distinguish these rights from each other, it is necessary to speak of a three-term relationship between two persons (or groups of persons) and an act of a specific type. If we do, we can speak of a claim-right as follows: A (=a person or group of persons, or all persons if we are speaking of basic human and inalienable rights of human persons) has a right (a “claim right”) that B (=another person, group of persons, or all persons) should x (=some specifiable act), if and only if B has a duty to A to x.

Thus innocent human persons (=A) have a right in the sense of a claim right to life if and only if innocent human persons (=A) have a right that all other persons (=B) have a duty to innocent human persons (=A) to forbear intentionally killing them (=x). In other words, the right of innocent human persons to life, if genuine, means that all other persons have an obligation or duty not to kill them intentionally. Applying this argument to unborn children, we can say: unborn children have a strict right or claim right to life if and only if unborn children (=A) have a right that their mothers and other persons (=B) have a duty to unborn children to forbear aborting them, i.e., intentionally killing them (=x). This right is genuine because all persons, including mothers, have a strict obligation or duty to forbear intentionally killing innocent human persons, and abortion is the intentional killing of an innocent human person.

What of the alleged “right” of a woman to an abortion? Expressed as a three-term relationship between two persons and a specifiable action, we see that the alleged right is really a “liberty” claimed by women. It can be put generally as follows: B (=a person, group of persons, etc.) has a liberty relative to A (=a person, a group of persons, etc.) to x (=some specifiable act), if and only if A has no claim right that B should not x.

Translating a woman's alleged “right” to an abortion into this language we have the following: a woman (= B ) has a liberty relative to the unborn baby (= A ) intentionally to abort it (= x ) if and only if the unborn baby (= A ) has no claim right that the woman (= B ) should not abort it (= x ). But the unborn has the claim right that his or her mother (and others) forbear from aborting it. Consequently, the liberty (and not right) claimed by women to abort is spurious.

Chapter 7 on the wrongness of abortion goes into a minute analysis of many arguments proposed by defenders of abortion to show how specious they are; Kaczor in particular devotes great attention to two analogies used by Judith Jarvis Thomson in her celebrated 1971 article on the rights and wrongs of abortion. But his critique of her reasoning in my judgment is far inferior to the majestic rebuttal of Thomson's entire article by John Finnis in his “Rights and Wrongs of Abortion: A Reply to Judith Jarvis Thomson,” published in 1972 in the same journal in which Thomson's ludicrous essay appeared. Moreover, Kaczor makes no reference whatsoever, either in his text or bibliography, to this masterful article. Kaczor's analyses of some bad arguments to justify abortion are interesting, but they do not develop in any way the great arguments that show why abortion is always wrong.

Other weaknesses are present but not too serious. Moreover, despite the serious weaknesses noted, Kaczor's book is exceptionally valuable and makes a great contribution to the abortion debate.

1 Lee refers to Leslie Arey, Developmental Anatomy , 7th ed. (Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1974); William Larsen, Human Embryology (UK: Churchill, Livingstone, 1993); and Keith Moore, Before We Are Born (Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1998).

2 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

3 Thomas Cavanaugh, “The Intended/Foreseen Distinction's Ethical Relevance,” Philosophical Papers 25:3 (1996): 179–188.

4 Kaczor refers to their article, “‘Direct’ and ‘Indirect’: A Reply to Critics of Our Action Theory,” Thomist 65 (2001): 1–44.

5 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Donum vitae (Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation, Replies to Certain Questions of the Day) (1987), n. II.A.1, emphasis added, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19870222_respect-for-human-life_en.html .

6 Pope John Paul II, Centesimus annus (On the Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum ) (1991), n. 47, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_01051991_centesimus-annus_en.html .

7 Cleveland/New York: Corpus Books, 1972.

8 John Finnis, Natural Law and Natural Rights (Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, at the Clarendon Press, 1980), 199–205.

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Why abortion should be illegal essay | 1000 words, 500, 400 & 200 words essay

This article discusses the argument as to Why abortion should be illegal essay. It also mentions that in how Abortions Have Been Disrupted in Recent Years, Argumentative abortion essay, pro-choice and pro-life are not the same, but they are both against abortion.

“The most important reason is that it is a human life at stake.”

“Abortion is not just about ending a pregnancy; it is about an individual’s right to choose.”

Why should abortion be illegal essay (1000 words)-

The 1st sample of the “Why abortion should be illegal essay” is mentioned below within 1000 words. You can use this as your academic reason or other reasons.

Introduction: What is an Abortion?

In the United States, abortion has been legal since 1973. Before that time, abortions were illegal in all but a few states.

In the United States, there are three types of abortions: medical abortion, surgical abortion, and induced abortion. Medical abortions involve taking medication to cause miscarriage. A doctor performs surgical abortions through vacuum aspiration, dilation, and curettage (D&C). Induced abortions are done by taking medication to terminate the pregnancy without medical intervention.

How Abortions Have Been Disrupted in Recent Years:

With the advent of new technologies, abortion has become increasingly difficult to get. Women can now seek abortion services online or through the app.

The legality of abortion varies from country to country and state to state in the United States. The main reason for this is that it is a highly controversial subject, with many people believing that abortions should be illegal.

In recent years, abortion has been disrupted by new technologies and procedures such as telemedicine and tele-abortion services. These changes have made it easier for women to get abortions without having to physically go in person.

What are the risks of abortion?

Abortion risks range from serious health risks to legal trouble. Here are some common risks of miscarriage:

Death: Abortion can lead to death due to natural disasters or childbirth complications. Improperly performed abortions can also be dangerous and cause other health problems for the mother and baby.
Infection: Miscarriage can cause infection between mother and baby. Infection can increase the risk of developing post-abortion syndrome (PAS), a condition that results from distress and anxiety after a miscarriage.
Religion: Abortion is a religious right, meaning that some people may feel pressured to have an abortion because they believe it is wrong. This pressure can lead to wrong decisions about abortion, which can harm both the woman and her child.

Argumentative abortion essay:

The pro-life argument is based on the notion that an unborn human is a living being with rights. This argument is often presented by people who are opposed to abortion and argue that life begins at conception.

The idea of pro-life might seem convincing, but it’s not always the case. There are many reasons why people don’t agree with this argument and some of them include:

The case for the unborn does not consider how a pregnancy would impact the mother’s health and well-being.
The case for the unborn does not consider how a child will be taken care of after birth, if they were born alive or not.

What the Pro-Choice Movement Means for Women’s Health

The pro-choice movement is a movement that supports the right for women to make decisions about their bodies. It is often in conflict with the pro-life movement. The pro-life movement believes that life begins at conception and that abortion should be illegal.

The pro-choice movement has led to many changes in society, such as the legalization of abortion, birth control, and sex education. This has helped reduce unintended pregnancies and maternal mortality rates. However, there are still many challenges for the pro-choice movement because of legislation restrictions on abortion across the United States.

The pro-life movement began in 1869 when an American doctor named John Harvey Kellogg published an article against abortion in a medical journal called “Medical News”. He believed that “the fetus was a living entity from conception” and that it would be immoral to end its life before it was born.

What the Pro-Life Movement Means for Women’s Health

The pro-life movement is a movement that opposes abortion. The pro-choice movement is the opposite of the pro-life movement, it supports abortion rights. The effects of the pro-life movement on women’s health are varied and complex but are generally negative.

The Pro-Life Movement has been described as a “movement that opposes abortion,” which is defined as “an act or instance of terminating a pregnancy by removing an embryo or fetus from a woman’s uterus.” This definition includes the termination of pregnancies before fetal viability and the intentional killing of an unborn child during childbirth. The term ‘pro-life’ can also refer to those who believe that life begins at conception, which is one view about abortion. It can also refer to those who believe in the sanctity of human life from conception until natural death.

Conclusion:

It is undeniable that abortion should be illegal. The act of terminating a pregnancy is not just morally wrong but also has a lot of negative consequences.

This conclusion is based on the following reasons:

It’s against the law in most states and countries, including the United States.
It causes a lot of pain and suffering for both mother and child.
There are less than 1% of abortions that are medically necessary, which means it’s almost always not necessary to terminate a pregnancy.

Why should abortion be illegal essay (400 words)-

Why should abortion be illegal essay: Abortion is one of the most controversial topics in the world. Many people believe that it should be legal while some think that it should be illegal. The legal status of abortion in the USA varies from state to state.

In 1973, the US Supreme Court legalized abortion by ruling on Roe v Wade case. However, some states have passed laws that prohibit abortions to varying degrees:

In Mississippi, a woman can only get an abortion if her life is endangered or if she is pregnant as a result of rape or incest.
In Oklahoma, women can only get an abortion if their life is endangered or if they have been raped by someone who has already been convicted of rape or incest.
In Louisiana and Alabama, a woman can only get an abortion in cases where her life is endangered and there are no other options available to save her life such as ending the pregnancy via emergency cesarean section or inducing labor and delivering the baby prematurely with no complications.

The main argument for why abortion should be illegal is that human beings are not entitled to the right to their bodies. This is because the fetus is a part of the woman’s body and therefore it is her right to decide what happens to her body.

The conclusion of this paper argues that abortion should be illegal because it violates a woman’s right over her own body. This paper argues that abortion should be illegal because it violates a woman’s right over her own body.

In conclusion, we can see that abortion should be illegal because it is a sin against God and humanity.

Reasons why abortion should be illegal essay (200 words)-

The essay is about the reasons why abortion should be illegal. It discusses the moral and ethical issues that arise when a woman has an abortion. The essay also discusses how it is not just a woman’s decision to have an abortion, but also her partner’s and family members.

The essay argues that women should not be able to have abortions because they are not capable of making decisions for themselves. They need someone else to make these decisions for them, which is why society needs to protect women from themselves.

Many arguments are made in favor of and against the legalization of abortion. This essay aims to provide a brief overview of some of the reasons why abortion should be illegal.

The fetus is a living human being with the same rights as any other person
The fetus must have equal access to life-saving care
Abortion is often used as birth control, which can lead to an increase in unwanted pregnancies 4. Abortion increases maternal mortality 5. Abortion may cause psychological harm.

The Argumentative Abortion Essay (500 words)-

An argumentative abortion is a type of abortion that is performed to end a pregnancy to prevent the birth of a child with a disability.

Argumentative abortions are typically performed when there is no other option for terminating the pregnancy, such as when the fetus has anencephaly or spina bifida.

The term “argumentative” refers to the fact that these abortions are often controversial and opposed by some people who believe that they should be allowed only in cases where there is no other option.

Introduction: What is an Argumentative Abortion Essay?

An argumentative abortion essay is a type of academic writing that advocates for pro-life or anti-abortion arguments.

An argumentative abortion essay is a type of academic writing that advocates for pro-life or anti-abortion arguments. This type of essay is usually written by students in a high school or college setting and is often assigned as an in-class assignment. The purpose of this assignment is to have the student argue their stance on the topic and then defend their position with evidence, examples, and/or personal experiences.

The Evolution of the Argumentative Abortion Essay

The argumentative abortion essay is a type of pro-choice argument. It was written in response to the pro-life movement and is a rhetorical technique that focuses on persuasion and persuasion techniques.

The pro-life movement began in the early 20th century, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that it became more popular. The pro-choice movement was also gaining momentum during this time, but it wasn’t until 1973 when Roe v Wade legalized abortion that the two movements began to take off.

Argumentative essays are typically an academic style of writing that focuses on persuasion techniques and arguments.

Argumentation in the 20th Century

In the 20th century, there were many arguments for and against abortion. Some of these arguments are still relevant today.

Arguments for Abortion:

It is a woman’s right to make her own decision on what she wants to do with her body.
Women should be allowed to decide what they want to do with their bodies because they have the right to control their destinies.
Women should be allowed to decide if they want children or not because it is their choice and nobody else’s business.
Women who are pregnant should not have to worry about going through an abortion because it is a safe procedure that can be done at any point in time. Arguments Against Abortion:
Abortions are immoral, unethical, and wrong because it kills a human life without its consent or permission. – Abortions are morally wrong because it goes against God’s will and the nature of life as he created it.

Argumentation in the 21st Century:

The 21st-century argument for and against abortion is a controversial topic. While some argue that the right to abortion should be upheld, others believe that it should be banned. This article will provide you with both sides of the argument, and you can decide which side you agree with.

The 21st-century argument for and against abortion is a controversial topic because not only are there two sides to the debate but also because there are different ways of arguing both sides of the debate.

Argumentation in the 21st Century: Arguing in this day and age has changed dramatically due to technological advances such as social media platforms and online articles. In this article, we will discuss how technology has impacted arguments in society today, especially arguments about abortion.

Conclusion: The Future of the Argumentative Abortion Essay-

The future of the argumentative abortion essay is ambiguous. It is hard to tell what the outcome will be because there are so many factors that could change the way people think about this topic.

The future of the argumentative abortion essay is ambiguous. It is hard to tell what the outcome will be because there are so many factors that could change the way people think about this topic. The most likely outcome would be that it remains a controversial issue, with both sides still trying to convince other people of their point of view.

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Argumentative Essay on Abortion – Sample Essay

Published by gudwriter on October 24, 2017 October 24, 2017

A Break Down of my Abortion Argumentative Essay

Styling format: APA 6th Edition

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Title: Abortion Should Be Legal

Introduction.

The introduction paragraph of an argumentative essay constitutes of 4 parts. Topic introduction, a reason why the topic is important, accepting there is a difference of opinion on this topic and lastly a statement that gives the writer’s main premises, popularly known as a thesis statement.

The body of my abortion argumentative essay contains reasons + evidence to support my thesis. I have also included opposing arguments to show the reader that I have considered both sides of the argument and that am able to anticipate and criticize any opposing arguments before they are even stated. I have made sure to show the reader that though I have written opposing arguments and that I do not agree with them.

The conclusion paragraph of this abortion essay constitutes of three main parts. The first part restates the main premises: The decision to terminate a pregnancy should generally lie with pregnant women. The second part presents 1 – 2 sentences which summarizes the arguments that support my thesis. And lastly my personal position.

I tried to use credible resources for this essay. Books from respectable publishers on this subject. Peer reviewed articles and journals are also acceptable.

Argumentative Essay on Abortion

The abortion debate is an ongoing controversy, continually dividing Americans along moral, legal, and religious lines. Most people tend to assume one of two positions: “pro-life” (an embryo or fetus should be given the right to gestate to term and be born. Simply put, women should not be given the right to abort as that constitutes murder) or “pro-choice” (women should be given the right to decide whether or not to terminate a pregnancy).

When you are writing an abortion argumentative essay , you are free to support any side that you want. Whichever position you take, make sure you have good points and supporting facts.

In this abortion essay, I have decided to take the pro-choice position: a woman carrying a fetus should be given the right to abort it or carry the baby to term. In fact, my thesis statement for this argumentative essay is abortion should be legal and women should have the right to decide whether or not to terminate a pregnancy.

My essay is divided into three basic parts, the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Read till the end to find the brief analysis of the parts /sections.

Here is my abortion argumentative essay. Enjoy!

Abortion Should Be Legal

A heated debate continues to surround the question of whether or not abortion should be legal. Those who feel it should be legal have branded themselves “pro-choice” while those opposed to its legality fall under the banner of “pro-life.” In the United States of America, not even the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case (Parker, 2017) that declared abortion as a fundamental human right has served to bring this debate to an end. The pro-choice brigade front an argument that abortion is a right that should be enjoyed by all women and one that should not be taken away by religious authority or even governments. They claim that this right cannot be superseded by the perceived right that should be enjoyed by a fetus or embryo. If not legalized, the pro-choice claim, women would resort to unsafe means. However, to pro-life, the life of a human being begins at fertilization and therefore abortion condemns an innocent human being to immoral murder. They further argue that the practice exposes the unborn human to pain and suffering. This paper argues that abortion should be legal and women should have the right to decide whether or not to terminate a pregnancy.

Perhaps you may find comparing and contrasting the higher education between England and Kenya interesting .

Just as was observed by the US Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, an individual should be allowed certain privacy zones or areas. The decision of a pregnant woman to terminate her pregnancy or not should fall within this fundamental right (Parker, 2017). Interfering with this right is a kin to deciding for a person the kind of people they may associate with or the kind of a person they may fall in love with. These kinds of private matters are very sensitive and any decision touching on them should be left at the discretion of an individual. After all, it is the woman who knows why they would want to terminate a pregnancy. It could be that seeing the pregnancy to its maturity and eventual delivery would endanger the life of the bearer. It could also be that a woman is not comfortable with having a baby due to some reason(s). Whatever reason a woman might have, it is their private affair; they should be left to handle it in private.

On the same note, women get empowered by reproductive choice as they get the opportunity to freely exercise control over their bodies. Just like male members of the society, women should be allowed to be independent and be able to determine their future. This includes the freewill of determining whether or not to have children. The ability to control their productive lives would ensure that women are well placed to take part equally in the social and economic matters of the society (Mooney, 2013). It should not be that upon conceiving, a woman has no otherwise but to deliver the baby. What if the conception was accidental? Even if it was not accidental, a woman can realize or determine before delivery that she is just not ready to have the baby as she might have initially planned. At that point, they should have the freedom to terminate the pregnancy.

The pro-life’s argument that abortion is murder is a bit far fetched. The fetus or embryo may be innocent as they claim. However, it is noteworthy that it is only after the fetus becomes able to survive outside the womb that personhood begins (Ziegler, 2015). This is definitely after birth and not during the pregnancy or at conception. In this respect, the claim that abortion kills innocent human beings is actually not valid. On the contrary, this stance or statement culminates in the victimization of innocent women who have committed no wrong but exercised their right of controlling their reproductive life. Ideally, an embryo or fetus should not be considered a human being just yet. There should thus be nothing like “unborn babies” but fetuses or embryos.

Legal abortion also ensures that women may avoid maternal injury or death by securing professional and safe means of performing abortion. The point here is that illegalizing abortion would compel some women to resort to unsafe abortion means. In the process, they might sustain life threatening injuries or even lose their lives (Schwarz & Latimer, 2012). Whether legal or not, a woman would make up their mind and terminate her pregnancy! The only difference is that in a “legal” environment, she would be safe. Why then endanger the lives of pregnant women who may like to have an abortion by illegalizing the practice? In addition, the pro-life argument that a fetus feels pain during the procedure of abortion is less convincing. It may be that the reason a mother is terminating a pregnancy is to prevent the yet to be born child from facing the pains of the world. If a mother feels she may not accord her child all the necessities of life, she would be right to subject the child to the “short-term pain” during abortion.

Those opposed to abortion further argue that the practice brews a traumatic experience for women as it involves the death of a human being. Specifically, they contend that the experience emanates from a woman witnessing how she intentionally and violently condemns her unborn child to death by physically destroying it. They hold that it also subjects the woman to unacknowledged grief and thoughts of severed maternal attachments and as well violates her parental responsibility and instinct (Major et al., 2009). According to this argument, this experience can be as traumatic as to plunge a woman into serious mental health problems, in what may be called post-abortion syndrome (PAS). This syndrome may attract symptoms similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), they say. Anti-abortion crusaders further contend that the aftermath of undergoing the procedure may see a woman experience such PTSD related symptoms as substance abuse, guilt, shame, anger, grief, depression, denial, and flashbacks (Major et al., 2009). While all these may seem to be sensible to some extent, they fail to recognize that a woman who willfully secures an abortion would not have to worry about having “killed” her unborn baby. Instead, she would appreciate that she was able to successfully terminate the pregnancy before it could grow to maturity.

The decision to terminate a pregnancy should generally lie with pregnant women. It is a private decision that should not be interfered with. Women should be able to determine when to have a child. If she deems it not yet time, she should be allowed to abort. A woman actually kills nobody by aborting but rather prevents the fetus from being able to survive outside the womb. The reason for aborting should not be questioned, whether medical, involving incest or rape, or just personal. Whatever reason it might be, it falls within the right of a woman to determine and control their productive life.

Major, B. et al. (2009). Abortion and mental health. American Psychologist , 64 (9), 863-890.

Mooney, C. (2013). Should abortion be legal? San Diego, CA: ReferencePoint Press, Incorporated.

Parker, W. (2017). Life’s work: a moral argument for choice . New York City, NY: Simon and Schuster.

Schwarz, S. D., & Latimer, K. (2012). Understanding abortion: from mixed feelings to rational thought . Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

Ziegler, M. (2015). After Roe . Cambridge , MA: Harvard University Press.

Argumentative Essay against Abortion 2, with Outline

Abortion argumentative essay outline.

Thesis: Abortion is wrong and should not be legalized since its disadvantages far outweigh its advantages, if any.

Paragraph 1:

It is wrong to condemn an innocent human being to murder.

Human life begins at conception and this implies that at whatever stage a pregnancy may be terminated, an innocent being would have been killed.
The fetus is a human being and should be allowed to grow and be born and live their life to the fullest.
A fetus has a unique genetic code and thus it is a unique individual person.

Paragraph 2:

It is wrong to deliberately cause pain.

Whatever process is used to secure an abortion subjects the developing human to untold suffering before they eventually die.
By 18 weeks, a fetus has undergone sufficient development to feel pain.
Aborting a fetus is the same as physically attacking an innocent person and causing them fatal physical bodily harm.

Paragraph 3:

Abortion increases tolerance of killing which is a wrong precedence for the human race.

To legalize abortion and to view it as being right is like to legalize killing and see nothing wrong with it.
The respect people have for human life would be reduced if killing would be legalized.
Loss of society’s respect for human life may result into increased murder rates, genocide, and euthanasia.

Paragraph 4:

Abortion is can seriously harm a woman’s body and in some cases lead to the death of that woman.

It yields both anticipated physical side effects as well as potentially more serious complications.
In other instances, a woman may experience serious complications that may even threaten her life as a result of having an abortion.

Paragraph 5:

People who believe abortion is not morally wrong argue that the fetus should not necessarily be considered a person with the right to life.

This is wrong because the collection of human cells that is the fetus, if given the opportunity to grow, eventually becomes a complete human being.
The beginning of human life should be considered to be at conception.
A conceived human should be allowed to see out their life.

Paragraph 6:

The pro-choice group argues that pregnant women have moral rights too and that these rights may override the right of the fetus to live.

This argument fails to acknowledge that the moral rights of one human being should not deny another human being their moral rights.
Both the woman and fetus’ rights should be respected.

Argumentative Essay against Abortion Example 2

People across the world have strong opinions for and against abortion. Those who argue for its legalization fall under the “pro-choice” group while those who oppose its legalization are under the “pro-life” group. Even after the practice was declared a fundamental human right in the United States by the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case, the debate about it is still going on in the country. According to pro-choice arguments, all women should enjoy abortion as a human right and no religious and/or government authorities should take that away from them. On the other hand, pro-life brigade argue that abortion immorally murders innocent human beings since the life of a human being begins at fertilization. This paper argues that abortion is wrong and should not be legalized since its disadvantages far outweigh its advantages, if any.

The major reason why abortion is wrong is because it is wrong to condemn an innocent human being to murder. Human life begins once they are conceived and this implies that at whatever stage a pregnancy may be terminated, an innocent being would have been killed. The fetus is in itself a human being and should be allowed to grow and be born and live their life to the fullest. As pointed out by Kaczor (2014), a fetus has a unique genetic code and thus it is a unique individual person. It is a potential human being with a future just like people who are already born. It would be wrong to destroy their future on the account of being killed through abortion.

Abortion is also wrong because it is wrong to deliberately cause pain. Whatever process is used to secure an abortion subjects the developing human to untold suffering before they eventually die. By 18 weeks, a fetus has undergone sufficient development to feel pain (Meyers, 2010). Thus, aborting it would be the same as physically attacking an innocent person and causing them fatal physical bodily harm. Under normal circumstances, such an attack would attract condemnation and the person or people involved would be punished accordingly as per the law. This is the exact same way abortion should be viewed and treated. It should be legally prohibited and those who do it should be punished for causing pain on an innocent person.

Further, abortion increases tolerance of killing and this is a wrong precedence being created for the human race. Just as Kershnar (2017) warns, to legalize abortion and to view it as being right is like to legalize killing and see nothing wrong with it. The respect people have for human life would be reduced if killing was legalized. It would be wrong and detrimental to reduce society’s respect for human life as it may result in increased murder rates, genocide, and euthanasia. Just like such measures as vaccination and illegalization of murder are taken to preserve human life, prohibiting abortion should be considered an important way of increasing human respect for life. Society should not tolerate killing in whatever form and should discourage it through every available opportunity.

Another detrimental effect of abortion is that it can seriously harm a woman’s body and in some cases lead to the death of that woman. It yields both anticipated physical side effects as well as potentially more serious complications. Some of the side effects a woman is likely to experience after securing an abortion include bleeding and spotting, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and cramping and abdominal pain. Worse is that these side effects can continue occurring two to four weeks after the procedure is completed (“Possible Physical Side Effects,” 2019). In other instances, a woman may experience serious complications that may even threaten her life as a result of having an abortion. These complications may include damage to other body organs, perforation of the uterus, the uterine wall sustaining scars, the cervix being damaged, sepsis or infection, and persistent or heavy bleeding. In the worst case scenario, a woman undergoing the abortion process might lose her life instantly (“Possible Physical Side Effects,” 2019). While such cases are rare, it is still not sensible to expose a woman to these experiences. A practice that has the potential to endanger human life in this manner should be considered wrong both legally and morally. It is the responsibility of individuals to care for and not expose their lives to harm.

People who believe abortion is not morally wrong argue that the fetus should not necessarily be considered a person who has the right to life. They hold that the fetus is just a collection of human cells and thus does not deserve the express right to live (Bailey, 2011). This argument is misinformed because the fact is that this collection of human cells that is the fetus, if given the opportunity to grow, eventually becomes a complete human being. This is why the beginning of human life should be considered to be at conception and not at birth or after some time after conception. A conceived human should be allowed to see out their life and only die naturally.

Another argument by the pro-choice group is that pregnant women have moral rights too and that these rights may override the right of the fetus to live under certain circumstances. These rights, according to this argument, include the right to take decision without legal or moral interference, the right to decide one’s own future, the right to ownership of one’s own body, and the right to life (Bailey, 2011). This argument fails to acknowledge that the moral rights of one human being should not deny another human being their moral rights. Even in cases where carrying a pregnancy to delivery would endanger the life of a pregnant woman, the fetus should be separated from the mother and be allowed to grow through such other mechanisms as being placed in an incubator.

Abortion is absolutely wrong and no arguments can justify its morality or legality. It kills innocent human beings before they can develop and experience life. It also causes untold pain and suffering to an innocent fetus. It further increases tolerance to killing, a precedence that would make people throw away their respect to human life and kill without a second thought. Even worse is that the practice exposes aborting women to serious bodily harm and could even claim their lives. Those who do not consider the fetus as a moral person who deserves to live are wrong because upon complete development, the fetus indeed becomes a human being. Similarly, those who feel the moral rights of a pregnant woman should override those of the fetus ignore the fact that both the woman and the fetus are human beings with equal rights.

Bailey, J. (2011). Abortion . New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group.

Kaczor, C. (2014). The ethics of abortion: women’s rights, human life, and the question of justice . New York, NY: Routledge.

Kershnar, S. (2017). Does the pro-life worldview make sense?: Abortion, hell, and violence against abortion doctors . New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.

Meyers, C. (2010). The fetal position: a rational approach to the abortion issue . Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.

“Possible Physical Side Effects after Abortion”. (2019). In American Pregnancy Association , Retrieved July 5, 2020.

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The Abortion

The Abortion - Essay Example

Subject: Philosophy
Type: Essay
Level: Undergraduate
Pages: 1 (250 words)
Downloads: 2
Author: kieranconroy

Extract of sample "The Abortion"

Abortion Governor Bentley demonstrates a pro-life stance on the abortion argument. Judith Jarvis Thomson, the famous philosopher who wrote A Defense of Abortion had a pro-choice stand. In her essay, she sided with the woman's right to choose by metaphorically explaining the case with the help of a story where unplugging implies the right to choose. Despite being a moral philosopher, Thomson would oppose Governor Bentley's statement due to her notion that one has a right to one's own body and since the mother is a host in the case of abortion, she has the right to terminate her life.

Others including, Ron Noonan, being pro-choice as opposed to pro-life, are also likely to view Governor Bentley’s response unfavorably due to their personal stance on the abortion argument. Governor Bentley’s statement exhibits great support for life as he says that abortion should only be the last resort where the life of the mother has to be protected. This stance, in effect, can hurt abortion clinics economically and cause them to shut down. Since a parallel has been drawn between a woman’s right to end a pregnancy and the right to possess arms, Governor Bentley’s position is not likely to be popular among many such as Warren because the decision may hurt abortion clinics and gun stores.

Also, the fact that clinicians claim health safety in the abortion procedure, may weaken the pro-life case as advocated and supported through a potential risk for the patient. To conclude, Governor Bentley’s position is powered by a pro-life stance which is disproportionately overweighed by pro-choice supporters and arguments.

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Abortion is Bad

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