Abortion is a contentious issue in modern society. Some individuals feel strongly about the issue from both poles of the spectrum regarding abortions. Many people feel abortions are equivalent to murder under any conditions. They typically believe that life begins at conception and thus taking life is a criminal act. However, the concept of "life" is rather ambiguous and under this definition many natural phenomenon could be considered murderous. For example, fresh fruit and vegetables are generally still technically alive when eaten because they are composed of living cells. Thus eating a salad could be considered a murder. If the argument is about consciousness or pain then these can also be determined. Pain has been identified as only possible after a fetus reaches twenty-six weeks old and consciousness is even more complex. Even infants outside of the womb lack that self-awareness that is typically associated with being conscious. When many of the standard objections to the practice of abortion being overcome by evidence and reason, the remaining objections often delve into the religious or moral realm and these objections further complicate the argument. This analysis will present some of the most common objections to abortion and argue against these with evidence and reason.
Life Begins at Conception
There is an assumption by many pro-life advocates that life begins at conception. When a sperm and egg combine they create a unique genetic identity that represents a code with billions of genetic combinations. Jerome Lejeune,...
Pro-Choice Position on Abortion The abortion debate in the United States is a debate that has raged for decades, ever since abortion was legalized in the 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade. (McBride, 2008) There are some legitimate arguments for both sides of the debate, but those who have sided with one position or the other aggressively pursue their goals with utmost precedence. These supporters often choose candidates and align
Thus we ought to take seriously the suggestion that, insofar as "the human individual develops biologically in a continuous fashion... The rights of a human person might develop in the same way (on the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion). Finally, according to utilitarianism, if something is wrong for majority of the people, it should be a rule. For example, if an illegal abortion or any other medical procedure takes
According to Cooper, writing in the journal Feminist Studies, the anti-abortion groups in South Dakota spent $2.65 million to defeat the proposition, and the pro-choice groups spent just $1.84 million. The anti-abortion groups ran television commercials that were "slick" but were not truthful, according to Cooper. One of the television commercials showed doctors (none of which were obstetricians or gynecologists) saying that "This measure [the anti-abortion legislation that was being
Women's Right To Abortion The famous French feminist Simone de Beauvoir once famously remarked that freedom for women "began with the womb." (Quoted by Kopaczynski, 1995) Ever since, the choice of abortion for women has become a symbol of women's rights. Its denial, more than anything else, is just a legacy of the ancient, deep-rooted discrimination against the female sex. Supreme Court recognized the constitutional right of women for abortion in the
Pro-Choice: The Abortion Issue -- A philosophical, as well as a legal issue of rights, responsibility, and the question of when life begins Just across the border, in the United States, one of the most symbolically significant issues in political life today is the issue of abortion. Abortion is often phrased as question of personal rights and liberties: as in, a woman has the personal right and freedom to do what
Generally, secular science reminds us that even the distinction between the value supposedly inherent in human life and that of other "higher" non-human life forms is very difficult to maintain logically. In fact, it may very well be that many species are sufficiently capable of complex emotions and other intellectual behavior previously considered exclusive hallmarks of "humanity" as to deserve greater moral consideration. If anything, the convergence of contemporary knowledge made
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