Moral Issues Unit 3

Abortion: Spontaneous and Therapeutic Abortion

Abortion are cases in which a pregnancy is intentionally interrupted and involves (as part of the process or aim of interruption) the intentional killing of the fetus. Spontaneous abortion is a miscarriage and a therapeutic abortion is performed for medical reasons to protect the health or life of the mother or fetus

Zygote

A fertilized ovum

Embryo

A stage in prenatal development which in humans begins at roughly the second week of pregnancy and lasts until roughly the eighth week

Fetus

Used in a strict biological sense, a fetus is an unborn vertebrate animal that has developed to the point of having the basic structure that is characteristic of its kind. This stage is characterized by growth and full development of its organs

Viability

The stage in fetal development wherein it is possible for the fetus to survive outside the uterus

Moral standing of the fetus

The ethical status or inherent rights attributed to a developing fetus

Permissive and impermissive views on abortion

Permissive views support the legality of abortion, allowing it in most or all circumstances, often citing bodily autonomy and women's rights as key factors. Impermissive views oppose abortion, considering it morally wrong in most or all cases and sometimes restricting it only to save the woman's life

Personhood

The legal and moral status of an embryo or fetus, with different viewpoints on when it begins and what rights it confers

Conservative argument against abortion

These are primarily based on the belief that life begins at conception and that a fetus is a human being with a right to life

Warren: Five Traits of a Person and her view on abortion

These trait are consciousness, reasoning, self-motivated activity, the ability to communicate, and awareness of oneself. Warren claims that since a fetus has not yet acquired all of the traits, then that fetus is not human and therefore does not have the right to life

Marquis: The Wrongness of Killing and the FLO Argument

An argument posits that killing is wrong because it deprives a being of a potential future filled with value, similar to the future an adult human anticipates. By claiming that a fetus has an FLO and that killing an adult human is wrong for the same reason (depriving them of an FLO), Marquis argues that abortion is seriously morally wrong. The argument rests on the idea that a future of value is the primary reason killing is wrong

Thomson: Three Analogies for Bodily Rights on Abortion

The Violinist Analogy (Involuntary Pregnancy): You wake up to find yourself plugged into a famous violinist, who needs your kidneys to survive. You were connected without your consent and, if you disconnect, he will die. Thomson argues that, while it may be kind to remain connected, you are not morally obligated to do so. A person's right to life does not grant them the right to use another person's body without their consent. This analogy addresses situations like pregnancy resulting from rape, where the pregnant person did not consent to the pregnancy and thus does not have a moral obligation to sustain the fetus

The People-Seed Analogy (Consensual Pregnancy): People-seeds float through the air like pollen, and they can take root and grow into a human infant in your house if a window is left open. You install mesh screens on your windows (like contraception) to prevent this from happening. However, on rare occasions, a screen may be defective, and a people-seed gets in and takes root. Thomson posits that even if one has taken reasonable precautions to avoid pregnancy (like using contraception), they are not morally obligated to allow the resulting "plant" to grow in their house, even though it was a mistake. This analogy deals with consensual sexual activity that leads to pregnancy, even when using contraception. It suggests that even if conception was consensual, the resulting pregnancy is not a relationship that one is forced to sustain, particularly if the initial conditions have changed or if it was not intended

The Square Footage Analogy (Bodily Autonomy): Thomson's less explicit, but implied, analogy suggests that you have a right to decide how much of your own private property (e.g., square footage) is used by others. The use of your body by another requires your consent. You are not required to give up your own "space" to accommodate another person's need, especially if that accommodation was not requested and is not a mutually agreed upon arrangement. This directly addresses the claim that an abortion is a denial of a person's right to life. Thomson counters that a right to life does not equal a right to use another person's body. One is not obligated to allow someone else to use their body for an indefinite period, and this principle applies to the fetus's claim on the pregnant person's body. 

Good Samaritan vs. minimally decent Samaritan

A Good Samaritan performs a significant act of self-sacrifice to help another, going far beyond moral duty, while a Minimally Decent Samaritan performs a modest, low-cost act of assistance that is considered the moral minimum required to help someone in need