Abortion from different ethical points of view. This article is not attempting to say whether abortion is right or wrong, it is meerly showing what different ethical systems would make of abortion, and if they would support the notion of abortion or be against the notion of abortion.
Terms
- Abortion: This is the deliberate killing of a fertilised egg from a pregnant woman.
- Pre-embryo: this is the name given to the fertilised egg between the points of conception and 14 days after conception.
- Embryo: This is 2-8 weeks after conception.
- Foetus: The happens 8 weeks after conception up to the time of birth.
- Zygote: This is recently-fertilised egg.
General abortion facts.
- An estimated 68,000 women a year die from ‘unsafe’ illegal abortions (prochoice.org).
- The total amount of abortions carried out in England and Wales in 2004 was 185,400, compared to 181,600 in 2003 (increase of 2.1%).
- More abortions are done earlier in the pregnancy (88% of abortions in 2004 were under 18 weeks jestation.
Key Laws
- The Offences against the Person Act 1861: This basically disalowed using implements or drugs to induce a miscaridge is illegal, the punishment for this was a life sentance in prison.
- The Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929: This ruled that it was wrong to kill a child after it could be have been born alive. Unless to preserve the life of the mother.
- Steele’s Abortion Act 1967: This stated that two doctors could decide to do an abortion if the continuation of the pregnancy, caused a significant risk to the mothers life, if the new child would cause significant risk of physical or mental injury to the mother or existing children and if the child would be born with substansial mental or physical abnormalities. This legally protected the doctors, and made it wasier for a woman to obtain an abortion.
- Alton’s Abortion Reform Act 1991: This meant that babies over 24 weeks old were given legal protection from abortion.
Stages of development
- 13-14 days after conception a ‘primitive streak’ appears, this will later develop into the central nervous system. The spontaneous splitting of the blastocyst is no longer possible i.e. twins are no longer possible thus it is now 1 person, and is now referred to as an embryo- its still only a blob of tissues.
- At 7 weeks pain censors appear yet at this stage the higher functions of the brain have not developed, and the pain censors can not actually send messages to the brain- Conservative Christians tend to believe that it now can feel pain.
- At 10 weeks features are distinctable, and its gender may be worked out via ultra-sound. It is now a fetus.
- At 17 weeks, the fetus’ movements may begin to be felt. Also its heart-beat can now be detected.
- At 22 weeks, the fetus’ lungs may be developed to a point where it can survive on its own.
- At 26 weeks the bronchioles develops, and interlinking of the brains neurons begin, this mean that the brain begins to function on a higher level for the first time. It is also now self-aware.
Abortion Methods
- Suction Canula: This is for early abortions and it dismembers the foetus.
- Urea Abortion: Urea is inserted into the pregnant uterus and the child then breaths in the urea and dies.
- Dilation and Curetage (C&E): This will mean the surgical dismemberment of the baby.
- Dilation and Evacuation (D&E): Used up to 18 weeks’ after conception, a pair of forceps is inserted into the womb to grasp part of the foetus
- Menstural extraction: This happens very early in pregnancy performed using a small tube without a great deal of cervix dilation.
- Saline Abortion or ‘Salt poisoining’: Is used after the 16th week of pregnancy, a needle is inserted is inserted into the amniotic fluid, the unborn child will then swallow the salt and be poisoned by it. The mother gives birth 24-48 hours later. This is highly dangerous to the mother and is banned in Sweeden and Japan.
- Prostaglandin Abortion: Usually done during the second half of the pregnancy, the mother then has long and painfull contractions, in which the child is suffocated
- Hysterotomy: Much like a ceaserian section, but the idea is to kill rather than save the child. Some babies actually survive this and are subsequently given up for abortion.
- Hysterectomy: This is the removal of the unborn child at the same time as the uterus, this makes the mother infertile.
- Abortion Pill (RU-486) also known as Mifepristone: This is the only one out of a family of abortifacients which kill the developing human after fertilisation. Somestimes called ‘post-coital contraceptives’.
- Partial birth abortion (D&X): Partial birth used after 26 weeks of pregnancy. Ultrasound is used to find the foetus’ legs and one leg is pulled into the vagina by forceps while the other leg & torso are delivered by hand. The head remains in the uterus and a hole is created in the head killing the child.
The main ethical issues in abortion
- The rights of the mother versus the rights of the unborn child.
- Defining person-hood.
- To what extent can all life be
considered sacred?
The rights of the mother versus the rights of the child.
- Feminist- “…the wellbeing of the woman and the value of her life plan should always be recognised as of intrinsic nature…”- Beverly Harrison.
- Feminists argue that the woman should have the right over her own body. Therefore a feminist would argue that women have no moral obligation to give birth; and should have the right to choose.
- Judith Jarvis Thomson Believes that the foetus is in fact a 'person' at the point of conception, but she argues that an abortion may is morally acceptable, if there is danger to the mothers life, as the mother as the right to self defence. She also argues that the mother has ownership over her own body, and that allows her to use her body in the way that she wants. [1]
- On the other hand a conservative Christian would argue in favour of sanctity of life, and as having an abortion is arguably murder it is therefore wrong. They may even argue that the woman has a duty to preserve life. For example in Exodus, the 10th Commandment states that ‘thou shalt not kill’.
Personhood.
- Peter Singer (Utilitarian) argues that something can only be a ‘person’ if it is self aware and has temporal awareness. Therefore abortion is right as the foetus cannot be defined as a ‘person’. He also argues that you can kill a baby at up to 3 months old, as before that time it is still not self-aware. [2]
- On the other hand a religious person might also argue that someone only becomes a ‘person’ when they acquire a ‘soul’. Aquinas believed that the soul enters boys at 42 days and girls at 90 days, and therefore it is ok to kill ‘people’ before the soul enters them.[3]
- Ramsay and Curran argue that it is ok to have an abortion before 14 days, as after 14 days the conceptus can no longer split into twins. He also argues that as the natural abortion rate up until 14 days is 50% after 14 days it has more than a 50-50 chance of survival and thus should be considered a person.
Personhood cont.
- In 1988 the Archbishop of York John Habgood argued that only when cells differentiate can an embryo be considered a person.
- The current Catholic teaching is that personhood starts at conception therefore any abortion is wrong.
- It is then possible to criticise Singers view, as he is saying that mentally retarded people are not human.
- It is very difficult to pick out a single moment when the foetus becomes a ‘person’ as it is just a long and gradual process.
Sanctity of Life?
- In 1982, the late John Paul II said in a speech relating to embryo experimentation:- ‘…I condemn in the most explicit and formal way, experimental manipulation of the human embryo, since the human being, form conception to death, cannot be exploited for any purpose whatsoever…’. Basically Catholics would argue that all life is sacred and that you cannot kill for whatever reason.
HOWEVER:
- Arguably if the foetus’ quality of life is at a level where its existence in the world is more painful than pleasurable the sanctity of life can be violated. (Utilitarianism)
If the mother’s life is at risk then arguably killing the foetus is the ‘lesser of two evils’. (Proportianlism). Or Doctrine of Double effect could apply, as then intent is to save mother and the death of the foetus is just an undesirable consequence
Abortion from a Utilitarian point of view.
- It is possible to justify killing if the foetus cannot pain i.e. at 26 weeks when we see the interlinking of the brain’s neurons.
- Painless abortion methods maybe ok, as the abortion is therefore likely to result in greater overall happiness e.g. Abortion Pill *(RU-486) as there is no pain to either party and therefore not such methods as Prostaglandin Abortion: Usually done during the second half of the pregnancy, the mother then has long and painfull contractions, in which the child is suffocated.
‘The question is not can they reason nor can they talk, but can they suffer?’Jeremy Bentham[4]
- According to Utilitarianism we must consider the hapiness off all those involved, e.g. Foetus, partner, mother. ‘Greatest good for the greatest amount of people’
Abortion according to N.L.T
- According to N.L.T one of the purposes of humans is to reproduce, and by killing the child you are going completely against that principle.
- According to N.L.T. all humans strive for life therefore all life is sacred, and you cannot justify taking it away, this therefore makes abortion akin to homicide and thus wrong.
HOWEVER:
- Abortion can be seen just to be a furtherance of the human ability to reason.
The aforementioned doctrine of double effect & proportionalism can also be used to justify an abortion.