Verified Document

Abortion: Two Opposing Sides Abortion Is One Application Essay

Abortion: Two Opposing Sides Abortion is one of the most difficult and controversial bioethical issues of modern times. This is perhaps because there are equally compelling arguments on both sides -- in favor of and against. When debating abortion we are dealing with the question of when human life begins in a meaningful fashion, which is, to some extent, unanswerable.

Four principles of bioethics

Autonomy: The idea that human beings are autonomous, and possess the right to govern their own fate can be used to support a women's right to choice. However, from the point-of-view of an opponent of abortion, if the fetus is a person, it possesses a right to autonomy and to choose to live. But from the mother's perspective, because it is her body at stake, her right to autonomous choice trumps the...

On one hand, the principle seems to support the idea that abortion is wrong, given that it is apparently doing harm to the fetus. However, on the other hand, going against the will of the woman to make a choice and forcing her to risk her body during a pregnancy seems to be enabling a 'harm' to be done.
3. Beneficence: Beneficence is the fundamental principle of 'doing good.' Prohibiting an abortion could be seen as doing good by supporting the birth of a human being. However, thwarting the right of a woman to autonomy over her body could be seen as the opposite of doing good. Bringing a new child into the world, either for…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

"Bioethical principles." The Nathaniel Center. [June 14, 2011]

http://www.nathaniel.org.nz/?sid=27
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Abortion Debate: Social Work
Words: 1740 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Social Work: The Abortion Debate The controversy surrounding the issue of abortion rights has been in existence since the early decades of the 19th century. Like is the case in many other countries, the pro-life and pro-choice movements are the two opposing sides in the abortion debate in the UK. Members of the pro-life movement hold the view that abortion is not justifiable under any circumstances, particularly because it amounts to

Abortion Describe the Compelling Attitudes Both for
Words: 953 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Abortion Describe the Compelling Attitudes both for and Against Abortion This paper explores the particular virtues and morals to which each side of the debate subscribe; this is of particular importance since the pro and anti-abortion camps each believe that they are morally just while contending that the other is not. According to Marquis (1989), this is the reason why neither position has successfully been able to persuade the other, and both

Abortion Pros and Cons
Words: 3407 Length: 12 Document Type: Essay

Abstract When writing an Abortion Pros and Cons Essay, it is important to maintain a balanced perspective—which can be tricky because abortion is such a polarizing issue for many people.  This article shows how to maintain that balance, first by defining abortion, second by objectively identifying the reasons given by both sides of the issue—i.e., the pros and cons of abortion; third by identifying abortion laws, and fourth by examining abortion

Abortion, Including Rape and Incest:
Words: 1381 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

While the human newborn may not have intrinsic properties that can support a moral right to life stronger than that of a fetus, the emergence of the human newborn makes it suitable to treat it like it had a stronger life. However, birth is morally significant since it's the mark of the end of one relationship and the commencement of others. On the question of the morality of abortions in rape

Abortion Nature Intends That an Offspring Should
Words: 2555 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

Abortion Nature intends that an offspring should begin and develop in the mother's baby until it is mature enough to be delivered and live on its own. Those nine months of gestation in the mother's womb pose a long-standing controversy, which pits the rights of the unborn child against the rights of the mother. One side, called pro-life, holds that the embryo or fetus has full and distinct rights to life

Abortion Ever Since in the
Words: 1432 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Whether a probable existing advocate of slavery could offer satisfactory reasons is a decision that is not neutral and unqualified but joined to the background of individual's modern standards. In the same way, the adequacy of the reasons specified by pro-choice or pro-life supporters is relative to the literary context in which an individual judge it. The literary climate nowadays makes the reasons given by pro-choice supporters seem sensible,

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now