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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 sides have had difficulty compromising and arriving at any middle ground. The basis for such divisiveness stems from altering perceptions of whether a fetus constitutes a human being; while the anti-abortion group believes that a fetus is in fact a living being (such that abortion becomes equated with murder) the pro-abortion camp asserts that a fetus is not yet a human being and so abortion is not a form of murder. Meanwhile, those who are pro-abortion believe that the anti-abortion camp is immoral due to a perceived restriction on women's freedom.
One of the chief virtues espoused by the anti-abortion camp is the necessity for a unified family. It is believed by this group that abortion results in (or even promotes) sexual promiscuity, since men and women are not punished for their promiscuity. Moreover, there is a fear that if abortion were to become more culturally acceptable, society would no longer remain reproductive and the population would decrease. The emphasis on reproductive society is particularly germane to the anti-abortion argument since its position...
Accordingly, it is important to note that a significant segment of the anti-abortion community is staunchly religious; while there are certainly members of the pro-abortion group who are religious, the ratio is dwarfed by that of the opposing camp.
Another virtue preached by the anti-abortion position is informed decision-making with regard to having sexual intercourse. Specifically, it is believed that because people are aware that they can have an abortion should pregnancy result from sexual intercourse, they engage in sexual intercourse with no regard for the biological consequences. Instead of only having sex with someone with whom one is committed to having children, people are openly promiscuous and it is the potential for such reckless behavior that represents perhaps the backbone for the anti-abortion community.
The pro-abortion community also assents to universal virtues, yet the specific principles differ between the two opposing viewpoints. Perhaps the foremost virtue advocated for by the pro-abortion group is freedom; it is believed that with the option for abortion, people are free to engage in sexual relations without the unwanted possible outcome of a child. Even when people practice safe sexual intercourse and use protection, there still remains the small chance that a woman can…
References
Dejanikus, T., & Rylance, M. (1979). pro & anti-choice dialogue: cooptation or cooperation? Off Our Backs, 9(3), 4-5, 28.
Lake, R.A. (1984). Order and disorder in anti-abortion rhetoric: A logological view. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 70(4), 425-443.
Marquis, D. (1989). Why abortion is immoral. The Journal of Philosophy, 86(4), 183-202.
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