Virtue ethics and moral responsibility in Marta's abortion decision

Ethics and Ethical Case Study: Abortion

Given what an abortion involves and the parties and values at stake, it is highly likely that abortion will always be treated as a highly controversial subject within the human race. Pro-life supporters put focus on the inherent rights of fetus or embryo in being born; on the other hand, pro-choice supports emphasize the rights of the adult woman in determining whether or not she wants to bring the conceived life to term -- to this camp it's an issue of bodily privacy. The separate camps of those who support pro-life vs. those who support pro-choice doggedly debates these issues, and each seek to sway public opinion in an attempt to bolster legal support for their position -- with some parties even going so far as using threats, intimidation, stalking and violence. Thus, abortion will always be a hot-button issue for the American people. Marta through the dilemma she finds herself in is at a crossroads, placing her in a problem which is characterized by purely ethical issues.

However, the entire agency for the problem is with Marta: she caused all of these things to occur. Purpose Statement: This paper intends to prove the following thesis in terms of virtue ethics to demonstrate the inherent ethical responsibility that Marta has to her unborn child. Thesis Statement: Thus, from a perspective of virtue ethics the responsibility remains with Marta to do the most ethical thing. She should absolutely not abort her unborn child: in fact, allowing the child to come to being is perhaps the most ethically responsible choice that Marta can make.

Virtue ethics is the ideal ethical theory to use in this case, because it places the strongest focus on the moral quality of the person who is engaging in action. Thus, the issue no longer revolves around whether or not an intention is right or wrong, but on whether or not the person acting is expressing good character/moral virtues or not (Garrett, 2005). In the case of Marta, she did not act with good character: she chose to get drunk, she chose to have sex (presumably unprotected sex), and she chose to do that with someone who was virtually a complete stranger. In fact, Marta also chose to never see this person again, something else which does not indicate a strong character, put rather a proclivity for disposable relationships. Thus, carrying the child to term is one thing that Marta can do through concerted and strategic action to rectify her moral character. Character traits are created as the result of "more or less freely selected actions of a certain kind. We are not born honest or liars, but we become so by repeatedly telling the truth or by repeatedly lying. Moral Virtues… are admirable character traits; generally desirable dispositions, which contribute, among other things, to social harmony" (Garrett, 2005). Essentially, according to the world of virtue ethics, carrying the child to term is Marta's only option.

Opposing Position

One might argue that from a perspective of teleological or consequentialist ethics, Marta should get an abortion. This notion revolves around some of the more basic tenets of ethical egoism which asserts, "The ethical egoist makes this fundamental normative claim: all moral decisions should be made on the basis of a consideration of what serves the interests of the moral agent him or herself, that is, the person who is making the decision. Accordingly, the proper basis for moral judgment, for the ethical egoist, can be accurately expressed in the form of the following normative principle: One ought to do whatever is in one's own best interests" (nwmissour.edu, 2013). In this case, it is in the best interest of Marta to get an abortion so that she can continue on with her professional career plans and so that she can realize the dreams that she has consciously made and engaged in so carefully. Everyone makes mistakes, but one shouldn't be punished for one's mistakes by paying for them with the quality of one's life and sacrificing one's dreams.