...Maxwell Husband St. Joseph’s University Moral Foundations T/TR 8:30-9:45 “Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice” Abortion is and forever will be a very controversial topic of discussion. It has been debated for years whether it is morally right or wrong. Abortion is a unique subject in that it involves not only morality but also a large amount of theology, emotion, and law. It is also unique because it forces people to choose one side or the other, there is a very small gray area when it comes to this debate, and the side that I will fall on in this essay is the pro-choice side. In this essay I will attempt prove that abortion is not murdering an innocent fetus and that the arguments for pro-choice are stronger than the ones for pro-life. The main point of disagreement between the two sides is what constitutes life, when does human life actually begin? I believe to construct a sound argument this issue must be examined first. I will then go on to cover other various pro-choice points such as a women’s right to choose, the quality of life for the potential child, and the extreme circumstances that will disprove the notion that abortion is morally wrong. As stated in my opening paragraph, the key issue in the case of abortion is determining the status of the fetus in the sense of its humanity. It is my belief that a fetus does not qualify as a human. I agree with Warren when she states that “human being” is a term that is not often distinguished, she suggests that there are two...
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...Jane English states that from the liberal point of view the main argument of abortion is that its the woman's body and she can do whatever she wants with it. English then goes to refute this argument by saying “You cannot do as you please with your own body if it affects other people adversely.” (English, 128). As a counter argument to pro-abortion choice English then gives the argument that a fetus is not a person so therefore it would make it okay to kill the fetus. This is where English then uses the example that animals are also not a person but yet it still wouldn't be right to do as we please and kill animals. English then implements the counter argument that animals are killed for sport, food, and experimentation, just as long as...
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...Sample PERS 2001 Exam Questions Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. Modules 1-Introduction, 2-Overview of Legal Systems and 3-Death Penalty 1. The Uniform Crime Report “Crime Rate” allows a. police to set a value on crimes c. comparison of crime over time and in different locations b. police to report crimes d. comparison of crime between countries 2. In the United States, all states except one use a similar source for their law. Which state is different? a. Louisiana c. Alaska b. Hawaii d. California 3. The United Nations has three major components: a. General Secretary, Chief Justice and c. justification, excuse, alibi and Council procedural b. justification, excuse, alibi and d. General Assembly, Security Council, procedural and Secretariat 4. The state with the largest death row population is a. Texas c. Georgia b. Virginia d. California Modules 4- Drug Laws & Policy and 5-Marriage & Homophobia 5. In the United States, what percentage of federal prisoners are incarcerated for drug and drug related offenses? a. 5% c. 50% b. 10% d. 100% 6. One major problem of physical dependence on drugs is a. as time goes on, the user develops a c. as time goes on, the user gets bored tolerance to the drug, requiring smaller with the drug and/or less frequent dosage b. as time goes on, the user develops a d. there are no problems associated with tolerance to the drug, requiring larger physical dependence on drugs and/or...
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...| | Abortion is the process by which a developing child is removed from its mother’s womb. Is it morally right to kill another human being? Abortion is an act of violence towards the child and mother no matter what the situation is. Who gave human beings the right to decide which human being is worth life? Why do we allow people to hold such power to something that providence has created? Once a child has been given a chance to come on this earth it should have the right to live full life, and given a chance just like the rest of us. A woman may undergo the physical part of abortion, but she is not the only one affected by the act, how about the emotional and mental stress that the close ones and family go through? Our society is has turned upside down. What happened to morals and values, appreciation of the gift of life? Have we become so engrossed in the things that are of less significance and forgotten how this world came to be? We have allowed morals, values and ethics to become debatable and in this process the important aspects of our cultures are getting lost. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary abortion is the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus. Nicely put as a definition, but I see it as the murdering of developing babies. Everything that is created has a purpose and meaning, by killing a fetus we are depriving the child of its purpose and meaning. The main argument...
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...The issue of abortion is one that has been at the recent forefront of many political discussions in the United States and around the world. There are people spread across both sides of the argument whose opinions vary in intensity and depend on different sources of information to back up their points of view. For the purpose of this paper, abortion will be defined as the deliberate termination of human pregnancy. It is my opinion that abortion, completed early enough in a pregnancy, is not an unethical act and should not be considered to be a decision that is immoral. My argument is based on ideas that are rooted in both utilitarian and deontological ethics as I will show throughout the essay. One of the few religions to condone acts of abortion is Hinduism. This is not to say, however, that Hinduism is blindly accepting of all kinds of abortion. In Hinduism, the belief is that one should make a decision based on what kind of effect it will have on all those involved. This is a very utilitarian way of looking at abortion because it looks at the decision and determines which choice will cause the least amount of harm to the mother, father, fetus, and society (BBC, 2013). Traditionally in Hindu culture, when considering circumstances where abortion is a possible solution to a problem, it is usually found that the procedure is not the appropriate response to the situation and aborting the baby would have negative social and spiritual consequences. I believe this is important because...
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...D’Andrea Coulter Traina Government 2305 09/10/10 Liberalism “If by a “liberal” they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without ridged reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people – their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a “liberal” then I’m proud to say I’m a liberal” – John F. Kennedy Liberalism “is a political philosophy or worldview founded on ideas of liberty and equality.” (Girvetz). Liberals stand for the protection of individuals from being harmed by others and who better to protect these individuals then the government. However, they have their cons about government. Liberals notice it’s possible that the government can be a threat to liberty. They believe in the system that makes sure the government protect the citizens of America, but prevents those who governs the people not to abuse their power. The different schools of political thought that fall under the banner of liberalism are that liberals have many ideas that they support such as free and fair elections, private property, civil rights, religion, freedom of the press, sex education, paying taxes, social programs (like food stamps, social security and health care…etc.), and free trade. Liberalism and conservatism make the two major political...
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...ever deems power within a particular nation. As straight-forward as this may seem, a sense of moral and reason tend to influence the law where a specific statute may not exist. If an individual is convicted of a crime, of which is not stated in a state or nation’s penal code, how is it possible to be convicted at all? If an individual proceeds to use a defense in a lawful contention such as the “right to privacy,” which is not explicitly written in the Constitution, is it a valid defense at all? I believe these can be answered, with the consideration of and through, moral and reason. Using the United States as an example, the law has been divided between the common law of the nation and its military legal system. There is a need to separate these systems solely because the responsibilities and duties of a civilian and a servicemen are simply incompatible. As we know The Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. Therefore, not only does each individual state govern with The Constitution at hand, but they also provide a separate penal code unique to its own. Laws prohibiting a personal liberty such as abortion (where arguments have been made whether this is true), have been declared unconstitutional in certain states where in others it is not; states simply have that power. But where does the claim “unconstitutional” become void due to moral and reasonable leniency? This will be further analyzed. The military justice system is based around the Manual for...
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... provided abortions and trained each other to perform the procedures. In the past century different states had begun to outlaw any procedure that would terminate or avoid pregnancy. In 1973(?) the United States Supreme Court asserted a woman's constitutional right to abortion in determining Roe v. Wade. After several decades of quiet disagreement, abortion has once again become a political hotbed. Under the direction of religious fundamentalists and fanatical anti-‐abortionists, this privacy right is in jeopardy. While both sides present strong arguments, these same positions have already been exhaustively debated and ruled upon by the Supreme Court. To turn back the clock on this issue would discriminate not only against women, but even more so against those in lower socio-‐economic groups. Therefore, the United States should protect a woman's Constitutional Right to choose. Should they choose abortion for ...
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...Is killing off a child before the mother gives birth wrong? Is abortion perfectly normal? Abortion is a common debate around the world. Some people believe that abortion is okay and in some cases, needed and some believe it is bad all around. Abortion is sometimes viewed wrong by people because they don't know the real meaning. Abortion is the ending of pregnancy by removing a fetus or embryo before it can survive outside the uterus. In that case when the baby gets well over developed that it can survive outside the uterus it would not be abortion, it would be killing an actually living human being. To begin with abortion can be a good thing to do when the family or mother is not financially ready to raise a child. If a mother can...
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...A Defense of Abortion by Judith Jarvis Thomson Abortion can be a very touchy subject for many people for many different reasons. The knowledge that goes along with having an opinion about abortion is sometimes nonexistent; I have heard presentation after presentation about what people’s opinions are without the intelligence that you should have when you are bill boarding those thoughts. Reading A Defense of Abortion by Judith Jarvis Thomson is an article that covers these topics from the most common arguments to her personal thought experiments and it a has a refreshing way of discussing the arguments. I also find that every time I read the article I change my mind about what her feelings about the subject truly are. The most common and the first argument that Thomson discusses is that people believe that the fetus is a human being from the time of conception. Thomson argues this point by saying we are told to think of the development of fetus to birth and through childhood as a continuous life and then we are told to pick a point and draw and line showing "before this point the thing is not a person, after this point it is a person", which in my opinion and I believe Thomson’s as well is just showing the fetus and even the infant is not a person and makes the argument invalid. Then she also goes on to explore the idea that just because an acorn becomes an oak tree it doesn’t mean an acorn is an oak tree, or should just say this is true since we say a fetus is a person? If we...
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...demonstrations held every day, yet somehow abortion is still legal in the United States. In the decision of the Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, it was ruled that women have the right, given to them by the Constitution, to have an abortion in the early stages of pregnancy (Infoplease). Hundreds of protesters gather outside clinics that offer abortions and try to present their position on the issue, but it seems as though their cries and complains are never heard. The main question that we must decide on is this: is it just to take away human life before it even has the chance to be lived? Several countries around the world have outlawed the practice of abortion. When deciding the abortion issue, its women’s rights as citizens of the United States versus the religious beliefs of a majority of citizens. What is more important, the sanctity of life or allowing murder on the basis of one’s right to choose? Given the abortion procedure allows women sexual and reproductive freedom, it has unconsciously led to a trend where abortion is being used as a method of contraception. In the United States, 49% of the pregnancies are unintended and American women used abortion as a tool to terminate almost half of these pregnancies (Infoplease). Abortion was not meant to be used in accidental pregnancies, but its purpose was to cease pregnancies that could possibly result in the death of the mother or if the baby had major genetic defects that could possibly be fatal. Abortion was never meant to be used as...
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...Is Abortion Immoral? Question 1: Imagine two philosophers sitting on a bench at the county morgue. They are looking at the bodies being brought in and three in particular interest them. One is a woman who was six months pregnant due to rape and died from the pregnancy complication. She wanted to have an abortion but it (abortion) was illegal under all circumstances in her state. One is the body of a woman who died after attempting to give herself an abortion with a coat hanger. She was a poor woman who lives in the slums; she had no money to take care of the child and no way to feed her living children if she lost her work from the pregnancy. Another body is that of a one-month-old fetus that was aborted once the mother found out that it was going to be a girl. She has just had one child and wanted to wait for a couple of years to have another. While looking at these bodies the philosophers begin to discuss the question: “Is abortion immoral”? How would the discussion proceed if the two philosophers were: 1) You and Judith Thomson? 2) You ad Sidney Callahan? 3) Which position (s) do you find morally compelling and why? In this scenario, the two philosophers are sitting on a bench at the county morgue. They are looking at the bodies that died involving abortion’s issues. I will call case A – a woman who was six months pregnant due to rape and died from the pregnancy complication because abortion was illegal in her state. Case B is the poor...
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...Rafael Edward Cruz was born December 22, 1970. Cruz was elected to the U.S senate in 2012 and was the first Hispanic American to serve as a U.S senator representing Texas. Ted Cruz is a Republican candidate who strongly supports keeping god in public schools, stricter punishment that reduces crime, and never legalizing marijuana. As well Cruz opposes abortion being a woman’s right, same sex marriage and LGBT rights, pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens, and staying out of Iran. Ted Cruz has worked to strengthen border security and help ensure that America remains a nation of laws. Among other efforts, he has worked on efforts to increase penalties for felons who enter the country illegally. Ted Cruz’s views on abortion include that...
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...Abortion is a topic that has become one of the biggest issues debated in the United States and in other countries today. Different schools of thoughts have different ideas and opinions regarding abortion, some ideas are pro-abortion and some argue for the abolishment of it. Abortion is one of the most complex problems dividing America with either side being so passionate about their stand it has been known to cause a lot of hate the other side. Abortion is the removal or the expulsion of an embryo or the fetus from the female’s uterus resulting to the termination of pregnancy. Abortion may occur spontaneously through a miscarriage or may be artificially induced through chemical or by surgical means. An induced abortion refers to any induced procedure that is performed at any point during the pregnancy period which will lead to the termination of the pregnancy before the point of viability. The most common abortion method today is artificial and medically induced. Abortion in the United States was illegal in most states until it was made officially legal throughout the country following the United States Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973. The case involved a single, pregnant woman named Jane Roe who wanted to have an abortion. During that time, the only way to get an abortion was through illegal and unsafe means that could endanger her life. Jane Roe wanted to have an abortion which would be performed by a licensed physician so that it would be under...
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...Abortion is one of the most persistently controversial and debated issues in American politics, culture, and media today. While it is depicted as a two-sided argument, with constituents being either prochoice or prolife, the debate over abortion is overwhelmingly multifaceted and involves an extensive look into the healthcare, biology, ethics, morality, and constitutional rights that affect the issue. It is definitively impractical to generate a logically consistent position on abortion without being subject to abandoning another beliefs, let alone attempting to find a middle ground. Yet with any heated debate, the issues cannot methodically be traced into the confines of black and white. In trying to vindicate or denounce abortion, it is often necessary to observe the grey as we attempt to deduce whether, if ever, abortion can be justified. The abortion debate begins with the moral status of the fetus If the fetus has no rights then the abortion is not an issue, but if the fetus does indeed have rights, then abortion does not solely concern the freedom of the mother, rather it constitutes the deliberate destruction of a human being with personal freedom. However, in the cases of self-defense, just war, and capital punishment, don’t we a society allow the murder of human beings, each with their own set of personal freedoms? Implicit in the claim that it is unethical to kill a human being deliberately is the idea that we have rights because we are human beings therefore can...
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