2669659
Abortion and the
right to a child
- The deliberate
termination of a
pregnancy by
artificial means
- In 1967, it became
legal in the UK up to
28 weeks
- In 1991, this
was reduced
to 24 weeks
- This before the foetus can
survive independendtly
- The foetus may
be aborted past
this time to save
the mother, or in
case of severe
abnormality
- If it can survive
outside the womb,
it needs legal
protection
- The 'viability
phase' is
20-24 weeks
- The foetus may
be aborted past
this time to save
the mother, or in
case of severe
abnormality
- This before the foetus can
survive independendtly
- In 1991, this
was reduced
to 24 weeks
- 30% of
pregnancies are
aborted
- In 1967, it became
legal in the UK up to
28 weeks
- The issues
- What is a person?
- When does life begin?
- Is it murder
to abort a
foetus?
- Is there
always a duty
to preserve
innocent life?
- Is the
mother or
the foetus
more
important?
- Is human life
intrinsically valuable?
- What is a person?
- When does life begin? (Personhood)
- Once you've
decided a
foetus is a
person, it
needs
protection
- The Catholic
Church teaches
that life begins
at conception
- This comes
from Pope
Pius XI's 'Casti
Connubi'
- The 1982
Warnock
Committee
found that
conception
is a
process,
not a
moment
- The 1982
Warnock
Committee
found that
conception
is a
process,
not a
moment
- This is an
attractively
clear-cut
definition
- Biblical support:
Jeremiah 1:5 -
'Before I formed
you in the womb I
knew you.'
- Biblical support:
Jeremiah 1:5 -
'Before I formed
you in the womb I
knew you.'
- This comes
from Pope
Pius XI's 'Casti
Connubi'
- A foetus is a
potential
person
- You could say the
same for sperm
and eggs but they
don't get legal
protection
- The law says
personhood occurs
after conception,
from 24 weeks
- Other options:
- Implantation
in the womb
(6-7 weeks)
- Heartbeat
starts (4
weeks)
- The primitive
streak - when
you can tell if
there are twins
(14th day)
- Birth
- Supported
by Mary
Anne
Warren -
no longer
total
reliance on
mother
- Criticised by
Joseph Glover -
there's no
difference
between a born
baby and a late
foetus
- Supported
by Mary
Anne
Warren -
no longer
total
reliance on
mother
- Aquinas said
ensoulment
was at 40 days
for boys and 90
for girls
- Implantation
in the womb
(6-7 weeks)
- Other options:
- You could say the
same for sperm
and eggs but they
don't get legal
protection
- Once you've
decided a
foetus is a
person, it
needs
protection
- The
sanctity
of life
- The idea that all life is
sacred because it
comes from God and
so we have a duty to
protect it
- Catholics say we are made
'imago dei' - in God's image
(Genesis 1:26)
- If all life comes from
God, only he can decide
when to end it
- The double
effect is
tolerated
(when a
foetus is killed
to protect the
mother's life)
- The double
effect is
tolerated
(when a
foetus is killed
to protect the
mother's life)
- 'Weak' sanctity of life
is the belief that
exceptions can be
made
- The Church of England's report
of 1965 said that there must be
compassion for the mother's
physical and mental health
- At times a foetus
may be seen as an
'aggressor'
- At times a foetus
may be seen as an
'aggressor'
- The Church of England's report
of 1965 said that there must be
compassion for the mother's
physical and mental health
- Catholics say we are made
'imago dei' - in God's image
(Genesis 1:26)
- For and against
- For
- Values all human life equally
- Respects the individual's future
- There can be no group pressure to abort a disabled foetus
- Values all human life equally
- Against
- The mother's wishes may not be considered
- Sperm and
eggs not seen
as people?
- Peter Singer - why do we not
have that consideration for animal
foetuses?
- Natural selection disproves 'imago dei'
- The mother's wishes may not be considered
- For
- The idea that all life is
sacred because it
comes from God and
so we have a duty to
protect it
- Quality of life
- Factors in pain,
rational choice, and
the right to enjoy life
- Considers
mother,
foetus and
society, but
often the
mother
comes first
- Judith Jarvis Thomas: the
dying violinist analogy - you
have no duty to him, and
you have no duty to a
foetus.
- He has a right to life, but you
have no obligation to give it
- He has a right to life, but you
have no obligation to give it
- Judith Jarvis Thomas: the
dying violinist analogy - you
have no duty to him, and
you have no duty to a
foetus.
- Is this playing
God? Is there
disrespect for
the human life?
- Considers
mother,
foetus and
society, but
often the
mother
comes first
- Factors in pain,
rational choice, and
the right to enjoy life
- What is a
person?
- Genetically
human?
- Conceived
by humans?
- Has a soul?
- Has a future?
- Able to
survive
birth?
- Mary
Anne
Warren's
criteria
- Sentience
- Emotionality
- Reason
- Communication
- Self-awareness
- Moral agency
- Not all are vital, but a foetus has none
- Sentience
- Genetically
human?
- Applying
ethical
theories to
abortion
- Utilitarianism
- Human
life does
not have
an
absolute
value
- Address
each situation
individually
- Address all results and
how they affect those
concerned - not easy
- Preference utilitarianism completely
disregards the foetus as it has no
preference
- Preference utilitarianism completely
disregards the foetus as it has no
preference
- Address all results and
how they affect those
concerned - not easy
- Human
life does
not have
an
absolute
value
- Natural
law
- Doesn't look at consequences
or people, but the action
- Abortion goes
against reproduction
- Innocent life
- Innocent life
- Abortion goes
against reproduction
- Doesn't look at consequences
or people, but the action
- Utilitarianism
- Kant
- Abortion is
hard to
universalise
because there
are so many
conflicting
circumstances
and POVs
- Emotion must
be disregarded
- makes this a
bad theory to
use?
- Consequences
ignored
- Stage of
pregnancy
probably not
considered
- Foetus could
be a means to
a contented life
- Foetus could
be a means to
a contented life
- Stage of
pregnancy
probably not
considered
- Consequences
ignored
- Emotion must
be disregarded
- makes this a
bad theory to
use?
- Abortion is
hard to
universalise
because there
are so many
conflicting
circumstances
and POVs
- The
right to
a child
- IVF is used to help
infertile couples
have children
- Louise Brown - first IVF baby, 1978
- What are the issues?
- Is a child a gift or a right?
- Are sperm samples
acceptable? (Some catholics
say that sperm should not be
wasted)
- Discarded
sperm/eggs/foetuses?
- Foetuses used in
experimentation
- Foetuses used in
experimentation
- Discarded
sperm/eggs/foetuses?
- Third parties - donors and surrogates
- Not what God wants - 'Hannah had no children,
because the Lord had closed her womb.'
- Saviour siblings and designer babies?
- Will it provide less
motivation to prevent
causes of infertility and
miscarriages?
- Is a child a gift or a right?
- Solution to a
medical problem
or playing God?
- Louise Brown - first IVF baby, 1978
- Who might not have a right?
- 1948 declaration of
human rights says we all
have a 'right to found a
family'
- This is not a
specific right to
reproduce
- This is not a
specific right to
reproduce
- Elderly mothers? Maria del
Carmen Bousada - twin sons
age 67 by IVF, then died of
stomach cancer two years later
- Protestants: banning IVF 'refuses a right to create God's image in our own'
- Do men have as much right to reproduce as women?
- There are some restrictions on reproduction anyway - incest
- 1948 declaration of
human rights says we all
have a 'right to found a
family'
- Applying
ethical
theories
- Situation ethics -
absolutely allowed if love
is the motive and
outcome
- Natural law - supports
reproduction, but
misuse of the body if
donor or donating
sperm
- Destruction of
embryos
- Destruction of
embryos
- Utilitarianism
- Measures pain
of unused
embryos
against the
pleasure of
the baby and
parents
- The embryos are less
important, and not sacred
- Considers
overpopulation, and
cost to the NHS
- Considers
overpopulation, and
cost to the NHS
- The embryos are less
important, and not sacred
- Measures pain
of unused
embryos
against the
pleasure of
the baby and
parents
- Kant
- No means to an
end
- So saviour siblings and surrogacy are not allowed
- Universalising is tricky because of so many
different issues - eg the elderly
- Hard to know if Kant would consider the embryo to be a
person since IVG and abortion were not an issue when he
was alive!
- Hard to know if Kant would consider the embryo to be a
person since IVG and abortion were not an issue when he
was alive!
- Universalising is tricky because of so many
different issues - eg the elderly
- So saviour siblings and surrogacy are not allowed
- No means to an
end
- Situation ethics -
absolutely allowed if love
is the motive and
outcome
- IVF is used to help
infertile couples
have children
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