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Abortion

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation
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Abortion

In recent years, the issue of abortion has increasingly become contentious both legally and

ethically. Given its contentious nature, the definition of abortion has become an uphill task

for lawmakers and other stakeholders, making the topic even more disputatious. Shiel W. C.

(2019) defines abortion as “the premature exit of the products of conception- the foetus,

foetal membranes and placenta- from the uterus.” For this essay, abortion will be considered

as the ending/termination of a pregnancy before the foetus reaches a viable age, usually 28

weeks. With different stakeholders having different definitions and opinions on abortion, the

controversy surrounding the issue makes it harder to settle conclusively. Today's world where

information spreads almost instantaneously allows people around the country, and the world,

to have discussions on abortion, often leading to the agreement that every opinion counts.

However, I believe there is a need to have a single definition and agreeable conclusion on the

controversial topic, one which will form the basis for legal, medical and ethical decisions on

abortion.

Liberals, moderates and conservatives have conflicting opinions on abortion. Dagger R. et al.

(2019) insists that liberalism is a “political doctrine that takes protecting and enhancing the

freedom of the individual to be the central problem of politics.” Liberals, as Martin notes,

argue that since a foetus lacks the six feature characteristics of person- sentience,

emotionality, reason, the capacity to communicate, self-awareness and morel agency-

abortion is entirely up to the woman, regardless of any other determining factors.

Conservatism, on the other hand, is a political and social philosophy promoting traditional

social institutions, organic society, hierarchy, authority and property rights (Dagger R. et al.

2019). Conservatives distinguish a foetus as a person with a soul, arguing there is no fine line

of distinction between an infant and a zygote; thus, all should be accorded the same rights. As
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such, conservatives consider abortion seriously morally wrong, regardless of the

circumstances leading to and during pregnancy. Moderates are people who are, politically

speaking, in the centre- they are not quite left or right but in in the middle. On the one hand,

moderates draw a line between a person and nonperson at an earlier stage that liberals but at a

later stage than conservatives but also abandon the effort to draw the line between persons

and nonpersons altogether. Moderates believe that the ethicality and legality of abortion is

hinged on the circumstances leading up to the abortion. Moderates believe abortion is

justified if the pregnancy threatens the life and health of the mother or if the pregnancy is a

result of incest or rape. The three opposing sides present their beliefs and arguments

satisfactorily, leaving the issue of abortion open to discussion.

In my personal view, moderates hold and present the most compelling argument to the

controversial issue of abortion. The decision to abort should be the choice of the mother,

guided by the circumstances of the pregnancy; rape, incest and the health and wellbeing of

the mother. The reason I reject the conservative belief is for its flawed argument. Unwanted

pregnancies resulting out of rape will only be a constant reminder of the painful experience

for the victims. In addition, if the pregnancy gravely threatens the mother’s life, continuing to

keep the pregnancy could only lead to the death of both the mother and the child- two lives

will be lost instead of one. Terminating the pregnancy to save the mother’s life gives her a

chance to conceive again and have a viable pregnancy. In the same way, the liberals’

argument that a foetus is not a person due to lack of the six feature characteristics of person is

flawed. By this argument, a person in a coma is not a person, revoking their right to live. This

conclusion is deeply wrong. Moreover, the liberal school of thought allows mothers to abort

at will, killing viable foetuses. The termination of pregnancy should depend on the

circumstances surrounding the pregnancy, ensuring that both the child and the mother live a

quality life should the pregnancy be carried to full term.

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References

Dagger, R., Ball, T., Minogue, K., & Girvetz, H. (2019). Liberalism and conservatism |

Definition, History, & Facts. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/topic/liberalism.

Shiel, W. (2019). Definition of Abortion. Retrieved from

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2091.