Abortion

Abortion

1. The Status of the Embryo:

   • The question of whether the embryo is biologically human. Philosophers like Peter Singer say it isn't but has potential, but sometimes the embry o is rejected naturally so it could be said that no link should be drawn between potentiality and actualization.

2. Personhood:

   • The question of what counts as a person. The principle of reprocity says to be a person you must be able to give and take from a relationship, and a foetus doesn't do this. It is assumed it isn't a rational being, as it lacks sentience.

3. The Status of the Human Body

   • To whom does your body belong? The right of a woman to decide about what happens to her body, whether she wants an abortion or not.
   • Christianity would say that the material body is on loan from God. Locke says a woman first has an absolute right to decide what happens to her body. Then she must consider whether it would improve her family life or situation.

4. Abortion and Rights

   • On the basis of the woman's right to control her body, then a woman should have a right to terminate a pregnancy.

5. Quality of Life Theory

   • Often used in regard to the terminally ill and discussions regarding the elderly and disabled. Helga Kuhse said there are certain qualities humans must have to have meaningful lives. Most importantly is sentience and self-awareness, the ability to act rationally, communicate with others and act morally.
   • Some babies born with sever abnormalities which prevent them developing qualities described by Kuhse, which give them a meaningful life.

6. Sanctity of Life Theory

   • Sanctity of Life reflects how unique and sacred humans really are, as the spirit of God has bestowed on us divine qualities, The question here is whether a foetus is considered a person or not. The answer to this divides Christians
   • Some Christians believe a foetus' personhood begins when the foetus is physically independent of its mother. These Christians regard abortion as the best in certain situations as opposed to other imperfect moral alternatives.
   • Other Christians believe that the taking of human life is wrong for any sitaution.
   • Some would argue that the mother's life is however more sacred as she possesses actuality rather than the potentiality that the foetus has.

7. Ensoulment

   • The issue of when human life begins. The foetus is arguably not a person at conception but at ensoulment instead. This is apparently when the foetus takes on human characteristics, looking like a minature human baby.
   • It doesn't have any biological or psychological basis however, and maybe the creation of the foetus' nervous system would be a better division.