This week as we enter into applied ethics we are discussing the highly controversial topic of abortion. We are reading both sides of the debate: Noonan’s piece, titled “Abortion is Morally Wrong”, and Thomson’s piece titled, “A Defense of Abortion.” Through both pieces, it is possible to see arguments on both sides of the abortion issue and truly think about which side has more positive ideals. Typically, the anti-abortion believer will argue that abortion is morally wrong since it is killing a living person, as conception and the creation of the zygote is the creation of a person. In order to parallel the two sides, Thomson argues her points from a position in which she agrees, for the purpose of making an equal argument, that the formation of the zygote is the formation of a person.
In Noonan’s piece, he argues that abortion is morally wrong. First, he touches on the point that there are difficulties with the distinction of viability, the main way that lawmakers use to determine abortion’s legality. Lawmakers say that “Before an age of some many months, the fetus is not viable, that is, it cannot be removed from the mother’s womb and live apart from her,” (Noonan 353). He argues that this is not a valid argument for allowing abortion before a certain time period as in reality, “dependence is not ended by viability. The fetus is still absolutely dependent on someone’s care in order to continue existence; a child of one or three or even five years of age is absolutely dependent on another’s care for existence,” (Noonan 354). His next argument against abortion lies on the principle of deciding how to determine if humanity can be dependent on experience. Noonan argues that “the zygote is certainly alive and responding to its environment,” (354). He also argues that rare cases of aphasia in adults do not erase humanity, so not having memory does not make one not a human. Overall, he argues that abortion is morally wrong and not something to be done in society.
On the other side, Thomson argues that abortion, in some cases, is a valid, morally permissible action. She begins by stating that she will make all of her arguments based on the view that the formation of the zygote at conception is the beginning of humanity for the unborn baby. She continues on to give one main example in her piece. The first states that you are a person who is lying in bed next to a famous, talented violinist who will not survive unless you lay in bed “plugged in” to him so that he can use your kidneys to filter his blood. You did not agree to have yourself plugged into this man and it was done in a forceful manner. Thomson argues that you are doing a nice thing for the person if you remain plugged in but you are not required to do so, and you are not wrong to unplug yourself even if it means that the person may die. Through this example, you can transfer the idea to abortion in that you are a woman who has a baby plugged into you. If you do not want the baby to be plugged into you, it is not wrong to unplug the baby.
In American society, court cases such as Roe v. Wade uphold the right to abortion upon request up until the point when the fetus is viable. This case overturned a state law banning abortion for the unborn child in the first trimester and said it could be partially restricted in the second and third trimesters, except in the case when it would harm the mother to give birth to the child. Although abortion is legal under federal law, states have the ability to restrict abortions, and many states have either fully, or partially, restricted abortion.
Through all of these different lenses, it is very difficult to make a decision on how one stands in respect to abortion. I personally tend to stand more on the pro-choice side of the debate with Thomson and many of the US states. I feel that, like being stuck to a famous violinist, having a child that one does not want and cannot properly care for is something that no person should have to do, and it is better off for the future of the child and the parents if abortions are legal, therefore, I believe that abortions are morally right until the child is viable.
Sources:
Kliff, Sarah. “The Landscape of Abortion Bans, in One Must-see Map.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
McBride, Alex. “Roe v Wade (1973).” PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2014.
Noonan, Joseph T., Jr. Abortion Is Morally Wrong. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.