Abortion and Ethical Theories   Term Paper ID:38763 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: This paper delineates three ethical theories as they relate to the idea of whether ...... More...

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Paper Abstract: This paper delineates three ethical theories as they relate to the idea of whether it is moral and/or ethical to have an abortion. Each theory is delineated and the position it would dictate regarding abortion is stated. Several conclusions are then formulated on the basis of the discussion. Paper Introduction: IS ABORTION MORALLY ETHICALLY CORRECT AN OVERVIEW OF SEVERAL ETHICAL ANSWERS Introduction Cahn and Markie define ethics as a set of standards for humanconduct to be used in governing the behavior of individuals and groups Asa branch of philosophy the authors report that the focus of ethics is uponthe norms of human conduct The purpose of this paper is to examine thequestion of whether abortion is ethical moral from the perspective ofdiverse ethical theories These specific ethical theories that are examinedare Value Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. On the other hand, theconsequences for others can be quite beneficial and families can be greatlyassisted. Is it somespiritual book that grants them? Conclusions Based on an examination of the three ethical theories reviewed inthis report, it seems reasonable to state that no one theory or categoriesof theories sufficiently covers the circumstances associated with abortionin a manner that thoroughly explains the moral stance that one should takeif considering the procedure. This failure of the theory to clearly point to very wrong actions haslead to certain modifications of this ethical philosophy which allow formoral weights to be differentially assigned to different actions. If the nature of what is being considered isdiverse and changing, then the answer cannot be inflexible and unyieldingwhich is what a rule is. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2 1.Hursthouse, R. Thus, with the right or virtuous character (e.g., a character that iswise, courageous, temperate, just, etc.), the right moral decision will bemade as it pertains to abortion. The Demands of Consequentialism. Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues , 2nd ed., New York: Oxford University Press, 2 1.Feree, M. Thus, this ethical theory, while clearlyestablished and held by many courts, does not hold up to logical thoughtany better than several other ethical theories applied to abortion. In other words, there really is no sound foundation for any givengroup to establish those consequences that count as right or good. The pro-choice stanceis often justified using this ethical principle on the grounds that womenhave 'reproductive rights' which the state cannot take away. In other words, this theory puts no moral weight onany action or value, e.g., justice or just actions. "Virtue Theory and Abortion." Philosophy and Public Affairs 2 . There is also disagreement regarding what it means to be human andwhether at any stage in the human lifespan, these rights might not apply,e.g., before birth, just after conception, after death, when a person iscomatose, or mentally ill etc. These specific ethical theories that are examinedare: Value Theories; Rights Theories; and Consequentialist theories. However, if each individualis free to weight the circumstances and make the moral decision that seemsright on the basis of the consequences that they see arising from thedecision, this could lead to a spectrum of rights and wrongs in the casesof abortion due to different people placing different moral weights on itsvarious consequences. Noting that thisschool of ethical thought emphasizes the virtues or human character, it ispointed out that if someone is in need of help, the utilitarian would do itbecause it will maximize well being while the deontologist would helpbecause that would be in accord with 'the golden rule' of doing unto othersas you would have them do unto you. If so, whyshould one source be favored over others? M., Gamson, W. However, the virtue ethicist would doit because helping another person is charitable or benevolent. Who can even determine what theconsequences are given that they are surely associated with harm to thefetus, harm to some families and women (e.g., those who have profoundregret over the decision to abort), and so forth. The problem is that any point so specifiedappears to be arbitrary in nature. The idea that a person or even an ethical panel can sit down andweigh or even specify all the consequences so that they might decide whatposition to take is pretty close to ludicrous. As to what position on abortion virtuetheories favor, it seems reasonable to state that the theory could lead toeither position. AN OVERVIEW OF SEVERAL ETHICAL ANSWERS Introduction Cahn and Markie (1-5) define ethics as a set of standards for humanconduct to be used in governing the behavior of individuals and groups. What is particularly interesting here is that there may be thepossibility that one ethical theory is particularly appropriate for a givengroup of women considering abortion while another ethical theory might bethe point of view to take for a different group of women consideringabortion. Therefore this ethical theory would most likely besome centrist position along the continuum of totally favoring abortion forall and totally disapproving of abortion for all. Shaping Abortion Discourse: Democracy and the Public Sphere in Germany and the United States. One problem here is thatabsolutely no action is inherently immoral or wrong up to and includingslavery and genocide. Thus, the emphasis is on beingvirtuous and of a good character. New York: Oxford University Press, 2 2. However, theauthors make the point that there are several problems with rightstheories. A., Gerhards, J., & Rucht, D. Is it God? Abortion and Consequentialism Consequentialist theory holds that a given action is morally right ifthe consequence is more favorable than unfavorable to a specified socialgroup such as society , where favorable is usually defined as pleasure,happiness, or preference (Muligan 1-2 ). However, the position can also be pro-life in thesense that it can be argued that certain people have not developed theircharacter sufficiently to make the right decision and others who are moremature in terms of a virtuous character (e.g., a government body or anethical panel of legislators) must make these decisions for them. Abortion and Rights Theories Feree, Gamson, Gerhards, & Rucht (61-179) note that, in brief, rightstheories argue that there are certain benefits and treatment that must begiven to all humans simply because they are human. M., & Markie, P. Abortion and Virtue Theory Hursthouse (223-246) states that virtue theories hold that problemsare varied and the idea of finding some moral or ethical rule that appliesto all is simply not rational. However,who is it that determines the value of the consequence and so assigns theseweights? An example of the difference between various schools of ethicalthought and value ethics can be seen in the following example provided inthe Stanford encyclopedia of Philosophy(http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/). In other words, it could well be that those in x circumstances(going to term with a baby with congenital abnormalities that will onlylive for a few days) might be wise to consider the procedure from aconsequentialist point of view, while those in different circumstances (awoman being heavily pressured by her family to make a specific decision)might be more inclined to examine the situation from a personal rightspoint of view. (1991): 223-246.Muligan, T. Given this, virtue theories move away from themoral idea of what is 'right' or 'wrong' and focus on the kind of personone must be to live a good life in general and so do the moral thing as thesituation and circumstances dictate. One could take a pro-choice position in the sense that thedecision is left up to the individual and the moral reasoning generated byhis or her character. Is it some particular ideology? Each ethical theory reviewed had logicalpotholes. Asa branch of philosophy, the authors report that the focus of ethics is uponthe norms of human conduct. In any case, the decision to have an abortion is clearly adecision with ethical and moral implications and the best philosophy can dois offer some guidelines for thinking about the decision. The purpose of this paper is to examine thequestion of whether abortion is ethical/moral from the perspective ofdiverse ethical theories. Works CitedCahn, S. First, there is a profound lack of agreement as to the foundationon which the claim to human rights can be made which is to say that thereis disagreement on the source of these human rights. IS ABORTION MORALLY/ETHICALLY CORRECT? As to what position would be favored by consequentialists regardingabortion, this too is difficult. This fact leads to the conclusion that, at best, what thesetheories can do for those thinking about abortion is provide someguidelines and thoughts for them to consider in making the decision to havean abortion or not have an abortion. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.