Essay On Abortion Pro Life
Abortion is a topic that every person has an opinion on. Some may be pro-choice, which means they are for abortions, and some also may be pro-life, which means they are against abortions. We as humans are always told how precious babies are, no matter how big or small. However, there are many opinions of all humans on whether or not abortion is acceptable. There are also many questions mothers ask themselves before the decide to, or not to, have an abortion. A few of these questions may be: “Can I take care of this child?”, “Will I be able to financially support this child?”, or “Do I want this child?”. They have to contemplate whether or not it would be worth it to keep the child that is growing inside of them. Patrick Lee, Robert P.
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George, Judith Thomson and Don Marquis’s articles have different opinions on the topic of abortion. Lee and George are against abortions and describe how the baby is a human being from the time he or she is conceived. On the other hand, Thomson and Marquis are for abortions and believes every mother has the right to decide for themselves if they want to have the baby. I agree with Patrick Lee and Robert P. George that abortion is wrong and every child conceived has the right to live. The question of abortion begins after the baby is conceived and the baby is an embryo. The mother may question if they want the baby or can take care of he or she. Many, after asking themselves this, will decide to get rid of the child and have an abortion. Patrick Lee and Robert P. George believe this is completely inhumane and unethical. They state:
There are three important points we wish to make about this human embryo. First, it is from the start distinct from any cell of the mother or of the father. This is clear because it is growing in its own distinct direction. Its growth is internally directed to its own survival and maturation. Second, the embryo is human: it has the genetic makeup characteristic of human beings. Third, and most importantly, the embryo is a complete or whole organism, though immature (14).
They are saying that an embryo in a mother’s womb is a living human being. From the very moment the child is conceived he or she is a human being. The child continues to be a human being as the child grows in their mother’s womb.
I agree with Lee and George because a baby is a human being from the time he or she is conceived. Just because the child is still in the womb and the child is not physically in the world does not make he or she any less of a human. The baby is a growing, living child that is being murdered before he or she can even have a mind of their own. Lee and George also state that “To have destroyed the human organism that you are or I am even at an early stage of our lives would have been to have killed you or me” (15). Considering we all are human beings on this earth, that does not make an unborn baby any different. If you can hear the baby’s heartbeat, the baby is a human being. If you can feel the baby move and grow in your belly, the baby is a human being and has the right to live just as we all have the right to live.
There are many opinions on the value of life as an embryo: if the child is or is not just as human as the rest of us. Marquis and Thomson believe that the mother carrying the child should have the right to abort the baby if they please. However, many mothers-to-be do not realize even as an embryo, their baby is a human being. Don Marquis expresses:
Sometimes it is argued that human beings in the embryonic stage are not persons because embryonic human beings do not exercise higher mental capacities or functions. Certain defenders of abortion (and infanticide) have argued that in order to be a person, an entity must be self-aware (Singer, 1993; Tooley, 1983; Warren, 1984). They then claim that, because human embryos and fetuses (and infants) have not yet developed self-awareness, they are not persons (402).
He is explaining that an embryo is not a human being because they do not realize what is going on and are not “conscious”. The child is not aware that he or she is a human being and what is going on in their surroundings. Thomson believes that every mother can decide the outcome of their child’s life. The mothers can have the right to do whatever they want to with their bodies. Thomson states that “although a fetus uses a woman’s body as a life-support system, a pregnant woman does not use a fetus’s body as a life support system” (401). He is arguing that since the child is not a necessity to the mother, the mother does not have to keep the baby alive. Thomson and Marquis are arguing that it is okay for a mother to get rid of their own child.
I disagree with this because even though the child cannot decide for themselves, I am sure he or she would want to live. They are dehumanizing babies because babies are not aware of what is going on and they are still growing inside the womb. Even if the mother does not want the baby, there are many other options they could choose from: they could put the child up for adoption, have their parents or a loved one take care of the child, or they may even end up wanting the child after he or she is born. Instead of ending a child’s life before they even get to start it, the mothers should at least give them the chance to live even if it is with someone else. If the mothers that are choosing abortion over giving their own child life, they may end up feeling guilty about killing their own child for the rest of their lives.
Patrick Lee, Robert P. George, Judith Thomson and Don Marquis all differ in their opinions on abortion just like every human on this planet does. All of the knowledgeable sources show good examples of each side and how every person may see abortion. Life begins at the moment of conception. All humans, including embryos, are equal. While some believe a mother has a choice in terminating the life of her baby, this dehumanizes the life of all
humans. If every person could see the embryo in the womb as a living, breathing human being that has the right to live and recognize that they are killing a child, people would be having less abortions and want to be able to give the child a life.
George, Judith Thomson and Don Marquis’s articles have different opinions on the topic of abortion. Lee and George are against abortions and describe how the baby is a human being from the time he or she is conceived. On the other hand, Thomson and Marquis are for abortions and believes every mother has the right to decide for themselves if they want to have the baby. I agree with Patrick Lee and Robert P. George that abortion is wrong and every child conceived has the right to live. The question of abortion begins after the baby is conceived and the baby is an embryo. The mother may question if they want the baby or can take care of he or she. Many, after asking themselves this, will decide to get rid of the child and have an abortion. Patrick Lee and Robert P. George believe this is completely inhumane and unethical. They state:
There are three important points we wish to make about this human embryo. First, it is from the start distinct from any cell of the mother or of the father. This is clear because it is growing in its own distinct direction. Its growth is internally directed to its own survival and maturation. Second, the embryo is human: it has the genetic makeup characteristic of human beings. Third, and most importantly, the embryo is a complete or whole organism, though immature (14).
They are saying that an embryo in a mother’s womb is a living human being. From the very moment the child is conceived he or she is a human being. The child continues to be a human being as the child grows in their mother’s womb.
I agree with Lee and George because a baby is a human being from the time he or she is conceived. Just because the child is still in the womb and the child is not physically in the world does not make he or she any less of a human. The baby is a growing, living child that is being murdered before he or she can even have a mind of their own. Lee and George also state that “To have destroyed the human organism that you are or I am even at an early stage of our lives would have been to have killed you or me” (15). Considering we all are human beings on this earth, that does not make an unborn baby any different. If you can hear the baby’s heartbeat, the baby is a human being. If you can feel the baby move and grow in your belly, the baby is a human being and has the right to live just as we all have the right to live.
There are many opinions on the value of life as an embryo: if the child is or is not just as human as the rest of us. Marquis and Thomson believe that the mother carrying the child should have the right to abort the baby if they please. However, many mothers-to-be do not realize even as an embryo, their baby is a human being. Don Marquis expresses:
Sometimes it is argued that human beings in the embryonic stage are not persons because embryonic human beings do not exercise higher mental capacities or functions. Certain defenders of abortion (and infanticide) have argued that in order to be a person, an entity must be self-aware (Singer, 1993; Tooley, 1983; Warren, 1984). They then claim that, because human embryos and fetuses (and infants) have not yet developed self-awareness, they are not persons (402).
He is explaining that an embryo is not a human being because they do not realize what is going on and are not “conscious”. The child is not aware that he or she is a human being and what is going on in their surroundings. Thomson believes that every mother can decide the outcome of their child’s life. The mothers can have the right to do whatever they want to with their bodies. Thomson states that “although a fetus uses a woman’s body as a life-support system, a pregnant woman does not use a fetus’s body as a life support system” (401). He is arguing that since the child is not a necessity to the mother, the mother does not have to keep the baby alive. Thomson and Marquis are arguing that it is okay for a mother to get rid of their own child.
I disagree with this because even though the child cannot decide for themselves, I am sure he or she would want to live. They are dehumanizing babies because babies are not aware of what is going on and they are still growing inside the womb. Even if the mother does not want the baby, there are many other options they could choose from: they could put the child up for adoption, have their parents or a loved one take care of the child, or they may even end up wanting the child after he or she is born. Instead of ending a child’s life before they even get to start it, the mothers should at least give them the chance to live even if it is with someone else. If the mothers that are choosing abortion over giving their own child life, they may end up feeling guilty about killing their own child for the rest of their lives.
Patrick Lee, Robert P. George, Judith Thomson and Don Marquis all differ in their opinions on abortion just like every human on this planet does. All of the knowledgeable sources show good examples of each side and how every person may see abortion. Life begins at the moment of conception. All humans, including embryos, are equal. While some believe a mother has a choice in terminating the life of her baby, this dehumanizes the life of all
humans. If every person could see the embryo in the womb as a living, breathing human being that has the right to live and recognize that they are killing a child, people would be having less abortions and want to be able to give the child a life.