Why Abortion Is Immoral

Philosophy Paper 1

Why Abortion Is Immoral
In this paper I will formally reconstruct Don Marquis’ argument, explain it, and offer a brief evaluation. In his essay, “Why Abortion Is Immoral,” Marquis argues that abortion is, except possibly in rare cases, seriously immoral, because it is in the same moral category as killing an innocent adult human being. His argument can be formulated as follows: killing an innocent human being is morally wrong. If abortion falls into the category if killing an innocent human being, then it is morally wrong as well. Abortion does fall into the category of killing an innocent human being, therefore it is morally wrong.
As Marquis suggests, the act of killing another innocent human being is morally wrong because deprives that person of a valuable future. He examines why exactly it is wrong to kill us. It is not the brutalization of the one who kills or the great loss others would experience due to our absence. Although it seems adequate, it does not account for killing a person who has no family or anyone that cares for them. What primarily makes killing wrong is its effect on the victim—the greatest loss one can suffer is the loss of one’s own life. This action takes away all of the future experiences, activities, enjoyments and many more things even if they are not valued to that individual now, but they will come to value them later in life. Once killed, one is automatically deprived of all of the value of his or her future. This view that what makes killing wrong is the loss of the victim’s future is supported by two considerations. First, it explains why we regard killing as one of the worst crimes, since it is the most depriving of any other crime. Second, those who are suffering from diseases like AIDS or cancer who know that they are getting closer and closer to death believe that dying is the worst thing that can happen to them, because, once again, it deprives them of a future that they would have otherwise experienced.
In terms of killing, one needs to determine if abortion falls into this category of killing an innocent human being, and in a broader sense, if a fetus is considered a human. If it does, then it holds the same regard that it deprives one of his or her future. Marquis examines arguments by both anti-abortionists and pro-choices, which he suggests have both strengths and weaknesses. Anti-abortionists demonstrate that fetuses typically have many of the same features as adult humans, and pro-choicers argue that fetuses lack the sorts of features that are generally taken to be necessary for inclusion in the moral community. Both sides attempt to argue in favor of a principle that explains the wrongness of killing such that it provides a verdict that is favorable to their own view. The problem, Marquis suggests, is that principles on which anti-abortionists rely are too broad, and the principles on which pro-choicers rely are two narrow.
As Marquis believes that abortion does in fact fall into the category of killing an innocent human being, he states that “the future of a standard fetus includes a set of experiences, projects, activities, and such which are identical with the futures of all human beings and are identical with the futures of young children.” He argues that the reason that is sufficient to explain why it is wrong to kill a human being any time after their birth is a reason that can also apply to fetuses. This follows that abortion does fall into the category of killing an innocent human being. Due to the fact that these two fall in the same category, it is logical to conclude that abortion is seriously morally wrong.
The killing of any kind of human life, including fetuses, has many effects, such as those on the murderer and the victim’s friends and relatives, but what makes it primarily wrong is the effect on the victim. Once life is taken away, that particular being has no more potential in life and will lose all of his or her future activities, projects, experiences, and enjoyments. And, because abortion is in the same category of killing a human being, it is seriously morally wrong. The loss of one’s life is almost the greatest misfortune that can happen to one; the presumption of killing another human being is wrong is as strong as the presumption that abortion is very seriously wrong.

Evaluation Premise three is incorrect—abortion does not fall in the same category of killing an innocent human being. A human being that is already born has rights and concrete, definite life; the same cannot be said for a fetus. It is never for sure that a fetus will be born, in which case it would become a true human being. Legally, it is the state of being born that gives someone personhood. It may be “alive” but it is not conscious. Because it is not a person, abortion does not fall into the same category of killing an innocent human being, therefore it should not be considered morally wrong.