Why Abortion Is Wrong
Pregnancy is a result of two individuals coming together by sexual intercourse and a life is created through that process. However, at times this situation can occur when a woman is least expecting it or does not want it to occur. In this situation discussed in our reading, this girl is placed in a predicament where the father could be three different people, two of which are people that she does not know, but she still wants an abortion regardless because the pregnancy is unintended. Three questions are posed regarding not only the mother but the child as well and whether it is justifiable to have an abortion. Abortion is not always the best way to take care of an unintended pregnancy. However, in the situation of rape, abortion can be
…show more content…
By the time the mother finds out is pregnant, the embryo has already developed into a fetus that has “organ systems such as the heart and digestive tube… as well as structural features such as arm and leg buds” (Munson and Lague, page 468). This is stating that the fetus is now a living being with a heartbeat, and a mother should not abort a fetus because the mother is not obligated to sustain the life of another. Paternalism plays a role in this situation in favor of the fetus and its rights. If a person is mentally stable, then that person is a self-determining, or autonomous, person, and he or she has the right to make his or her own decisions. However, a child does not have the right to make his or her own decision because they lack the knowledge to help themselves. Similarly, a fetus does not have the right to make its own decision; therefore, no matter who it is, someone should be in concern for the fetus’s rights. This situation is no different than when a mother sets aside a child and lets him or her starve simply because she did not want to feed the child, and this is considered neglect. In comparison, if a mother wants an abortion because she is not obligated to surrender her body to a fetus, then it is just as equivalent as negligence as well. According to Judith Jarvis Thomson, “… to
By the time the mother finds out is pregnant, the embryo has already developed into a fetus that has “organ systems such as the heart and digestive tube… as well as structural features such as arm and leg buds” (Munson and Lague, page 468). This is stating that the fetus is now a living being with a heartbeat, and a mother should not abort a fetus because the mother is not obligated to sustain the life of another. Paternalism plays a role in this situation in favor of the fetus and its rights. If a person is mentally stable, then that person is a self-determining, or autonomous, person, and he or she has the right to make his or her own decisions. However, a child does not have the right to make his or her own decision because they lack the knowledge to help themselves. Similarly, a fetus does not have the right to make its own decision; therefore, no matter who it is, someone should be in concern for the fetus’s rights. This situation is no different than when a mother sets aside a child and lets him or her starve simply because she did not want to feed the child, and this is considered neglect. In comparison, if a mother wants an abortion because she is not obligated to surrender her body to a fetus, then it is just as equivalent as negligence as well. According to Judith Jarvis Thomson, “… to