Ethics of abortion: the arguments for and against

Headnote

Summary

In England, Scotland and Wales legislation has facilitated the process of procuring an abortion to the point at which, in 2007, it appears to have been effectively assimilated into contemporary life. However, despite the legal acceptance of abortion it remains an ethically contentious subject. Arguments in favour of, or in opposition to, abortion can arouse vociferous and, on occasions, extreme reactions. At the heart of the abortion debate lie questions concerning rights, autonomy and the way in which society views disability (if a pregnancy is terminated for this reason alone). It is important that health professionals comprehend the basis of the abortion debate, from the perspective of their profession, society as a whole and the individual woman who may have had or is considering an abortion or has been affected by the subject in some way. This article examines some of the key ethical issues concerning abortion.

Keywords

Abortion; Codes of conduct; Conscientious objection; Ethics; Law

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IN 2004, MORE THAN 185,000 abortions were carried out in England and Wales (Department of Health 2005). Abortion remains, however, a controversial and extensively debated subject. Central to the ethical debate concerning abortion are considerations of autonomy (of the woman) and rights (of the woman and the unborn child). The maternal-fetal relationship and assessing the best interests of potential children also provide considerable scope for ethical discussion.

A fundamental ethical feature of abortion is the perceived morality - or otherwise - of actively ending the life of an unborn human being. The process of deductive reasoning clarifies the most common anti-abortion argument:

* Premise A - the fetus is an innocent human being.

* Premise B - it is morally wrong to kill an innocent human being.

* Conclusion - it is morally wrong to kill a fetus.

Such reasoning can also be applied to support a pro-abortion viewpoint:

* Premise A - the fetus has no moral status.

* Premise B - it is not morally wrong to destroy...