Abortion

             (3) Under what conditions do you think abortion is morally justifiable? Include discussion on the status of the fetus and arguments from both sides of the debate.
             I believe in the right of a woman to terminate a pregnancy before fetal
             viability and later if it is of harm to the life of the mother. In this essay I will argue that in some cases it is in the best interest of the mother and fetus if a pregnancy is terminated. Various factors such as medical complications, fetal abnormalities, tragic events such as rape or incest, lack of money and teenage pregnancy are valid reasons for a woman to choose to have an abortion. I believe that third trimester abortions should be limited to cases of severe fetal abnormalities or when the life or health of the pregnant woman is seriously threatened. I will argue that the well being and freedom of the individual includes the personal control of one's own body. In this essay I will endeavor to expose the views of both the pro-life/anti abortionists the pro-choice abortionists and identify the most plausible. I will also explore the moral status of the fetus during the various stages of development and discuss how this impacts on the morality of abortion.
             Most anti-abortion arguments focus on defining the fetus as a human being, and consequently, since killing any human being is murder, abortion is murder because it involves killing the fetus. One well known form of such an argument is given by Robert E. Joyce in "Personhood and the Conception Event". Joyce focuses his pro-life argument on the definition of "personhood" and its application to the fetus. A brief summary of his argument goes as follows:
             1. Any living individual being with the natural potential, as a whole, for knowing, willing, desiring, and relating to others in a self reflective manner is a person.
             2. A conceptus (the zygote) has the natural potential, as a whole, for knowing, willing, desiring...

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