Early Life

• absolutist- 'x is always right/wrong and the situation makes no difference'
• relativist- 'x could be right/wrong depending on the situation'
• pro-life : 'life of the foetus must be protected; life begins at point of conception'
• pro-choice : 'women should have autonomy over her body' ; opinions of beginning of life varies
• abortion is legal in the UK up till 24 weeks of gestation (however there is no time limit if the mother's life is in danger or the foetus is severely deformed. there is a criteria to follow and the procedure must take place in a medical setting with the opinion of 2 medical professionals:

  • if the woman's life is in danger
  • if woman's physical/mental health is in danger
  • risk of baby being born with severe physical/mental disabilities/deformities
  • another child may affect already existing child(ren) at home
• Arguments for Pro-Life:

  • 'baby doesn't get say'
  • 'murder'
  • 'life begins at conception'
  • religious views
• Arguments for Pro-Choice:

  • backstreet abortion shouldn't be happening
  • parents may be unable to give an adequate quality of life
• miracle of life: belief that life is a miracle and sent from God
• sanctity of life: life is sacred and holy
• quality of life: measurement of fulfilment
• Roman Catholic attitude to abortion:

  • sanctity of life
  • created in image of God
  • views may differ
  • anti abortion - life begins at conception
  • permitted if mother's life is in danger
  • if child is disabled - still God's
• Church of England attitude to abortion:

  • sanctity of life
  • created in image of God
  • views may differ
  • quality of life
  • pro-choice
  • hard decision
  • relative morals

  ' Love you neighbour as you love yourself' - Jesus
• Jewish attitude to abortion:

  • defects in foetus - rejected argument
  • mother's mental health issues - rejected argument
  • supreme concern - SANCTITY OF LIFE
  • does not forbid; does not permit all demands
  • consult with Rabbi
  • only for serious reasons
  • when mother's life is in danger - not last stage of pregnancy
  • if the foetus is less than 40 days old, the rules are less strict - lower value

  'Whoever destroys one life is as if we destroyed the whole world, and whoever preserves a life is as if we preserved the whole world' - Mishnah (Sanhedrin 4:5)
• Muslim attitude to abortion:

  • sanctity of life
  • haram - but may be permitted if mother's life is in danger (lesser of 2 evils)
  • different schools of Islam hold different laws - 16 weeks or 7 weeks
  • still wrong but not punishable
  • poverty - rejected argument

  'Do not destroy your offspring for fear of poverty, it is we who provide for them and for you. Surely, destroying them is a great sin' - Surah 17:32

  ''Whoever destroys one life is as if we destroyed the whole world, and whoever preserves a life is as if we preserved the whole world' - Qur'an 5:32
• Humanism attitude to abortion:

  • no agreed fixed response
  • try to use evidence, empathy and respect for autonomy and human rights
  • many believe abortion is morally accepted
  • sanctity of life - oversimplifies a complicated matter
• Buddhist attitude to abortion:

  • life begins at conception
  • Motives:
  • selfish abortion - bad karma
  • depends on intention
  • love, compassion and kindness is basis of every decision
  • some make offerings to lessen guilt
  • permitted if baby is severely disabled
  • Tibetan Buddhists:
  • 'it is rare to be reborn in human form; wastes human life' (miracle of life)
  • 'Abortion is the same as taking a life' - Dalai Lama
  • 'Situations should be taken into account' (relativist) - Dalai Lama
• Sikh attitude to abortion:

  • sanctity of life (child is a gift from God)
  • everyone is important
  • each person has a 'divine spark'
  • life begins at conception
  • soul is part of God
  • morally wrong
  • life needs to be protected
  • accepted in some situations eg; rape or to save mother's life (up to parents)
  • scriptures ban killing of female babies (people used to prefer having a son as they carried the family name)
  • physical/mental disability is not an accepted argument

  'God is one and we are all his children' - Guru Granth Sahib

  'interference in the creative work of God' - Manusukhani
• Hindu attitude to abortion:

  • Brahma is within every living being - sanctity of life
  • life continues at conception
  • abortion destroys life that is part of creation and goes against ahimsa
  • abortion - sin
  • household stage GOAL - have children
  • selfish abortion - bad karma
  • abortion is permitted (some Hindus) in the case of :
  • to save mother's life
  • rape
  • disability of foetus
  • poverty
  • abortion is not permitted (some Hindus) in the case of:
  • unwanted pregnancy
  • social reasons

  'He is truly the all' - Mahabharatha; Shanti Parva

  'He lives in all'
• foetus - 8+ weeks of gestation
• deontological - deontology is an ethical theory that uses rules to distinguish right from wrong
• teleological - means starting from the end and reasoning back; explaining things based on their end purpose
• ethics- questions of what is right or wrong