Comparing Rosalind Hursthouse's Virtue Theory And Abortion

Rosalind Hursthouse in her paper Virtue Theory and Abortion, handles with the moral standpoint of abortion from a virtue ethics perspective. Her research is directed towards investigating whether or not an abortion is something a virtuous person would do. Hursthouse examines the morally relevant considerations and in so doing, she rejects the standard questions used to determine the morality of an abortion such as the status of the fetus, and the rights of a women. The morally relevant considerations she sees fit to assess the moral legitimacy of an abortion are concerns with family relationship, personal circumstance, and basic biological facts. Through her considerations, Hurthouses account of virtue ethics gives us adequate moral advice in regards to the question of abortion. It is important before breaking down Hursthouses argument, to examine the basis in which she grounds her claims. We can see through her investigation her examination of whether having an abortion is something a virtuous person would do. A virtuous person therefore, is someone who exercises virtue with virtue being defined by Hursthouse as “a character trait a human

Such considerations fundamentally shape human life and family relationships. A women needs to be aware of the various psychological and social factors that contribute to the decision such as “that human parents, both male and female, tend to care passionately about their offspring, and that family relationships are among the deepest and strongest in our lives—and, significantly, among the longest lasting.” These key intrinsic goods- in this case factors such as human life, parenthood, and family relationships- are ultimately worthwhile are not to be taken without due