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Examples Of Reframing An Ethical Dilemmas

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Reframing an ethical dilemma does make a difference in making ethical decisions. This can be seen in our readings for Bioethics. In the article “Abortion: An Exercise in Moral Imagination” by Patricia Beattie Jung, the need for alternative metaphors for pregnancy is highlighted. By proposing these alternative metaphors and encouraging engagement in moral imagination, she intends to convey that shifting perspectives could result in a deeper understanding of complex ethical issues like abortion. She mentions the preference for the term “childbearing” over “pregnancy” because it brings a sense of motherhood and family responsibilities while the latter makes the process seem more like that of a machine and parental obligations. Through the use …show more content…

This expands our understanding of moral complexities while creating room for new ethical reflections. Therefore, reframing an ethical dilemma makes a difference in making ethical decisions by promoting critical thinking, establishing empathy, and urging for a more thoughtful approach to such complex ethical issues. In the article “On Abortion and Defining a ‘Person’” by Gary Gutting, reframing the ethical dilemma of abortion by considering the concept of “personhood” makes a difference in making ethical decisions. Gutting talks about how rejecting the personhood position in the abortion debate can lead to different conclusions about the morality of abortion. Gutting draws attention to the complex nature of the abortion debate by raising the question of whether a fertilized egg should be regarded as a human being with full moral standing. He argues that, if one does not regard a fertilized egg as a human person, it is difficult to provide a convincing case for the idea that all stages of development of a fertilized egg, from being conceived to birth, are human persons deserving of full moral

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329 Words | 2 Pages

In the unit, Mary Anne Warren and Don Marquis present two different opinions about abortion. Mary Anne Warren believes that abortion should be morally permissible. Although she agrees that it is immoral to kill a person, she thinks that fetus is not a person because it does not meet the six traits of personhood (LaFollette, 2014). On the other hand, Don Marquis is against abortion because he thinks that killing a fetus deprives it of “a future like ours” (LaFollette, 2014). For my part, I think Don Marquis makes a stronger case for his opinion.

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943 Words | 4 Pages

Abortion is a topic that has been debated for decades, with arguments coming from sides of “pro-life” or “pro-choice”. However, it has also been discussed and debated of the morality of abortion and the moral obligations mothers do, or do not, hold as carriers of these fetuses. Philosopher Don Marquis develops a clear argument in relation to the morality of abortion, to which he expresses the idea that abortion is almost always seriously immoral with rare exceptions allowed for specific scenarios. While his argument eludes the question of at what point a fetus becomes a fully developed member of the wider moral community, he bases this idea on,”...the view that an aborted fetus loses the future goods of consciousness, such as the pursuit of

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625 Words | 3 Pages

Even today, there are many moral and philosophical issues that divide the United States because they create very polarized opinions and beliefs. One such philosophical issue is the moral permissibility of infanticide. Mary Anne Warren, a philosopher, presents her liberal yet controversial views on the issue of infanticide in the postscript of her article, On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion. However, the anti-infanticide arguments pose problems for Warren’s position because they justify the immorality of infanticide through the physical similarity in resemblance of neonates to human beings. These arguments also claim that the destruction of a viable infant is needless because even if the infant’s biological parents reject the infant, there are many other parents who are willing to adopt and nurture that infant.

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1257 Words | 6 Pages

Backed by numerous experiences in the field and high credentials, Soniewicka is well equipped to speak on the subject of the ethics of prenatal testing and selective abortion. Where Soniewicka spends the majority of her writing is within the use of logos. Within her journal she breaks down four leading arguments in the selective abortion bioethical debate: utilitarian, principle of procreative beneficence, the rights based approach, and the recognition based approach (Soniewicka 2015). She provides clear and concise explanations that make following her line of thought easy. One such example is her refutation of the utilitarian belief that parents owe a moral obligation to ensure the maximum happiness possible for future children.

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1111 Words | 5 Pages

Mary Anne Warren’s argument for the moral permissibility of abortion concentrates on the question of personhood and humanity with reference to a common anti-abortion argument and the discussion of potential personhood. Her argument builds on the belief that fetuses are not human beings and considers humanity through certain categories one must have in order to be considered a human person. Warren’s argument is logical, however, her argument is unsound because of a series of erroneous premises. Thus, because these premises are erroneous, an Aristotelian-type argument can be constructed that properly discusses potential persons and argues against Warren, thus aruging for the moral impermissibility of abortion.

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1070 Words | 5 Pages

In “A Defense of Abortion,” Judith Thomson argues with a unique approach regarding the topic of abortion. For the purpose of the argument, Thomas agrees to go against her belief and constructs an argument based on the idea that the fetus is a person at conception. She then formulates her arguments concerning that the right to life is not an absolute right. There are certain situations where abortion is morally permissible. She believes that the fetus’s right to life does not outweigh the right for the woman to control what happens to her own body.

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1202 Words | 5 Pages

Does life begin at conception? All of these questions are philosophical and biological matters that have no objective answer. This creates conflicts of interest from within the government, as each party must have contrary stances. Don Marquis’ paper, titled “Why Abortion is Immoral,” focuses on the moral status of the fetus and makes the assumption that the fetus has a future-like-ours,

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1258 Words | 6 Pages

By challenging the widely held premise that a fetus, considered a human being from conception, possesses an absolute and unassailable right to life, Thomson invites readers to reconsider their perspectives on this divisive issue. This analysis will delve into the intricacies of her argument, examining key premises, the ultimate conclusion, and evaluating the validity and soundness of Thomson's rationale. Premises: The Fetus as a Person: Thomson begins by acknowledging the prevalent belief that every person possesses an inherent right to life. However, she adopts, for the sake of argument, the assumption that a fetus is a person, setting the foundation for a nuanced examination of the implications of this right. The pervasive belief in the absolute right to life for a fetus becomes a focal point of Thomson's scrutiny.

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2021 Words | 9 Pages

Joseph Fletcher’s list of human characteristics goes as follows, “self awareness, a sense of time, self control, capability of relating to others, the ability to communicate, a concern for others, control over existence, and a balance of rationality and feeling.” The fact that many people lack some of the qualities associated with being ‘human’ must mean that we are not ‘human’ in the fullest sense of the word. This claim causes the reader to sympathize with the fetus on the basis that they themselves may not be considered ‘human’ in all senses of the word. The reader is now distracted form the main argument of abortion and rights and focused on the definition of being ‘human’.

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1119 Words | 5 Pages

This image highlights the objectifying nature of anti-choice ideas. Using the word “incubator”, I conjured the image of a caged chicken with their egg amongst a bed of straw. Rather than debate when “life” begins, I felt the abortion debate should focus on observable realities. Fertile women can become pregnant without their consent. One does not agree to the implantation of a zygote.

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617 Words | 3 Pages

In Practical Ethics, Peter Singer successfully refutes objections to his argument that take only the actual characteristics of the foetus into account in determining the morality of abortion and not its potential characteristics. While some opponents of abortion recognise that on the basis of the foetus’ actual characteristics, the foetus compares unfavourably with many non-human animals; They claim that it is when we consider its potential to become a mature human being that membership of the species Homo sapiens becomes important, and the ‘foetus far surpasses any chicken, pig or calf’. The common argument for the potential of the foetus can be stated as follows: First premise: It is wrong to kill a potential human being. Second premise: A human foetus is a potential human being.

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810 Words | 4 Pages

Most abortion arguments discussed today revolve around the premise that a fetus is a human being at conception. In Judith Thomson’s essay, “A Defense to Abortion”, she argues on the topic of abortions. She defends the mother’s right to choose what happens to her body on the assumption that a baby becomes a human at conception. In the argument, she gives the famous Violinist analogy. I will argue in this essay that her argumentative analogy is not sound because of the difference in social importance.

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1261 Words | 6 Pages

Abortion is not only a fluctuating concept in our society, but an ethical and emotional debate, as well. The image I have chosen presents concepts from a cultural and historical background, as well as presents an ethical, emotional, and logical appeal to the audience. The debate about abortion has simply been overblown and exhausted. The truth of the matter is, abortion is murder. Ending a life, whether innocent or guilty, is murder.

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891 Words | 4 Pages

Development of the fetus from conception to birth is continuous; which implies that the fetus turns into a person at whichever point between the conception and birth is arbitrary. With this “logical” thinking, it should be sufficient reasoning to consider the fetus a person at the time of conception. They would also argue that every person has a right to life and even though the mother has a right to decide what happens “in and to her body” (Pg64), this right is not as prioritized as someone else’s right to life, concluding that abortion is not permissible. In a Thought experiment, this setting should be morally relevant and should be treated with the same mindset; “You wake up in the morning and find yourself back to back in bed with an unconscious violinist. A famous unconscious violinist.

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632 Words | 3 Pages

The debate whether abortion is morally permissible or not permissible is commonly discussed between the considerations of the status of a fetus and ones virtue theory. A widely recognized theory of pro-choice advocates can be thought to be that their ethical view is that fetus’s merely are not humans because they lack the right to life since they believe a fetus does not obtain any sort of mental functions or capability of feelings. Although this may be true in some cases it is not in all so explaining the wrongness of killing, between the common debates whether a fetus does or does not obtain human hood, should be illustrated in a way of a virtuous theory. The wrongness of killing is explained by what the person or fetus is deprived of, such as their right to life; not by means of a heart beat or function of one’s body, but by the fact that it takes their ability of potentially growing into a person to have the same human characteristics as we do.

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