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The Abortion Debate

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The topic of abortion has always been, and still is, a widely debated subject. No one can agree on whether or not the fetus is a person, whether or not abortions are dangerous, or whether or not abortions should be made legal everywhere. The list for arguments from both pro-choice and pro-life advocates is endless. Whether one believes abortions should be banned completely or they should be legalized everywhere, many arguments point to beneficiality of abortions. Abortion should be accessible to women because philosophical, moral, and ethical arguments prove that abortion is much more beneficial than it is harmful. Abortion is a medical procedure that is performed on a pregnant woman with the goal of terminating the pregnancy before the birth …show more content…

When does human life really begin? Do fetuses have a right to life? Are fetuses considered people? When examining many of the philosophical questions that are often asked when discussing abortions, it is important to define some of the key words that pro-choice and pro-life advocates alike use. Questions like those stated above are argued about among many types of people, not just pro-life or pro-choice supporters; depending on one’s background or personal beliefs, the answers to those questions vary widely. In order to begin to answer those questions, one must define terms used. Is there a difference between a human and a person? While it may seem that these two words can be used interchangeably (and in a traditional sense, they can be) on a philosophical level, yes, there is a difference. A person, as defined by The Free Dictionary, is “ a being characterized by consciousness, rationality, and a moral sense, and traditionally thought of as consisting of both a body and a mind or soul.” On the other hand, The Free Dictionary defines a human as “any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage.” There is an obvious difference in the two definitions, a difference that Hank Green from Personhood: Crash Course Philosophy points out in a simple manner. Green states that the word “human” is used as a biological term, while the word “person” is used in a moral sense, going on to say that a person is someone who is considered to be part of our moral community (Green). In this sense, pro-life arguments are correct in saying that human life begins at conception. When the cells and genetic code form, both the mother and father are combined to create a new being, but this does not necessarily mean that a few week old embryo is a

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