Devan Crecy
MWEthics
Kant’s View on Abortion
Abortion is the ending of pregnancy by removing a fetus or embryo from the womb before it can survive on its own. Abortion has always been a debate about whether ending a pregnancy is murder or a fundamental human right. The terms to separate the debate is pro-life or pro-choice.
Pro-life is the word used to describe people who does not support abortion. They see abortion as murder as it is the act of taking one’s life. As many have learned life begins at conception so pro-life supporters acknowledge the fetus as a human so the choice of abortion is immoral and illegal. They also argue that women who do not take precautions, such as contraceptives or practicing abstinence, to avoid pregnancy should suffer consequences not abort a life due to their mistakes. Abortion can also cause medical complications such as ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and pelvic inflammatory disease which can also lead to psychological issues later on for women who cannot have successful pregnancies. Pro-life supporters see adoption as a better choice for women who cannot care for a child or do not want to care for a child. Adoption is also giving the child a chance at life because the child could grow up to become an influential person to the society.
Pro-choice supports abortion as they see women should be allowed to do anything to their bodies. With some women who suffer health complications, a pregnancy can put strain on their bodies and also might end in a miscarriage. People who would rather not have a child should be allowed not to as they might love and care for the child as needed. In case of being raped or even incest, those experiences are traumatizing and no one should have to live with a constant remainder. Studies have also shown that unwanted children are abused and neglected more. Pro-choice supporters also believe the fetus is not a human as it cannot survive outside the uterus on its own. The approach of this paper is how would Kant view abortion. Does he view a fetus as a form of life? In the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals he explains his view.