The Spectrum of Permissible Abortion

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that there is no evidence to support such a claim. She finds that there is a clear distinction between abortion and infanticide, one that cannot be overlooked. Infanticide is appalling in so many ways that abortion is not. The trauma of such an action clearly disregards any semblance of protection of life. Additionally, Bok finds that allowing abortions works towards the deterrence of such atrocious acts (Bok, 216).

I believe that I am sympathetic to situations where abortion is the most fitting solution. I find that Bok’s argument proves to be very practical in all aspects regarding the degree of morality of an abortion. I agree with the arguments that she presents and as a result I too regard abortion as being completely acceptable in the first-trimester, however as the pregnancy progresses, I believe that ample justification is required to permit the abortion to take place. When considering infanticide, I do not find it to be allowable in any case—the cruelty of the act is deplorable due to the baby having already been brought into this world and as Bok says, the results of such an action would devastate the causalities of the protection of life.

Many would immediately come to oppose the basis of the argument for why both Bok and I find abortion to be permissible. Firstly, there is the view of the catholic church whose beliefs are brought forth in Pope Paul VI’s “Respect for Life in the Womb.” The Pope finds the fetus to be a life that is deserving of absolute dignity and as a result, abortion is unallowable. However, the Pope does allow for abortion in the case of the mother’s life being at risk. The Pope’s argument is rooted in the belief that an abortion undermines the will of God; in that it demoralizes the sexual act in it of itself by not respecting the sanctity of the role of sex (Pope

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Paul VI, 396). Bok proposes that views such as that of the Pope are invalid simply because they do not consider the same issues at hand—the views of the Church represent the moral consequences associated with the taking of a life, even in the form of a clump of cells. The Church wishes only to maintain the sacredness of the role of God in a pregnancy and does not deliberate on any other matter. In her work, Bok mentions John Noonan who, in “An Almost Absolute Value in History,” claims that a fetus becomes human at the moment of conception and thus is ultimately deserving of the right to life. Noonan believes that abortion is permissible only in the case of the mother being in danger (Noonan). Noonan’s argument challenges that of Bok because it determines that a fetus is human from the moment of conception—however, it is unthinkable to consider a group of cells to be the equivalent of a living breathing human being. Noonan oversimplifies the concept of humanity and fails to properly determine that humanity is earned as the fetus develops and that there are true markers that distinguish between these moments for the fetus. The dialogue between varying opinions concerning abortion is characterized by what Stanley Hauerwas would consider to be disastrous conversations in “Abortion: Why Arguments Fail.” Sentiments towards abortion are contingent on the background and belief system of each individual, and as a result, it becomes difficult to participate in any discourse simply because of a lack of reciprocal understanding (Hauerwas).

In light of the theory proposed by Bok, and which I have adopted, I will proceed in considering three distinct cases and provide a response given my theory. The first concerns a 17- year old girl in her seventh month of pregnancy, who finds herself without support from the father-to-be of the child and additionally without solid economic resources. She is considering having an abortion as she does not find herself to be well suited to carry out the burdens of becoming a mother. Presumably, she is passed the point of viability as she is in her seventh

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month of pregnancy and due to there being no true threat to her own health, the girl is not a candidate for abortion. Had she made the decision during the first months of her pregnancy, it would be morally allowable. However, at such a late stage of her pregnancy, it is simply not tolerable to have an abortion when in her situation.

The second case explores the situation of a young couple who, at 15 weeks into their pregnancy, discover that the fetus is a girl. The couple already has three girls and had really hoped for a boy and so they wish to abort in hopes of trying again for a boy. At fifteen weeks, the fetus has already experienced quickening, and as a result, an abortion at this stage for the reasons presented is not permissible. An abortion at this stage would be traumatizing enough for the medical personnel, and additionally, the fetus would be subject to pain. The couple not wanting to have another girl is not strong enough of a motive to terminate the pregnancy, more so if it is the only issue at hand for the family.

Lastly, a woman discovers in the middle of her second-trimester of pregnancy that her child will be born with Down Syndrome. She and her husband do not feel that they are willing to go through with the pregnancy due to the quality of life of the child and the care that it requires. I believe that in such a case, abortion is morally permissible. Down Syndrome is a terrible disability in many cases and being that there was no previous knowledge during the pregnancy, it would be justifiable to allow for an abortion to take place within the timeframe of the second-trimester.

The issue of abortion creates a divide between those who find it to be allowable and those who find it to be deplorable. Sissela Bok proposes a sound argument for the continued approval of abortions within certain parameters. In reading her work I was ultimately persuaded by her arguments and agree with the notion of a developmental sense of humanity that is the ultimate

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determinant of justifiable abortion. The individual and personal choice to have an abortion is a private matter—however we must assert that it is only to be considered as an extreme measure