The moral problem of abortion: analysis of arguments

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present and examine five arguments that appear in the debate on the moral status of abortion. These arguments are divided between those that defend the immorality of abortion – because the practice constitutes a kind of homicide – and those that support its moral permissibility, either by denying the moral relevance of the fetus or by assigning priority to women’s rights over fetal rights. In addition to these arguments directly related to the moral status of abortion, this paper also discusses two arguments in favor of its decriminalization. The first, based on the distinction between public morality and private morality, maintains that moral deliberations concerning intimate and existential decisions of individuals should not fall under criminal regulation; the second argument considers anti-abortion laws immoral insofar as they reinforce social structures of oppression against women. Finally, considering the set of arguments analyzed, the reasons supporting the moral permissibility of abortion and its decriminalization appear more compelling than those sustaining its moral condemnation.