Abortion: Morally Permissible or Impermissible?
Abortion can be defined as a means of terminating a pregnancy by removing or expelling a fetus from the uterus before viability. Abortion has been, and will always be, a controversial issue in today’s society and in the future. People have always struggled to determine whether it is ethical to abort a fetus; morally permissible (acceptable) or morally impermissible (unacceptable). The polarizing views that are associated with abortion makes this topic extremely controversial. Some believe that abortion is morally impermissible and under any circumstances will it ever be acceptable, while others believe that under certain circumstances it is justifiable. Many philosophers have attempted …show more content…

But if the potential quality of life for a fetus is minimal and had little value, is there any reason to live or anything to be lost? For example, Marquis mentions that people who are terminally ill that face a future of pain and suffering are not considered to have a loss of future because of the quality of life is little to none and their future has no beneficial value. If the loss of life of a person with a terminal illness is permissible due to poor quality of life and little value, could it not be applied to a fetus that could be potentially born into a less than minimally satisfying life, which can be defined as poor quality and little value just like those that are terminally ill? Purdy mentions that there is a responsibility to provide a minimally satisfying life to every child. If the quality of life is less than minimal there would be no value of life for the child. As a morally responsible member of a society, it is our duty to provide an adequate and a worthwhile life for a child. If a couple, young or old, is not financially or emotionally equipped to take care of themselves, let alone care for a child, then the quality and value of life for the child would be considered less than minimally satisfying, and more than likely depriving them of having the experiences, activities, or overall enjoyment of life that Marquis outlines as the

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