Ethics - Abortion Vs. Adoption Term Paper

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 628 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 2

Page 1 of 2



Most philosophers and bio-ethicists do not recognize any moral problem with abortion before the stage of fetal development where a brain and nervous system form because they are necessary for sensory perception and the fetus is incapable of feeling pain at that stage. Still, philosophers are concerned with when a clump of cells becomes a person, irrespective of sensation, or else aborting fetuses at eight months would be permissible as long as it was anesthetized first. Clearly, apart from religious beliefs and sensory perception, a nearly fully developed fetus may no longer be aborted morally; but just as clearly, a very recently fertilized zygote does not create a moral obligation to carry it to full term to be adopted instead of being aborted shortly after conception. There is no precise instant where a fetus makes an instantaneous transition to sentience; nor does it suddenly acquire all the attributes that makes it a person either.

Stuck Writing Your "Ethics - Abortion Vs. Adoption" Term Paper?

View All Our Example Ethics - Abortion Vs. Adoption Term Paper

Have A Custom Example Essay Written



Rather, both occur gradually and components of each develop at different rates, even within the same general range, in different individuals. Nevertheless, biologists do understand the fetal developmental process enough to define stages before which sentience is impossible, and before other attributes of personhood develop because the necessary anatomical structures are not yet formed. Since those definitions allow for erring on the safe side of any "grey" areas of uncertainty, aborting an unwanted pregnancy before that stage of development is morally permissible, and pregnancies beyond that stage may not be terminated through abortion without moral justification, such as medical necessity for the mother. Beyond that, adoption is the moral choice......

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Ethics - Abortion Vs Adoption" (2008, March 02) Retrieved June 13, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/ethics-abortion-adoption-31794

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Ethics - Abortion Vs Adoption" 02 March 2008. Web.13 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/ethics-abortion-adoption-31794>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Ethics - Abortion Vs Adoption", 02 March 2008, Accessed.13 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/ethics-abortion-adoption-31794
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example