Assignment for Week 5: Ethics of Abortion Directions: Using the modified System of Ethical Analysis presented in the Week 5 Lecture, develop your own Ethical position on the issue of Abortion and support it Ethically. Make sure you state your Ethical position in terms of an Action that an individual, group, or society should take (100 points). The modified System of Ethical Analysis is shown below, as well as in the Week 5 Lecture:   Keep in mind also that you will not be graded on the position you take, but how effectively you can support that position Ethically.

  1. State the Facts and Judgments regarding the Issue of Abortion
The assigned reading from your textbook provides for you an excellent resource on the various Facts and Judgments about Abortion. Feel free here to add Facts and Judgments that you’ve gained from other sources, including your own thoughts on the issue. Make sure that you understand the issue as thoroughly as possible. Consider also points of view that may oppose your own point of view.
  1. State Possible Actions
Identify several Actions that either individual people or a society could take regarding Abortion. Again, consider some Actions which may not agree with your own. Watch out for the Either/Or fallacy regarding your possible Actions.
  1. Choose one Action that you think you can best Support.
Also, identify the Individual and the Group that will be most affected by the Action you’ve chosen. Most Ethical actions, as we’ve seen this term, affect both an individual and a group. Also, identify WHO (primarily) needs to take the Action. Individuals themselves? Government bodies and agencies? Religious or social groups?
  1. Support your Choice of Action, using the Ethical Concepts we’ve talked about in this class.
We will do so in several different ways. Keep in mind that choosing a different Action will doubtless require different Support.
  1. Oppositions (Use allfour in your Analysis.) Is the Action:
  • Good for the Person or Good for the group?
  • Right for the Person or Right for the group?
  • Duty to self vs. Duty to Others?
  • Teleology vs. Deontology: End-justifies-the Means or Means-justify-the-End?
  1. Ethical Motivations (Choose at least one.)
  • Threat of punishment; Promise of reward.
  • Practical (“It works”).
  • Group influence/Peer pressure.
  • Maintain legal order.
  • Maintain social order.
  1. Ethical/Moral Systems (Choose at least one.)
  • Egoism: Do what’s in my self-interest.
  • Natural Law: Do what’s consistent with human nature. (Most religion-based arguments regarding Abortion come from a Natural Law system.)
  • Utilitarianism: Do what would accomplish the greatest good for the greatest number.
  • Respect/Rights: Do whatever most shows respect for people’s dignity.
  • Virtue: Do what shows the best character.
(By the way, all of these Ethical/Moral systems are “legitimate.” Choose which one best describes your Action.)  
  1. Positives vs. Negatives
Any Ethical Action regarding the issue of Abortion will have both positive and negative consequences. We need to keep these consequences in mind, since we’re attempting to determine the BEST choice (not the “correct” choice). In any case, the Action will have a “cost.” But do the benefits outweigh the costs?
  • State the Positive outcomes of this chosen Action.
  • State the Negative outcomes of this chosen Action.
  • Do the Positives outweigh the negatives or vice versa? Why?
Remember that for any choice of Action you recommend regarding Abortion , you need to be able to clearly Justify that choice logically and morally.