Is abortion permissible?

• Main Author: Nah, Benji Jia Wei
• Other Authors: Andrew T. Forcehimes
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Humanities::Philosophy
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/165396
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This paper argues that abortion is morally permissible, especially in cases of rape and incest-related pregnancies, and when the mother’s life is threatened. This paper examines theoretical frameworks, arguments from scholars like Peter Singer, Charles Camosy, and Don Marquis, while comparing their accounts to popular pro-choice and pro-life arguments surrounding the political discourse of abortion issue. The paper consists of five sections. The first section identifies three important theoretical frameworks: utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics, which helps to inform the morality of abortion. The second section first synthesizes and articulates Peter Singer’s arguments before comparing his accounts to Charles Camosy and Don Marquis. The third section focuses on pro-choice and pro-life arguments through the lens of two American politicians: Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The fourth section examines three common pro-life objections to abortion while attempting to provide responses on behalf of pro-choice. In the fifth and last section, the paper concludes with the key findings and arguments discussed while identifying potential implications of the research on abortion rights and how future research can be done to understand the morality of the issue.