ABORTION 2.

Intentional/Direct Abortion
o Deliberately induced expulsion of a living fetus before
o Method of birth control in which conception is terminated it has become viable
rather than prevented. o Act is voluntary
o To avoid excess population in a small Greek City states o Jogging, horseback riding, biking, dancing/aerobic
(Greece, Plato, Aristotle) exercises
o Hippocratic Oath (4th Century B.C.) o Scrubs the floor with all her might
o Contains pledge not to give women treatments that will o Willfully steps on a banana peel
lead to abortion

3. Therapeutic Abortion
o Deliberately induced expulsion of a living fetus in
Philippine Society order to save a mother from the danger of death
o Women who became pregnant by accident had to drink a brought on by pregnancy
bitter solution of certain tree leaves and roots o Pregnant woman with heart condition
o Help of local “hilot” to massage the pregnant woman’s o Health and life of the mother are considered
abdomen paramount in this case
o Presence of peddlers selling all sorts of leaves, roots,
vines and shrubs of Quiapo Church
4. Eugenic Abortion
o Illegal: Article II, Section 12 of 1986 Phil. Constitution o Recommended in cases where certain defects and
o The states recognizes the sanctity of life and shall protect deformities are discovered in the developing fetus
and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social o Better for a child not to be born than for it lead a
institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mothers miserable life
and the life of the unborn from conception. o Prevent contaminating of human species
o Selective abortion/ abortion on fetal indications
o Illegal practice: NEDA
o 150,000-750,000/year
o 4,000/year in one hospital in Manila 5. Indirect Abortion
o Removal of the fetus occurs as a secondary effect of
o Abortions performed by illegal abortionists a legitimate action
o Profuse vaginal bleeding o Double effect principle
o Uterine hemorrhage o Cancerous uterus
o Ectopic Pregnancy
o Previous abortion: narrowed tube
o IUD: inflammation of endometrium
Abortion
o Expulsion of a living fetus from the mother’s womb before
it is viable
o Termination of pregnancy, spontaneously or by induction, Moral Issue of ABORTION
prior to viability. (Dr. Andre E. Hellegers) o When does human life begin
o Is fetus a person?
o When does human soul fuse or unite with the body
Viability (ensoulment)?
o Child’s capability to live independently of its mother after it o Conception? Fetal Development? Viability? Birth? After
has left the womb birth?
o 28th week(LMP)  Theory of Immediate Hominization
o 7th month  Theory of Delayed Animation
o Incubator: To keep prematurely born baby will heighten
its chances of survival
Immediate Hominization
Types of ABORTION o New human person exists immediately upon conception
1. Natural Abortion o Soul enter at conception
o Expulsion of the fetus through natural or accidental o St. Gregory of Nyssa 7.
causes o Soul is infused at the first moment of conception
o Also known as spontaneous or accidental abortion o Platonic and Gregorian 6.
o Miscarriage/ “NAKUNAN” o From the moment of conception, the spiritual soul of each
o Unintentional and involuntary individual person is immediately created by God.
o Devoid of moral significance
 o Loss of self-fulfillment, loss of confidence, loss of self-
esteem
o Mourning and hostility
o Anger, helplessness
Delayed Animation o Loss interest in sex
o Inability to forgive oneself
o Ensoulment occurs at a later time but not from the
o Nightmares and frustration
moment of conception
o Intense interest in babies
o Stagerite and Peripatetic
o Ensoulment occurs about 40th day for males (5.7 weeks)
Physical Effects
and 80th day for females (11.4 weeks)
o Habitual miscarriages
o St. Anselm and St. Augustine
o Ectopic pregnancies
o Only the expulsion of the embryo/living fetus was
o Menstrual disturbances/discomforts, stillbirths
murdered and morally illicit. 8.
o bleeding, shock, coma, perforated uterus,
o St. Thomas Aquinas
o Fever, cold sweat, intense pain
 Asserted that the rational soul is not infused until
o Loss of other organs
sometime later.
o Insomnia
 The rational soul is not engendered by coition or
sexual intercourse. o Loss of appetite, weight loss
 Intellectual principle is immaterial hence it cannot be o Frigidity
produced by semen which is material 9.
 Intellectual soul is directly created by God not from
conception. 10. Three General Viewpoints
1. Conservative Position
o Abortion is never permissible
Interpretation of Delayed Animation o Only if it is required to save the pregnant woman’s life
Implantation o RC holds this view
o Ensoulment occurs 6-7 days after conception

2. Liberal Position 22
Unity and Uniqueness
o Always permissible whatever the state of fetal
o Definitely established
development may be.
o 2-4 weeks/28-30 days after conception
o Woman has the right to control her own body
Looks Human
o Ensoulment occurs when the fetus already looks human
o 5th-6th week of fetal development 3. Moderate Position 23
o Morally permissible up to a certain stage of fetal
Electrical Activity development or for some limited set of reasons
o Ensoulment occurs when there is electrical impulses or sufficient to justify the circumstance.
activities are first detectable in the brain o Abortion before quickening
o 8th week of pregnancy
o Brain starts functioning

Quickening Pro-life Movement

o Ensoulment occurs when the mother can feel the o Disapproving view of abortion
spontaneous movements of the fetus during the 10th to o Expresses and supports the teachings
12th week of pregnancy o Vatican II Council’s Pastoral Constitution of the Church of
the Modern World
Viability o Moment of conception, Life must be regarded as greatest
o Ensoulment occurs at viability care.
o 28th week or seven months o Abortion and Infanticide are condemnable crimes
o Inviolable right of every innocent human being to life
Birth
o Ensoulment occurs at birth when the child become o Alternative ways:
biologically independent from his mother. ➜ Unwanted pregnancy
⤷ Psychological, religious , social help and
preparation for adoption
Effects of Abortion 11-15 ⤷ Receive immediate medical treatment in order to
Psychological Effects prevent conception
o Guilt, suicidal tendencies
Pro-choice Movement o Rightness and wrongness of actions are determined by
the goodness and badness of their effects, results &
o Approving view of abortion consequences.
o Personal / Familial Reasons
1. Underscores freedom of choice giving centrality of the
individuals conscience Kant’s Ethics
2. Liberates procreation decision from the control of the o on DUTY or Obligation
Church o Rightness and Wrongness is sole a matter of intent,
3. Safeguards the mother from the pregnancy that would motive and will.
threaten her life.
4. Protects the reputation of the woman in cases of
pregnancy due to rape or incest.
5. In the name of justice, one who suffer from Ross’s Ethics
consequences of moral action should be the one to o Exemption to every rule and in some situations it must be
make those judgments.
set aside
o Rightness belongs to acts.
o Moral goodness belongs to motive
o Social Reasons
1. Provide adaptation to a world that no longer needs
nor can afford unlimited childbearing
Rawl’s Concept of Justice
2. Alleviates economic, sociological or demographic
o Fairness in dealing with others
problems
3. Anticipates the social costs involved in the care, o Fidelity
support and education of a severely handicapped o Respect for persons
individual during her/his lifetime o Beneficence
4. Building a society in which there is no bias against the
poor in favor of the affluent and powerful
5. Checks overpopulation and reduces unwanted Beneficence
pregnancy, child abuse or prostitution, maternal
death. Non-maleficence

Natural law Ethics

o Fetal Reasons
1. Prevents the birth of terribly malformed or defective
children
2. Child deformity will cause financial and psychological
costs.
3. Abortion is postnatal method of eliminating a couple’s
offspring if its sex is found to undesirable.

Application of Ethical Theories

Ethical Relativism
o NO universal or absolute Moral principles
o The standards of right and wrong are always relative to
particular culture and society

SITUATIONISM (Joseph Fletcher)

o Moral norm depends upon a given situation, but whatever
this situation maybe, one must always act in the name of
Christian love.

PRAGMATISM
o Holds that the true and valid form of knowledge is one
which is practical, workable, beneficial and useful.

UTILITARIANISM 26.