Abortion and Natural Law

Question 1

Why is abortion not natural?

Answer 1

1. does not allow for eudiomonia
2. preventing embryo fulfilling gods purpose
3. going against some of the primary precepts

Question 2

what primary precepts does abortion go against?

Answer 2

• to preserve life
• to reproduce
• to live harmoniously (in some circumstances)

Question 3

Hierarchy of law and abortion

Answer 3

you can ignore state law and follow divine law and natural law.
so even though state law allows for abortion divine and natural law do not, so abortion is wrong because of the hierarchy of law

Question 4

what is the embryos purpose?

Answer 4

to reflect the perfect image of god

Question 5

how does double effect allow for abortion?

Answer 5

if the birth threatened the mothers life, you could abort the baby as you are following the precept ‘to preserve life’ by protecting the mother.
an unfortunate by-product is that you break the precept to reproduce

Question 6

how does proportionalism allow for abortion?

Answer 6

sometimes abortion is wrong but necessary- it is for the greater good

Question 7

give an example of abortion and proportionalism

Answer 7

mother who has suffered extreme post natal depression in the past

Question 8

sin and abortion

Answer 8

you have misapplied you reason

Question 9

abortion as a secondary precept

Answer 9

we can work out, using our reason/synderesis, from the primary precepts ‘to reproduce’ and ‘to preserve life’ that abortion is wrong

Question 10

STRENGTHS (there is 5)

Answer 10

1. proportionalism
2. double effect
3. absolutist
4. sanctity of life
5. ‘to live harmoniously’

Question 11

how is proportionalism a STRENGTH of natural law and abortion

Answer 11

• allows for exceptional circumstances e.g. post natal depression

Question 12

how is double effect a STRENGTH of natural law and abortion

Answer 12

e.g. preserving life of mother

Question 13

how is being absolutist a STRENGTH of natural law and abortion

Answer 13

unlike utilitarianism there will not be a culture of killing

Question 14

how is sanity of life a STRENGTH of natural law and abortion

Answer 14

god designed the foetus for s purpose and this should not be dismissed

Question 15

how is ‘to live harmoniously’ a STRENGTH of natural law and abortion

Answer 15

avoids conflict, sex should only occur when a child is wanted

Question 16

what are the WEAKNESS’S of natural law and abortion (there is 6)

Answer 16

• secondary precept
• doesn’t account for personal circumstance
• people no longer religion
• sin is patronising
• prolong suffering
• outdated

Question 17

how is natural law being ‘outdated’ a WEAKNESS of natural law and abortion?

Answer 17

when Aquinas wrote his natural law there was no way of scanning to see if a child would be handicapped or not

Question 18

why would a strict follower of natural say that it is wrong to have an abortion, and how is this a WEAKNESS?

Answer 18

abortion is wrong as a secondary precept as you are not ‘preserving life’ or ‘reproducing’ (which are both primary precepts)

Question 19

how is natural law not allowing for circumstances a WEAKNESS of it’s opinion on abortion?

Answer 19

e. g. does not allow for a woman with 8 pre-existing children who cannot afford another
e. g. a 16 year old girl who was raped

Question 20

how can ‘sin’ be patronising and a WEAKNESS od naturals rules on abortion?

Answer 20

by saying a woman who has wrongly applied her reason is patronising if she has previously suffered form pot-natal depression for example

Question 21

how can natural law ‘prolong suffering’ in issues surrounding abortion? (WEAKNESS)

Answer 21

not having an abortion because the child is ‘sacred’ is speciesist (peter singer) and may prolong suffering for a handicapped child