Abortion and Euthanasia Flashcards
(47 cards)
What is an argument against life being sacred from conception?
42% of embryos abort naturally before 14 days, before the primitive streak forms
What did Thomas Aquinas argue about abortion?
Less serious to kill an unformed soul than a formed soul (40 days for boy and 90 days for girl)
What Roman Catholic piece of legislation argued the church’s position on Abortion?
Declaration on Procured Abortion, 1974
When does the Roman Catholic Church believe that life is sacred?
From conception
What was Judith Jarvis Thompson’s argument for Abortion?
Woman should have absolute autonomy over their bodies
What did the 1973 Roe vs Wade say about abortion?
That an abortion in the first twelve weeks is a woman’s right as privacy reigns over the state’s interest
What does the CofE say about abortion in terms of self defence?
Abortion should be permitted if it puts a woman’s life at risk
What would be the argument against the right to self defence?
That if the woman’s life is sacred, so is the baby’s
What has Jean Vanier done to show the the foetus is severely disabled argument obsolete?
That the argument of the foetus being disabled is obsolete because his L’Arche centres have show disabled people can enjoy life
What did John Stuart Mill say about abortion?
That if laws are too restrictive that they are more likely to be broken
What is the argument against Mill’s restrictive laws argument?
That laws need to protect innocent human life
When does Judith Jarvis Thompson oppose abortion?
If the women did not use contraception
What is Dr John Parsons argument for abortion?
That 170,000 more babies a year is not practical
Why does Japan promote abortion?
Population control
When is abortion a good alternative?
In China when it is a better alternative to infanticide because families will kill girls due to one-child policy
How does Peter Singer define a person?
Foetus need to be conscious, feel pain, to reason and to show self-awareness
What is the weakness of Peter Singer’s and Michael Tooley’s definition of a person?
Disabled babies and newborns do not meet their definition and so infanticide could be justified
What is Judith Jarvis Thompson’s argument against abortion?
That if you had a burglar in your house you would be allowed to expel it, so the same should apply to the womb
What is said in Jeremiah 5:1?
“I called you whilst you were in your mothers womb.”
What does Dr John Habgood argue?
That the polarisation of the debate does not help and development is not being made because of this
What is passive euthanasia?
Withdrawing treatment or switching off life support
What is active euthanasia?
Dying intentionally through lethal injection, ect.
Define euthanasia
“A deliberate termination of an individual’s life at the request of an individual. Or by active and deliberate termination of a patient’s life…by a doctor” (Dutch commission on Euthanasia, 1985)
List the arguments in favour of abortion
Personhood (PS and MT) Sperm is not person, personhood (MAW) Burglar theory (JJT) Life threatening (JJT) Special circumstances (1967 Abortion Act) Restrictive laws (JSM)
