Philosophy - Admission/Application Essay Example

On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion Mary Anne Warren, an ethicist, highlights some of the abortion arguments, notably the argument concerning the moral rights of fetuses. She explores all the moral and legal aspects surrounding the debate on abortion. Warren provides a summary of the problems associated with the anti-abortion point of arguments, particularly the difference between the moral and genetic senses that make up a human being. The ethicist designs a thesis that suggests that a fetus is not a human being (person).

Consequently, fetus are not worthy of moral consideration, which translates to permissibility of abortion. Warren backs her thesis with five major conditions that determines personhood, which include the capability of consciousness, reasoning ability, self-motivated actions, the capacity of communication, and self-awareness and presence of self-concepts (Rachels 110). According to her, fetuses do not match these qualities thus there exists no moral obligation towards them. Warren’s thesis on abortion is tricky.

She uses five qualities that are universal characteristics of human beings. Nevertheless, her thesis is not correct in the fact that the society does not comprise of human beings only. Warren assumes that only human being have moral obligation and rights, neglecting other creatures in the universe (Rachels 111). Again, no person has the right, morally, spiritually, or otherwise, to classify human beings. In addition, she disregards objections from anti-abortionists that fetuses have the potential to develop to “persons”.

The ethicist is indecisive on the objection relating to infanticide with the belief that the impact of the objection is insufficient to abolish abortion. Infanticide is a crime and despite moral permissibility in some situations, it undermines human dignity. Infanticide flaws the rights to life. Work citedRachels, Stuart. The Right Thing to Do: Basic Readings in Moral Philosophy. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. 109-115. Print.