Historical and Cultural Perspectives on Abortion

According to Romanis (2023), Abortion attitudes have changed over time and between civilizations. The practice has been legally accepted in some nations and outlawed in others (Bernstein & Manata, 2019). Countries such as Albania, Canada, and Australia legally allow abortion, while nations such as Egypt, Jamaica, and Iraq. Even though abortion is considered to be illegal in these countries, it is allowed in permitted in situations that are considered to be lifesaving.

Culture and religion are other factors that significantly affect how abortion is viewed. Different denominations have different views on the morality of abortion (Romanis, 2023). The catholic denomination deems abortion a sin and advocates against the practice. The Muslim denomination only allows abortion to be carried out under certain conditions.

Ethical and Moral Theories and Abortion

The morality of abortion can be examined using ethical and moral theories. Utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics are three important ethical philosophies. The utilitarianism theory considers an act good if it increases happiness or pleasure (Lane & Robert, 2022). In this case, the pain and suffering the reduce. The morality of abortion based on the utilitarian theory is accessed based on its effect on the unborn, father, and mother.

The deontology approach places a strong emphasis on the parties’ moral obligations. It claims that specific actions, regardless of their outcomes, are essentially moral or immoral. According to the theory morality of abortion depends if the act violates the unborn baby’s rights. In situations where abortion interferes with another person’s rights, it is considered wrong.

Lastly, the virtues theory emphasizes the characters of the persons involved. Virtues, in this case, would entail honesty, companionship, and courage, to name a few. Virtue ethicists examine abortion’s morality regarding how well the individuals involved reflect their virtues.