Abortion Ethics and Reproductive Rights: Philosophical Foundations and Policy Debates
Bachelor's Thesis · ~78 pages · English
Abstract
This thesis examines the abortion debate through philosophical, legal, and public health lenses. The philosophical analysis evaluates competing arguments about personhood, bodily autonomy, and the moral status of fetuses at various developmental stages, drawing on utilitarian, deontological, and feminist frameworks. Legal analysis traces the evolution of reproductive rights jurisprudence from Roe v. Wade through Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, assessing the constitutional and federalism implications of abortion's return to state regulation. Public health evidence documents the consequences of abortion access restrictions on maternal mortality, socioeconomic equity, and related health outcomes.
1. Introduction
Few issues in democratic societies generate more sustained controversy than abortion. The debate engages fundamental questions about personhood, bodily autonomy, the role of religion in public policy, gender equality, and the appropriate scope of state authority over intimate decisions.
This thesis aims not to resolve these debates but to map their philosophical foundations, trace their legal expression, and evaluate empirical evidence about the consequences of different regulatory approaches. A clear-eyed analysis of each dimension is prerequisite to informed democratic deliberation.
2. Philosophical Frameworks
The abortion debate turns on two core questions:
Moral Status of the Fetus - At what developmental stage, if any, does a fetus acquire the moral status of a person with rights that can override the pregnant person's reproductive autonomy? Positions range from conception (Catholic natural law tradition) to birth (some utilitarian accounts) with many intermediate positions.
Bodily Autonomy - Even if fetal personhood is granted, does the pregnant person retain rights over their own body that limit others' claims on it? Thomson's (1971) famous violinist argument explores this question through thought experiment.
Feminist Ethics - Reproductive autonomy is inseparable from gender equality; restrictions on abortion access constitute state coercion that disproportionately affects women and gender-diverse people.
3. Public Health Evidence
Post-Dobbs evidence and international comparisons illuminate public health consequences:
• Abortion restrictions do not substantially reduce abortion rates but shift procedures from safe clinical settings to less safe alternatives • U.S. states with complete abortion bans have seen increases in maternal mortality rates • Women denied abortions show higher rates of poverty, reduced educational and occupational attainment, and domestic violence exposure (Turnaway Study findings) • Countries with comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including abortion access, consistently achieve better maternal and child health outcomes
The public health evidence strongly supports that access to safe abortion services is an essential component of comprehensive healthcare.
References
- [1]Thomson, J. J. "A Defense of Abortion." Philosophy & Public Affairs 1.1 (1971): 47-66.
- [2]Marquis, D. "Why Abortion Is Immoral." Journal of Philosophy 86.4 (1989): 183-202.
- [3]Foster, D. G. The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having—or Being Denied—an Abortion. Scribner, 2020.
- [4]Ganatra, B., et al. "Global, Regional, and Subregional Classification of Abortions by Safety, 2010-14: Estimates from a Bayesian Hierarchical Model." The Lancet 390.10110 (2017): 2372-2381.
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