Moral Controversy: Abortion

Moral Controversy: Abortion
Abortion is one ethical issue that has continued to elicit mixed reactions and controversy over the years. It has split the world right down the middle; on one side is a group of people that is viciously opposed to the practice. On the flip side is another group that has been painstakingly advocating for its legalization and adoption. One fundamental question that has been prevalent regarding abortion is when the life of a human being begins. The question has always been precipitated by the opponents' contention that abortion is murder. Opponents argue that life begins at conception; as soon as an egg is fertilized, it becomes a life (American College of Pediatricians, 2017). Its termination, therefore, is murder. On the other hand, proponents opine that human life begins when a baby can survive outside the mother's womb. Thus, the termination of a fetus should not be termed murder since it has not yet started living. Further, opponents of abortion argue that its legalization would promote such social evils as wanton promiscuity, especially among young people. In a rejoinder, proponents argue that access to safe and legal abortion constitutes a human right (GALE, 2018). In addition, they contend that women should not be forced to bring unwanted pregnancies to term. In this regard, they contend that pregnancies that result from unsavory circumstances such as rape should be terminated.
Ethical Egoist.
Ethical egoists are people who believe that they should exclusively pursue their self-interest. Even though their obligations are accounted for by self-interest, they are not opposed to helping others (Rachels, 2019). Self-egoism does not promote foolishness; instead, it promotes selfishness by encouraging pursuing one's long-term interests.
An ethical egoist's opinion on abortion is circumstantial. If, for instance, an abortion will serve the mother's best interests, an ethical egoist will view it as moral. To this end, if a mother feels that having a child will impose a financial burden on her, she should be allowed to abort. Additionally, if pregnancy may cause the termination of the mother’s education, it would be in her best interests to abort. By all accounts, ethical egoism is selfish and does not care much about others’ feelings. On the flip side, if the abortion will not serve the mother's best interests, it is immoral in the eyes of an ethical egoist. Therefore, an ethical egoist can take either of the two sides depending on whether self-interest is being allowed prominence or not.
Being loyal to self, in this context, would most probably mean procuring an abortion. This would contrast sharply with being loyal to the community. This is because abortion is largely frowned upon in many communities; it is viewed as an abominable act.
The best course of action is to impose stiff penalties on people found guilty of perpetrating abortion. However, there should be a provision for exemptions; for instance, if a woman conceives after being raped, she can be...