Question

Two of the main moral considerations were the status of the fetus and the right of the pregnant woman to make decisions that affect her own body. Regarding the status of the fetus, the question is whether a fetus is a person. For many this is an important question because if the fetus is a person, then it is immoral to kill it; if it isn’t, then abortion is morally permissible. Regarding the rights of the pregnant woman, it is argued that the morality of abortion stems from whether a woman can make any decision she wishes about her own body, including whether or not to terminate a pregnancy.

Having considered these points, what are the similarities and differences between the questions of abortion and animal ethics? What is the connection between personhood and rights? Do you think some animals are moral persons? If not, do you agree that some animals have at least the right to life. On what principle can that right be based?

Answer 1

In case of abortion, foetuses are considered living things which is similar in case of animal rights because animals are living things. Animals have moral rights because they are living and so does foetuses as they are also living and have moral rights. Foetuses are complex beings developing and so are animals and both have rights for living.
The differences lie in the fact that foetuses are considered human living beings and so it is not correct to harm them. Hence the animals are non-human so animal rights and abortion rights contradict in here. Another difference is that foetuses are innocent and harmless and hence cannot be harmed but apart from farm animals, wild animals can be harmful and so they can be killed but the animal rights do not allow that hence this is arguable.

Personhood involve the attributes like human nature, self awareness, a past-future notion and right and duties possession. The rights of personhood represent the rights as the possession of an individual and not a property of the individual. The personhood rights personifies the zygotes, fertilized eggs, embryos and foetuses and grant them full legal protection. The law states that it is unjust to classify certain humans as non-persons. With respect to abortion, a human being can have individual rights as a person in case of personhood.

There has been quite an argument that involves the fact whether the animals are moral beings or not. There have been many suppport statements that say that animals are moral beings whereas some say they are not. Animals can be moral beings because not all animals mean harm to the human race or anyone else. They are beings with moral emotions and can be helpful and loving. When it comes to cases of aggressive wild animals, they do not always possess the emotions and can be immoral.

Even if animals are not considered moral beings, they have the right to life. Humans can be immoral to but that doesn't mean they will be killed or their life will not be granted to them. Every living being has the right to survive by means unless it possess great threat .