Pro Life vs. Pro Choice
The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.
After 1 vote and with 3 points ahead, the winner is...
- Publication date
- Last updated date
- Type
- Standard
- Number of rounds
- 2
- Time for argument
- One day
- Max argument characters
- 10,000
- Voting period
- One week
- Point system
- Multiple criterions
- Voting system
- Open
Con will be arguing for Pro Choice
- Pro-life: The belief that human life should be protected and valued from the moment of conception until natural death.
- Abortion: The termination of a pregnancy before the fetus is capable of independent life.
- The argument presented here is based on the assumption that human life has inherent value and deserves to be protected.
- The argument does not address situations of rape, incest, or threats to the life of the mother, as these are complex and sensitive issues that may require a different ethical analysis.
- According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person" (United Nations, 1948).
- The value of human life is also recognized in various religious and philosophical traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism (Barna Group, 2018).
- A first trimester fetus has the potential to grow into a baby, and therefore has more value than just a "cluster of cells" (paraphrased).
- It is difficult to draw a line at any point other than the inception of the baby to determine when a human life has intrinsic value, as there are examples of adults who are alive due to external forces or are in a coma, and these cases raise questions about the use of criteria such as heartbeats or brain function to determine the value of a human life.
- From the moment of fertilization, a new human being is created with his or her own unique genetic makeup (American College of Pediatricians, 2018).
- Scientific evidence shows that the unborn child is a living being with his or her own unique set of DNA, blood type, and potential for growth and development (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2017).
- If the unborn child is a human being with inherent value and dignity, then he or she has the right to life and should be protected by law (National Right to Life Committee, 2021).
- The pro-life position asserts that all human beings, including the unborn, should be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their size, location, or level of development (National Right to Life Committee, 2021).
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2017). ACOG Committee Opinion No. 711: Abortion. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 130(6), e205-e211.
- American College of Pediatricians (2018). The Science of Fetal Development. Retrieved from https://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/health-care-policy/the-science-of-fetal-development
- Barna Group (2018). The Christian Worldview and Abortion. Retrieved from https://www.barna.com/
- National Right to Life Committee (2021). The Right to Life: An Introduction. Retrieved from https://www.nrlc.org/abortion/therighttolife/
Self-ownership, also known as sovereignty of the individual or individual sovereignty, is the concept of property in one's own person, expressed as the moral or natural right of a person to have bodily integrity and be the exclusive controller of one's own body and life.
Gift2: something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation
Debt1. something that is owed or that one is bound to pay to or perform for another.2. a liability or obligation to pay or render something.3. the condition of being under such an obligation.
- Abortion: the expulsion of a fetus from the uterus before it has reached the stage of viability (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2017)
- Pro-choice: the belief in the right to choose whether or not to continue their pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion (National Right to Life Committee, 2021)
- Self-ownership and the right to one's own body: the belief that individuals have the right to privacy and bodily autonomy and that these rights should be protected (American College of Pediatricians, 2018)
why does the mother owe the fetus her womb? What creates the obligation where a mother must have her bodily integrity disrespected in favor of the fetus's alleged claim to occupy her womb?
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2017). FAQs: Human Sexuality and Reproduction. Retrieved from https://www.acog.org/patient-resources/faqs/human-sexuality-and-reproduction
- American College of Pediatricians. (2018). The Physical and Psychological Effects of Abortion on Women. Retrieved from https://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/the-physical-and-psychological-effects-of-abortion-on-women
- National Right to Life Committee. (2021). About NRLC. Retrieved from https://www.nrlc.org/about/
"I want to start by responding to your argument by addressing the definitions you gave. Although these definitions provide helpful information, they oversimplify certain aspects of the discussion and fail to adequately represent the complexity of the issues at hand. As an illustration, the definition of abortion as the "expulsion of a foetus from the uterus before it has reached the stage of viability" ignores the moral ramifications of the choice to end a pregnancy as well as the intrinsic worth and dignity of human existence."
"Similarly, the definition of pro-choice as the belief in the "right to choose whether or not to continue their pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion" does not take into account the moral and ethical considerations involved in this decision."
"With regards to your argument on self-ownership and the right to one's own body, I agree that people have the right to privacy and bodily autonomy and that these rights are important and should be protected. However, I would argue that these rights are not absolute and must be balanced with other moral considerations, such as the inherent value and dignity of human life."
"4. The inherent value and dignity of human lifeThe pro-life position asserts that from the moment of conception, a new human being is created with his or her own unique genetic makeup and the potential for growth and development (American College of Pediatricians, 2018). Scientific evidence shows that the unborn child is a living being with his or her own unique set of DNA, blood type, and potential for growth and development (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2017). If the unborn child is a human being with inherent value and dignity, then he or she has the right to life and should be protected by law (National Right to Life Committee, 2021)...
5. Self-ownership and the right to one's own body versus the inherent value and dignity of human lifeI also disagree with your argument that self-ownership and the right to one's own body should take precedence over the inherent value and dignity of human life. While the right to privacy and bodily autonomy is important, it does not override the fundamental moral principle that human life is valuable and deserving of respect. This is especially true in the case of abortion, where the decision to terminate a pregnancy involves the taking of a human life. The pro-life position acknowledges the complexity and sensitivity of this issue and does not seek to impose its views on others, but rather to advocate for the protection of all human life, including the unborn
The pro-life position does not argue that the mother owes the fetus her womb or has a responsibility to carry the pregnancy to term. Rather, the pro-life position argues that the unborn child has inherent value and dignity as a human being, and therefore has a right to life that should be protected by law.
This belief is based on the scientific evidence that the unborn child is a living being with his or her own unique set of DNA, blood type, and potential for growth and development (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2017).
In conclusion, while I respect the pro-choice position and the importance of self-ownership and bodily autonomy, I believe that the inherent value and dignity of human life must also be considered.
In the text provided, there are no citations included, which makes it difficult to determine the sources of the ideas and arguments presented.
Pro's case is straight forward, to paraphrase: that the unborn are equal to any other human. He also adds that the pro life stance inherently includes "support for expectant mothers."
Con makes his counter on the legal grounds of pro's case, due to self sovereignty. He builds upon this with the concept that self-determination is a human right, and adds a reminder that the death of the fetus is not the goal even while it's an inevitable consequence of eviction.
R2 gets off to a bad start, with pro bemoaning that the definitions were concise and not including a bunch of moral statements. Pro goes on to literally copy/paste his previous statements. Then adds that the pro-life position no longer wishes to be enforced legally ("does not seek to impose its views on others"), before flipping back to legal sanctions, just after admitting a woman has no obligation to allow her body to be used against her wishes...
The core problem with the pro case are well summarized by con:
'What you have failed to do however is outline, describe, or even justify how the inherent value and dignity of human life modifies one's right to one's body, and the reason pregnancy compels us to prioritize, as you describe, "other moral considerations."'
Whoops, sorry! I didn't realize you had texted. I was just browsing to see my previous debates, haha.
Thanks for participating, and thanks for the vote.
I'm curious: what are your thoughts to con's analogies?
Voting period ends in one day. I might make the time to vote, but in case I don't, bumping it to the top of the list.
Nice post. Expect my response tomorrow.
I accept. Please be sure to outline your definitions, stipulations, and resolution.