The problem of abortion: essentially contested concepts and moral autonomy

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Philosophy of Law
• Feminist Philosophy

Background:

• The ethics of abortion are predominantly framed within a rights-based discourse.
• Both feminist and non-feminist accounts frequently utilize similar rights models.
• Recent feminist scholarship offers alternative frameworks for understanding abortion rights.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the non-feminist debate on abortion ethics.
• To analyze the concept of personhood as an essentially contested concept in abortion debates.
• To propose an expanded feminist account of a woman's right to choose.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis of rights-based arguments in abortion ethics.
• Examination of feminist reconceptualizations of abortion rights.
• Integration of Susan Sherwin's work on women's reproductive rights.

Main Results:

• The non-feminist abortion debate is irresolvable due to the contested nature of personhood.
• Feminist perspectives offer a nuanced understanding of 'a woman's right to choose'.
• An expanded account of abortion rights can bridge feminist and non-feminist viewpoints.

Conclusions:

• Reconceptualizing abortion ethics beyond traditional rights frameworks is necessary.
• An expanded view of abortion rights integrates diverse philosophical and feminist insights.
• Understanding personhood is central to resolving ethical debates surrounding abortion.