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Essay / Compare and Contrast Pro Life Vs Pro Choice - 1079
A highly debated topic in society is abortion. These debates are divided into “Pro-Life” or “Pro-Choice”. Pro-lifers want abortion to be illegal and prohibited anywhere. Proponents of choice want the choice to be up to the woman and no one else. There is no ethical way to decide between the two topics and it all depends on the moral values of the person. The term abortion is used to define the termination of a pregnancy before the fetus achieves the capacity to live outside the uterus. In all societies, women have many reasons for wanting an abortion. When a woman attempts to induce an abortion herself, it can pose serious physical risks to her. Today, abortions performed during the first weeks of pregnancy, by a qualified doctor and under appropriate conditions, can be a very safe procedure. (Americana, 1) In no society, either in the present or in the past, has there been a dominant attitude toward abortion. Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle considered abortion a useful means of population control. Still in Roman law, abortion primarily reflected the family rule of the husband, who on the one hand could order an abortion and on the other hand could punish or divorce his wife if she terminated a pregnancy without him. Proponents of choice say a woman has the right to decide whether or not she wants to have the baby. Furthermore, proponents also point out that abortions would occur even if the procedure were made illegal and that its criminalization would lead to unsafe abortion practices, particularly among the poor. Pro-lifers view abortion as murder and a violation of the fetus's right to life. Some believe that accepting abortion would lead to disregard for human life in general. Many advocates believe that acceptance of abortion encourages sexual immorality. (Americana,