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Should abortion be legal?
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Abortion is an individual's choice

The government should not have the power to regulate women's bodies.

Context

We have the right to exercise control over our bodies. No one can force a woman to have a baby if she does not want to.

The Argument

Giving a woman the right to an abortion is a necessary part of giving women full autonomy over their bodies. Telling them they have to proceed with an unwanted pregnancy robs them of their control and puts them through a life-altering process against their own free will.[1] Abortion is more than just terminating a pregnancy, it is female independence. A woman’s decision over when to have a child is central to her ability to exercise control over her future.

Counter arguments

Women have full control over their bodies even if abortion is prohibited. There are plenty of contraceptive options which they are free to use to avoid a pregnancy. If they do not want to become pregnant, they have the freedom to take these precautionary measures. If they didn’t, then it would be safe to assume that they didn’t want to exercise that control when they had the opportunity.

Proponents

Framing

Individuals have an inalienable right to choose what they do. In particular, women should choose what happens to their bodies.

Premises

[P1] An individual should have the right to control what happens to their body. [P2] Therefore, it should be up to the individual whether or not to bear a child. [P3] Therefore, abortion should be legal.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P3] There are other ways to ensure you do not fall pregnant without resorting to abortion. Abortion does not have to be legal to provide women with full autonomy over their own bodies.

References

  1. http://time.com/5324828/kennedy-retirement-roe-wade-abortion-rights/
This page was last edited on Friday, 13 Mar 2020 at 12:59 UTC

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