So I've been giving a lot of thought to the morality of abortions. This is majorly influanced by readings and discussions in my Ethics course this last semester. I think I've pinpointed exactly what it is that I can and cannot accept as moral.
I forget the name of the author of the first reading I was assigned. She's incredibly famous for it though. I could look it up in a second when I'm through. She wrote an essay prescribing parables, that is comparable situations (in all relevant respects) in which we might easier be able to decide the morality of a situation, paralleling abortion situations. In these situations I was able to determine what sort of circumstances are requisite for a morally superior abortion.
If a woman's rights are violaed in her becoming pregnant, such as in a rape case, I believe it is wholly acceptable (although not required) that said woman recieves an abortion. The example given in the aformentioned essay was of 'the violinist.' Suppose you are stolen away in the night and hooked up to a world renound vioinist. Apparently it has been determined that you are the only match so if you are disconnected from the ailing violinist he will most certainly die. Supposing you need only to remain connected to the violinist for nine months, it would definately be a grandly benevolant thing for you to remain connected to the violinist, but since you have had your rights trampled on you have no moral requirement to stay in the bed next to the violinist feeding his life for most of the next year. (such an argument is explored in further depth in the essay) This example is similar enough to rape as to help me identify that although there is a baby there, the mother does not have to support it to term.
Another case I find abortion to be morally on the up-and-up are those -rare though they be- times in which a woman's health and possibly life are threatened by carrying the baby to full term. This would fall under the umbrella of self defense. If a person is harming or killing you, there is no reason you should not be allowed to retaliate - regardless of the pepetrator's awareness of the situation. Take, for example, Lenny in Of Mice and Men. He didn't really know he was harming things, but the pretty girl's neck was still broken and Lenny's friend (his name escapes me) does the just thing and kills Lenny. It would be the same if a woman's pregnancy was detrimental to her health and livelyhood. Again, there is no requirement that the woman recieve an abortion, just my deduction that it would be morally acceptable.
There are perhaps more times when abortion would be morally decent, however I'll stop for any discussion here because my dog is getting antsy to go play.
