A Thought On Abortion

[Era Might]

I was reading an article about how opposition to legal abortion is a way to "control" womens' bodies. I don't entirely discount that line of inquiry, though for different reasons. All law and civilization is an attempt to control, but it is a question of how to do so in a way to fosters a society's highest values.

 

But the argument about "control" that is made by the left is interesting, because it seems to me that legal abortion is, in a very literal sense, a form of control. It is a form of industrial control, a way to regulate society, to make sure that sex and birth are not messy, that there are no surprises, no unwanted consequences, no moral lessons about what it means to be and act in the world.

 

When abortion rights activists speak of "control" they seem to be looking at simply one aspect of control, restrictive control, legalistic control, which is characteristic of authoritarian societies. But I think industrial control is the opposite side of the same coin...the "one child" policy in China just makes explicit what the purpose of legal abortion is: to regulate everything in a scientific way, to regulate life and death in the same way we regulate the technicalities of the economy.

 

I don't think that legal control, in itself, is a solution to the problem of abortion, because it IS a form of control, and not a form of control that really fosters virtue in itself. We've really gotten ourself into quite a gordian knot as a civilization. We have lost any moral basis to how we approach the world, and we are left with bureaucratic control, whether through law or through professionals such as doctors.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Era Might

[Basilisa Marie]

 Pro-choice people talk about control, they're talking about a very real and practical thing.  Theoretical ideas of control have little to no real bearing on the concept.  It's because when a woman gets pregnant, a set series of events takes place.  Physically, her body changes and nine months later she'll give birth to a child.  But there's many more consequences. Socially, everyone will treat her differently, and in most cases, negatively.  Either you get to be a murderer for seeking an abortion or labeled a harlot for at least a year for deciding to carry on with the pregnancy.  And if you're married and intentionally pregnant, everyone feels that they have the authority to inflict their opinions and judgments on you, without being invited to do so.  Any ideas about her future are irrevocably changed, mostly limited. Education, employment, are all affected.  She often feels like she can't make any decisions about the way her life is going to go in the future.  That's why having the option of abortion seems so incredibly important to pro-choice people, because it gives back to the woman control over her life. We absolutely have to understand where they're coming from, otherwise anything we say won't hold any water. 

 

I do agree that the solution to the problem of abortion shouldn't have to do with legalistic control.  Instead, we need to eliminate the factors that cause women to feel like pregnancy is a loss of control over their lives.  Offer women tangible support and social support.  If we change the way society views pregnancy, people won't feel the need to seek abortion as a way to control their lives. 

[Gabriela]

Interesting, thought-provoking posts, both of you. Thank you. :-)

[Didacus]

Very original line of thougth EraMight...

(at least to me)

 

I will really need to reflect on the matter further prior to posting in the thread.  For now I can only say this: I believe that what you pose is well worthy or further examination and discussion.