Abortion is among the most hot-button and emotional issues in the world today. Its political nature leads to most public discussions of abortion proving unsatisfactory and unfruitful for public dialogue.
However, there are moral dilemmas related to abortion that must be discussed and that clear philosophical thinking can help illuminate. In my paper, I briefly discuss abortion and how virtue ethics under an Aristotelian framework can help us approach this issue today.
The main questions asked in this study are the following: What is abortion? How did Aristotle understand abortion? Is the request for an abortion necessary for human flourishing? How else might we think about abortion under an Aristotelian framework formulated today? My hope is that my paper can provide a less passionate avenue for discussion on abortion that fosters fruitful conversations between pro-life and pro-choice sides.