1. Abortion Case Study
Lupita Gomez & Alyssa Garza
“Reproductive freedom is critical to a whole range of
issues. If we can’t take charge of this most personal aspect
of our lives, we can’t take care of anything. It should not
be seen as a privilege or as a benefit, but a fundamental
human right.”
― Faye Wattleton

2. The Case
• RIO DE JANEIRO - Pregnancy of a 9 year old girl
discovered when she became ill and mother took
her to a clinic. She then told officials that she had
been abused by her stepfather, who is in police
custody. 9 year old girl aborted twins that
resulted from the alleged rape. Girl was 15 weeks
pregnant when abortion was preformed. Health
officials said the life of the 80 pound girl was in
danger.

3. Kant’s First Formulation
• "Act only on that maxim through which you can at
the same time will that it should become a
universal law."
• Abortion is usually illegal in Brazil but allowed
when the mother's life is in danger, when the fetus
has no chance of survival, or in rape cases where
the woman is not past her 20th week of pregnancy

4. Kant’s Second Formulation
• “Act in such a way that you treat humanity,
whether in your own person or in any other
person, always at the same time as an end, never
merely as a means”.
• This would mean that abortion, when the fetus
poses no risk (mental, physical, financial, social,
etc.) to the mother, is not morally acceptable
• However, in this case, continuing with the
pregnancy poses serious health risks to pregnant
child and is morally acceptable
• Have to accept pregnant girl as a rational agent
who has her own goals, dreams, and other life
pursuits (humanity and autonomy)

5. Second Formulation Continued
• Would the fetus be considered a rational agent?
• Beginning of life is controversial (at conception?
At birth? What week into the pregnancy?)
• At 15 weeks (when abortion was performed)
-Fetus roughly size of small apple
-Cannot survive outside of womb
-Starts to sense light (is this enough to
consider it a rational agent?)
*If so, non-human animals and plants must be seen
as rational agents, as they are receptive to light

6. • One cannot argue against abortion using the argument that
at conception the fetus has the potential to live
-Using that logic, we have to also make masturbation,
anal sex, and contraceptives illegal because sperm and eggs
also have the potential for life
• One cannot be pro-life and yet disregard the mother’s life
when it comes to allowing who can and can’t have an
abortion
• “Love the fetus, hate the child”
-Laws make it hard for women to stay autonomous
(hard to get family planning resources, have the choice of
getting an abortion, and harder to get child support after baby
is born, leaving women destitute and dependents everywhere
-Republicans, who are (for the most part) those against
abortion, are also against (for the most part) government-
funded assistance programs like WIC