A Pro Life Philosophy Paper - Essay Example

Yet, the strongest critics of abortion come from the community of Christianity. How do we reconcile that what is basically an atheist philosophy falls in line with traditional Christianity on being pro-life The reason lies in the misconception that religion has held over the centuries that it is the sole province of morality. However, where religion has surrendered the responsibility for morality to an ever-present God, Epicurian philosophy dictates that the responsibility lies within the self.

The fault with abortion is not political, social, or religious. It is the internal anxiety we feel about the issue. This is critical. There is no one that is pro-abortion. They may agree that the right should exist, but they can not argue that the specific action is valid. Abortion causes pain and a life filled with the anxiety of having terminated what may have been a child. It is not God that will judge you for this, it will be your own self doubts. What was most important in Epicurus' philosophy of nature was the overall conviction that our life on this earth comes with no strings attached; that there is no Maker whose puppets we are; that there is no script for us to follow and be constrained by; that it is up to us to discover the real constraints which our own nature imposes on us.

Blinded by this disassociation. It is because this is the life there is and this is the one that matters. "Not because God has decreed that such things are 'immoral', but because it is stupid to do anything that would cause you to worry about anything." (Inwood and Gerson). If we knew that our actions would never be revealed, we might do anything. We would have no worry about consequences and we could be as immoral as we chose. However, social norms dictate behaviors that people will find out, we will be uncovered, and we will be left standing naked against the wind of truth.

If God does not exist and there is no future judgment, what purpose does a moral life have Konstan illustrates the philosophy when he says, "Where law obtains, Epicurus indicates, it is preferable not to commit crimes, even secret ones, since there will always be anxiety over the possibility of detection, and this will disrupt the tranquillity or ataraxy that is the chief basis of happiness in life". So how does this relate to abortion At the most basic level, abortion takes place at the very beginning of life and as such is central to our anxirty.

Critics of the pro-life stance point to individual privacy and the right to remain independent. The capitalist viewpoint is expressed as, A fetus does not have a right to be in the womb of any woman, but is only in there by her permission. The woman may revoke this permission at any time. Rights are not permissions; permissions are not rights. The woman gives this permission, because it is her body -- and not the fetus's body, and certainly not the government's body ("Abortion is pro-life")Though this is an undeniable truth, the consequences will still haunt you.

The anxiety that we seek to