The abortion debate: a contribution from Ibuanyidanda perspective

Abstract

The morality of abortion has been the subject of debate among scholars for many years. The anti-abortionists query the rationale behind the destruction of one individual (the fetus) for the survival of another individual (the mother). The pro-abortionists on the other hand point to the benefit of abortion to the mother and the society at large as a veritable reason for the support of abortion. The concern of this research is that the pro-abortionists seem to be winning the debate, as more and more countries are legalizing abortion, and in the countries where abortion is still illegal, like Nigeria, the law is being defied daily and people are committing it en masse. This work aims at resolving and possibly reversing this trend by attempting to proffer sufficient reasons why abortion should be discouraged. This, it is hoped, will counter the pro-abortionist view which has provided the impetus for many to undergo abortion. Ibuanyidanda philosophy provides us with a suitable framework for the articulation of a different way to conceive human relationship and abortion in particular. The fetus is a missing link of reality that must be sustained in existence to keep in balance the complementary horizon inherent in the world. Ibuanyidanda conceives all missing links as constituting a complementary horizon which must be sustained to avoid the boomerang effect. It is based on this that we developed a moral argument that counters the anti-abortionist views. Abortion is wrong because the fetus is part of the complementary horizon that binds all reality into a unified whole. Abortion puts a knife to this complementary web. This work made use of philosophical methods like speculations, evaluation, criticism and argumentation in the assessment of the problem of abortion.

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