Abortion and moral development theory: listening with different ears.

Abstract

PIP: Listening to the reasons used by women to justify their action of having an abortion is a good way of determining its moral status. However, it must be remembered that the opinions one has about abortion cannot be separated from the manner in which questions are asked of these women. In fact the moral opinion of the researcher is interwoven with the methodology and questions used to interview women. This examination of the above mentioned issue takes place in the context of analyzing Carol Gilligan's book, In a Different Voice. This work will be used to illustrate how a researchers own opinions about abortion can be seen in the process of setting up a study to interview women to determine the moral value of abortion based on the moral justification of abortion seekers. There seems to be a difference of opinion about the use of the terms caring, responsible and non-violent by the women being interviewed. Gilligan states that the moral development of women occurs in 3 stages. Part of the transformation process involves women realizing the good does not necessarily involve self-sacrifice. Gilligan's treatment of the interviews is not always consistent with her own philosophical views; however, she routinely fails to ask rather obvious questions of women that may suggest that they did not reason well about their abortion decision. This ultimately is the weak link in Gilligan's analysis and theories. If you assume that women are the pivotal decision makers in determining the moral status of abortion, you must assume that they always reason correctly, which is of course not the case.