The Cause of Abortion and its Intended End

Pinpointing a "cause" of abortion is a frustrating task, because there appear to be many things that "cause" abortion.

We might begin by pointing to society’s desire for convenience. Children are, in some cases, inconvenient. Thus, some people choose to eliminate them.

We might point to the misconception of many that life begins at birth, rather than at conception.

We might argue that the most significant cause is society’s lack of respect for life.

We might argue that contraceptive failure is the leading cause. Having engaged in contraceptive sex and being surprised by the failure of the contraceptive, the couple decide to eliminate the unexpected consequence of their sexual actions.

We undoubtedly would include that the government’s reluctance to outlaw abortion causes the deaths of thousands daily.

All of these are somewhat true. They are all dangerous attitudes that have created this massive enemy of the abortion industry.

In actuality, none of the above are actual causes of abortion. They are mitigating circumstances, making abortion an easier choice for many.

However, the true cause of abortion is the same as the cause for any human action – its intended end.

Before I continue, I must emphasize that we should look at abortion as one act. Let’s not lose ourselves in the thousands conducted every day. Abortion is a single human action.

Defining the End sought by Abortion

In discussing moral philosophy, St. Thomas Aquinas explained that each human action seeks an end. The end is the good sought by the action. The end sought in actions is a good in that it is sought as perfective of the act. This is not the same as morally good.

Let me explain. Whatever action I perform, I do so in order that I produce some end that I seek as good. I’m not going to pick up an apple and take a bite if I do not intend to achieve some good by doing that.

Then, what good is there in abortion? Women contemplating abortion do not want to KILL a baby. That is not the good they seek in having an abortion. To argue that it is, we would have to say that the mother receives some pleasure in the killing of a child, when for the most part, this is likely not the case. I would expect that most women who get abortions attempt to deny that they are indeed killing anything. Thus, the debate about whether life begins at birth or at conception.

The good sought by the mother is to not have a baby, to not raise a child, indeed the very absence of a child where there is one. The mother does not want to be a parent. This is the end she seeks.

Perhaps the mother is young and sees that the responsibility of raising a child will hinder her education. Perhaps there are financial reasons. The mother, for whatever reason, decides that having a child will cause a problem. She then decides that not having a child will help avoid these problems.

The woman decides that she will have an abortion in order that she will not have a child. The end of abortion is the elimination of a child. Of course, this requires the death of the unborn child. The mother who chooses abortion seeks it as a necessary means to achieve her desired end – her not being a parent.

The Cause of Sin

However, what the mother does not take into consideration is that evil means cannot be used to achieve good ends. To do evil in order to achieve good is to act without right reason. This, Aquinas says, is the very cause of sin:

"The lack of order in sin is a result of a cause of the act. Accordingly, then, the will lacking in the direction of the rule of reason and of the divine law, and intent on some mutable good, causes the act of sin essentially, … for the lack of order in the act results from the lack of direction in the will. (ST Q. 75, Article 1)

When you consider the situation of a mother contemplating abortion, you must realize that the woman is intent upon achieving "some mutable good": not having a baby. In contemplating abortion, the woman is not thinking clearly. As Aquinas says, "the will [is] lacking in the direction of the rule of reason." So, intent upon not having a child, the woman considers an evil act.

Perhaps her judgement is clouded by desperation. She again is considering the problems a child might cause and thinking that the evil act of abortion is the only way to deal with those problems.

As with any action, sin can only be avoided when one acts according to a will directed by natural, eternal, and divine law. These laws are unchanging and not subject to interpretation. Abortion is an act that is not in accordance with the precepts of natural, eternal, and divine law.

Chris Mosmeyer
May 4, 1998

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