Daniel Callahan y el aborto: por una ética de la responsabilidad ante el aborto

Daniel Callahan y el aborto: por una etica de la responsabilidad ante el aborto Daniel Callahan on Abortion: in favor of an Ethics of Responsibility with respect to Abortion Carlos Pose Universidad de Santiago de Compostela  E-mail: cpose@fcs.es   Resumen El aborto es uno de los problemas actuales que todavia mas confrontacion provoca a nivel religioso, politico, medico, etico y legal. En esencia no se trata de una cuestion menos importante que si nos preguntaramos que es el ser humano o cuando comienza la vida humana. Hoy, casi medio siglo despues de la publicacion del libro de Daniel Callahan, Abortion: Law, Choice and Morality (1970), el debate sobre la cuestion del aborto sigue siendo un tema de actualidad y en el que, ademas, se plantean los mismos argumentos. No obstante, Daniel Callahan aborda este problema tan complejo de una manera que proporciona una explicacion muy exhaustiva de las teorias y las decisiones que llevan a visiones especificas sobre el aborto, asi como unos analisis razonados de sus implicaciones y efectos. Su conclusion es que no existen ni absolutos morales que obliguen a una persona a abortar, ni absolutos morales que obliguen a una persona a decidir no abortar. De la misma manera, sugiere que ni los datos biologicos sobre el comienzo de la vida humana, ni los problemas fisiologicos o psicologicos que pueden surgir a lo largo de un embarazo obligan o prohiben el aborto. Finalmente, tras un analisis muy amplio de la legislacion sobre el aborto en diferentes paises, el concluye que las leyes en contra del aborto no deberian derogarse, sino revisarse para permitir que, en cada caso concreto, la decision moral pertenezca a la mujer embarazada, teniendo en cuenta ciertas condiciones. Palabras clave: Etica, Bioetica, Etica clinica, Aborto, Daniel Callahan, Diego Gracia.   Abstract Abortion is currently one of the issues that causes the most controversy and confrontation on a religious, political, medical, ethical, and legal level. In essence, it is no less important than the very question of what human beings are and when human life begins. Today, almost half a century after the publication of Daniel Callahan's book Abortion: Law, Choice and Morality (1970), the debate on abortion remains a topical issue and, furthermore, is based on the same arguments. Nevertheless, Daniel Callahan approaches this very complex issue in a way that offers a comprehensive explanation of the theories and decisions that lead to specific perspectives on abortion, as well as reasoned analyses of its implications and effects. His conclusion is that there are no moral absolutes that might force a woman to have an abortion, nor are there any moral absolutes that might force a woman to decide against having one. Similarly, he suggests that neither biological data on the beginning of human life, nor physiological or psychical problems that might come up during the course of the pregnancy make it obligatory that a woman should have an abortion or, on the contrary, ban her from having it. Finally, after an extensive analysis of the legislation on abortion in different countries, his conclusion is that anti-abortion laws should not be completely abolished, but rather revised so as to allow that the moral decision should be taken by the pregnant woman on a case-by-case basis, taking into account certain conditions. Keywords: Ethics, Bioethics, Clinical Ethics, Abortion, Daniel Callahan, Diego Gracia.