Essay: Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation

Context and Thesis

Ronald Reagan’s 1984 essay, published while he was president, presents a sweeping moral, legal, and cultural case against abortion in the United States. He frames abortion as a defining question for the nation’s conscience, arguing that safeguarding innocent human life is the bedrock of American ideals. The central thesis is that the unborn child is a human life deserving legal protection, and that national policy must reflect that conviction if the country is to remain faithful to its founding principles of equal dignity and the unalienable right to life.

Critique of Roe v. Wade Reagan portrays Roe v. Wade as a constitutional and moral rupture. He argues the decision removed the abortion question from democratic deliberation and created an expansive regime of abortion on demand by judicial fiat. He likens Roe to Dred Scott, claiming both decisions denied legal personhood to a class of human beings and thereby eroded the nation’s moral foundation. He criticizes viability tests and trimester frameworks as arbitrary lines that lack firm moral or scientific grounding.

Science, Personhood, and Moral Reasoning

The essay emphasizes that modern biology indicates human life begins at conception, noting early fetal development as evidence that the unborn are a distinct, living, and growing human organism. Reagan insists the central issue is not privacy or choice but the status of the unborn child; if there is reasonable doubt about personhood, society must err on the side of life. He stresses that the defense of the unborn need not be religiously based, presenting it instead as a matter of reason, evidence, and the consistent application of human rights.

Consequences and Cultural Stakes

Reagan describes abortion as a national tragedy measured in millions of lost lives since Roe. He warns that devaluing one category of human life ultimately devalues all, fostering a broader culture of disposability. He links abortion to a continuum of life issues, invoking cases in which newborns with disabilities were denied care to illustrate how a diminished respect for vulnerable lives can spread. He also argues abortion harms women, emotionally and physically, and that society often ignores the pressure, isolation, and misinformation many pregnant women face.

Policy and Practical Alternatives

The essay calls for public policies that affirm life and provide compassionate alternatives. Reagan supports a constitutional Human Life Amendment to secure legal protection for the unborn and endorses incremental measures such as informed consent, parental involvement, conscience protections for medical professionals, and bans on taxpayer funding of abortion. He highlights adoption as a life-affirming option, noting the many families eager to welcome children and urging social support for mothers so economic hardship or lack of resources does not become a reason for abortion. He points to the growing network of crisis pregnancy centers and community organizations that can offer counseling, medical care, and practical assistance.

Appeal to National Conscience

Throughout, Reagan appeals to the American creed, especially the Declaration’s promise of the right to life, as the ultimate measure of national character. He urges citizens and leaders to rebuild a consensus that cherishes every human life, including the smallest and most defenseless. The essay closes with a call to moral responsibility, civic courage, and compassionate action, insisting that a nation that protects the weak affirms its noblest ideals and strengthens the moral bonds on which its liberty depends.