Anti-Life Choices, Dignity of Human Life and Society Sustainability in Africa

Anti-life choices refer to decisions that are inimical to sustenance and full development of natural life. Certain decisions like the approval of abortion, contraception, gay marriage, euthanasia and assisted suicide are treated as anti-life choices and have generated a lot of ethical controversy bordering on individual autonomy and liberty, dignity of human life and society's sustenance. Pro-choice advocates hold that individual autonomy confers the liberty to manage one’s life and body as one considers fit. These choices should be liberalised and left to the individual's discretion. In contrast, pro-life advocates argue for deontological respect for human life, natural order and societal values and call for legal restraints against these anti-life choices. The controversy lies in the limits of individual liberty in deciding matters of life. This paper is premised on the conviction that human life is sacred and transcends individual liberty of self-determination. It uses philosophical analysis to examine the logical implications of these anti-life choices for the dignity of human life and the sustenance of human society, especially in Africa. The study posits that individual liberty should be exercised within societal values, and liberalisation of anti-life choices, as championed by pro-choice advocates, strips human life of its dignity as a prime value and reduces it to the status of a commodity, endangering the lives of the weak and being inimical to the sustenance of human society. They are antithetical to African values of reverence for human life, community responsibility, and the sustenance of society.

Anti-Life Choices, Pro-Life, Pro-Choice, Individual autonomy

1. Antilife. (n.d). Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antilife. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Antilife. (n.d.) Collins English Dictionary. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/antilife. Accessed 2 March, 2026 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Augustyn, Adam. (2026). Euthanasia. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/euthanasia. Accessed Mar 6, 2026 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Badgett, M. V. L. (2009). When gay people get married: What happens when societies legalise same-sex marriage. New York, University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Beckwith, F. J. (2007). Defending life: a moral and legal case against abortion choice. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Blankenhorn, D. (2012). How same-sex marriage threatens our children. In J. R. Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby Stores, 573 U.S. 354-356. Supreme Court of the United States. 2014. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Carr, C. (2014). Unlocking Medical Law and Ethics (2nd ed.). London: Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Chauncey, G. (2004). Why marriage matters: Lesbian and gay Americans make the case for the freedom to marry. New York: Simon & Schuster. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Dobson, J. (2004). Marriage under fire: Why we must win this battle. Colorado: Multnomah Publishers. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Dowbiggin, I (2003). A merciful end: the euthanasia movement in modern America. Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Eskridge, W. N. (2002). Equality Practice: Civil Unions and the Future of Gay Rights. London: Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. European Commission. (2025, 10 March). Fertility and Migration, and Population Decline – The EU at a Demographic Crossroads. https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/story/fertility-migration-population-decline-%e2%80%93-eu-demographic-crossroads_en. Accessed Mar 2, 2026 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Everett, C. (1992). Prolife Answers to Prochoice Arguments. Oregon: Multnomah Books. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Finnis, J. (2011). Natural law and natural rights. Oxford University Press [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Fowler, T. (2013). The Ethics of contraception. In R. E. Anderson (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Bioethics (4th ed., pp. 234-235). Michigan: Gale. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Gallagher, M. (2012). What is marriage? man and woman: A defense. Encounter Books. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. George, R. P. (2012). What is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense. Encounter Books. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Greenhouse, L. and Siegel, R. (2012). Before Roe V. Wade: Voices that Shaped the Abortion Debate Before the Supreme Court's Ruling (PDF) (2nd ed.). Yale Law School. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Groome, T. (2017, 27 March). To win again, Democrats must stop being the abortion party. The New York Times. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Guttmacher Institute (2018). Fact Sheet, Abortion in Africa. https://guttmacher.org/sites/default/file/factsheet/ib_aww-africa.pdf. Accessed Mar 10, 2026), [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Guttmacher Institute, (2011, 12 Jan.). Testimony before the Institute of Medicine, Committee on Preventive Services for Women. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Guttmacher Institute. (2019). Contraception: State Laws and Policies. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Harmon, A. (2019, 22 May). 'Fetal Heartbeat' vs. 'Forced Pregnancy': The Language Wars of the Abortion Debate. New York Times. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Harris, N. M. (2011, October). The euthanasia debate. J R Army Med Corps. 147 (3): 367–70. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Holstein, J. A. and Gubrium, J. F. (2008). Handbook of constructionist research. New York: Guilford Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Kass, L. (2002). Life, liberty, and the defence of dignity: The challenge for bioethics. New York: Encounter Books. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. King, A. (2014). King rules: Ten truths for you, your family, and our nation to prosper. New York: Charisma Media. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Klarman, M. J. (2013). From the closet to the altar: Courts, backlash, and the struggle for same-Sex marriage. Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Koukl, G. (1999). "Creating a potential life?" Stand to reason. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Little, M. O. (2017). Abortion and the politics of motherhood. New York: Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Mackinnon, C. A. (1987). Feminism unmodified: discourses on life and law. Harvard University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Mbigi, L. (2005). The spirit of African leadership. Randburg, South Africa: Knowres. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Mentzelopoulou, M. M. (2025, April). Demographic changes and labour migration within the EU. European Parliamentary Research Service, Members' Research Service PE 769.575 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Merelli, Annalisa (2022, 20 July.). A brief history of a marketing masterpiece: branding the anti-abortion movement 'pro-life'. https://qz.com/896566/where-does-the-term-pro-life-come-from [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Moyo, D. (2009). Dead aid: Why aid is not working and how there is a better way for Africa. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Mwangi, M. (2020). African scientists must take the lead in developing solutions that respect African values and dignity. African Journal of Science, 40(1), 15-20. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Neill A. S. (1960) Summerhill: A Radical Approach to kid Rearing. Hart Publishing Company [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Nelson, A. (2017). Contraception: A guide to birth control methods. In A. Nelson (Ed.), Encyclopedia of family health (3rd ed., pp. 123-124). California: Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Nkrumah, K. (1963). Africa must unite. New York: International Publishers. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Onyiloha, C. A. (2023, 2 Oct.). The Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life) and its implications for Nigerian society: an ethical analysis. Igirigi: A Multi-Disciplinary Journal of African Studies, Vol. 3(2). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Pope John Paul II (1995). Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life). Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Pope Paul VI. (1968). Humanae Vitae Encyclical Letter. Vatican City [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. Pro-choice. (n.d.). Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. Accessed 16 May 2024. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. Rothman, L. (2013, 23 Jan.). The end of pro-choice: Will 'no labels' really help the abortion debate?. New York: The Atlantic. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Safire, W. (1979, 18 Mar.). ASAP's fables. The New York Times. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

46. Schwikowski, M. (2021, 13 Feb.). African women embrace contraceptives as populations grow. Society – Africa. Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en.african-women-embrace-contraceptives-as-populations-grow/a-56552312. Accessed Mar 2, 2026 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

47. Sheen, F. (1947). Peace of soul. New York: McGraw-Hill. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

48. Sprigg, P. (2014). The Future of Marriage. In J. R. Stoner Jr. (Ed.), Same-Sex Marriage and Civic Society, Lexington Books. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

49. Supreme Court of the United States. (1965). Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479-486. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

50. Supreme Court of the United States. (1972). Eisenstadt v. Bard, 405 U.S. 438-440. . [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

51. Thomson, J, J. (1971). Defence of Abortion. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 1(1), 47-66. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

52. Tutu, D. (2011). God is not a Christian: Rediscovering a lost faith. New York: HarperOne. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

53. United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

54. United Nations. (2017). World Fertility Report. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

55. Walley, R. (2015). The most effective way to reduce maternal mortality is to provide access to good obstetric care, not to promote abortion. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 35(1), 18-22. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

56. Wayback Machine BBC. (2011). Voluntary and Involuntary Euthanasia, Archived 5 September 2011. Accessed May 2024. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

57. Wolfson, E. (2004). Why marriage matters: America, equality, and the freedom to marry. Simon & Schuster. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

58. World Health Organisation (WHO). (2019). Ensuring Access to Contraception in the Context of COVID-19. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Tribal Child Nutrition and Health in District of Sundargarh: A Public Health Review of ICDS Intervention
• Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Towards Prostate Cancer Screening Amongst Men Aged 40-60 Years in The Buea Health District: A Cross-Sectional Study
• Compliance with JCI Protocols: A Focus on Employee Safety
• Influence and Involvement of Teachers in Menstrual Hygiene Management of Female Secondary School Students in Kogi State, Nigeria
• A Critical Evaluation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in Bihar