In an extended analysis of mainstream arguments involving abortion and the status of 'personhood' that is often applied to the fetus, this book provides novel answers to some of the core 'pro-life' arguments in favour of recognizing fetal ...
Author: Kate Greasley
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780198766780
Category:
Page: 288
View: 581
Does the morality of abortion depend on the moral status of the human fetus? Must the law of abortion presume an answer to the question of when personhood begins? Can a law which permits late abortion but not infanticide be morally justified? These are just some of the questions this book sets out to address. With an extended analysis of the moral and legal status of abortion, Kate Greasley offers an alternative account to the reputable arguments of Ronald Dworkin and Judith Jarvis Thomson and instead brings the philosophical notion of 'personhood' to the foreground of this debate. Structured in three parts, the book will (I) consider the relevance of prenatal personhood for the moral and legal evaluation of abortion; (II) trace the key features of the conventional debate about when personhood begins and explore the most prominent issues in abortion ethics literature: the human equality problem and the difference between abortion and infanticide; and (III) examine abortion law and regulation as well as the differing attitudes to selective abortion. The book concludes with a snapshot into the current controversy surrounding the scope of the right to conscientiously object to participation in abortion provision.
This book introduces readers to the many arguments and controversies concerning abortion.
Author: Nathan Nobis
Publisher: Open Philosophy Press
ISBN: 9780578532639
Category: Philosophy
Page: 77
View: 202
This book introduces readers to the many arguments and controversies concerning abortion. While it argues for ethical and legal positions on the issues, it focuses on how to think about the issues, not just what to think about them. It is an ideal resource to improve your understanding of what people think, why they think that and whether their (and your) arguments are good or bad, and why. It's ideal for classroom use, discussion groups, organizational learning, and personal reading. From the Preface To many people, abortion is an issue for which discussions and debates are frustrating and fruitless: it seems like no progress will ever be made towards any understanding, much less resolution or even compromise. Judgments like these, however, are premature because some basic techniques from critical thinking, such as carefully defining words and testing definitions, stating the full structure of arguments so each step of the reasoning can be examined, and comparing the strengths and weaknesses of different explanations can help us make progress towards these goals. When emotions run high, we sometimes need to step back and use a passion for calm, cool, critical thinking. This helps us better understand the positions and arguments of people who see things differently from us, as well as our own positions and arguments. And we can use critical thinking skills help to try to figure out which positions are best, in terms of being supported by good arguments: after all, we might have much to learn from other people, sometimes that our own views should change, for the better. Here we use basic critical thinking skills to argue that abortion is typically not morally wrong. We begin with less morally-controversial claims: adults, children and babies are wrong to kill and wrong to kill, fundamentally, because they, we, are conscious, aware and have feelings. We argue that since early fetuses entirely lack these characteristics, they are not inherently wrong to kill and so most abortions are not morally wrong, since most abortions are done early in pregnancy, before consciousness and feeling develop in the fetus. Furthermore, since the right to life is not the right to someone else’s body, fetuses might not have the right to the pregnant woman’s body—which she has the right to—and so she has the right to not allow the fetus use of her body. This further justifies abortion, at least until technology allows for the removal of fetuses to other wombs. Since morally permissible actions should be legal, abortions should be legal: it is an injustice to criminalize actions that are not wrong. In the course of arguing for these claims, we: 1. discuss how to best define abortion; 2. dismiss many common “question-begging” arguments that merely assume their conclusions, instead of giving genuine reasons for them; 3. refute some often-heard “everyday arguments” about abortion, on all sides; 4. explain why the most influential philosophical arguments against abortion are unsuccessful; 5. provide some positive arguments that at least early abortions are not wrong; 6. briefly discuss the ethics and legality of later abortions, and more. This essay is not a “how to win an argument” piece or a tract or any kind of apologetics. It is not designed to help anyone “win” debates: everybody “wins” on this issue when we calmly and respectfully engage arguments with care, charity, honesty and humility. This book is merely a reasoned, systematic introduction to the issues that we hope models these skills and virtues. Its discussion should not be taken as absolute “proof” of anything: much more needs to be understood and carefully discussed—always.
the time of birth is a reason that also applies to fetuses , it follows that abortion is
prima facie seriously morally wrong . This argument does not rely on the invalid
inference that , since it is wrong to kill persons , it is wrong to kill potential persons
...
Author: Lewis M. Schwartz
Publisher:
ISBN: UCSC:32106016858711
Category: Philosophy
Page: 259
View: 411
This text provides a concise, readable discussion of how to analyze and evaluate arguments, along with their reconstruction. Students learn to separate premises from conclusions, identify the basis on which each premise is introduced, and distinguish subordinate from main arguments. The author then provides extensive chapter-length analysis of three of its twelve articles, and detailed outlines of the arguments of three more essays. Students develop the capacity to follow longer pieces of argumentative discourse.
Are they correct? In The Changing Voice of the Anti-Abortion Movement, Paul Saurette and Kelly Gordon suggest that the reality is far more complicated, particularly in Canada.
Author: Paul Saurette
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
ISBN: 9781442668768
Category: Law
Page: 456
View: 572
When journalists, academics, and politicians describe the North American anti-abortion movement, they often describe a campaign that is male-dominated, aggressive, and even violent in its tactics, religious in motivation, anti-women in tone, and fetal-centric in arguments and rhetoric. Are they correct? In The Changing Voice of the Anti-Abortion Movement, Paul Saurette and Kelly Gordon suggest that the reality is far more complicated, particularly in Canada. Today, anti-abortion activism increasingly presents itself as “pro-women”: using female spokespersons, adopting medical and scientific language to claim that abortion harms women, and employing a wide range of more subtle framing and narrative rhetorical tactics that use traditionally progressive themes to present the anti-abortion position as more feminist than pro-choice feminism. Following a succinct but comprehensive overview of the two-hundred year history of North American debate and legislation on abortion, Saurette and Gordon present the results of their systematic, five-year quantitative and qualitative discourse analysis, supplemented by extensive first-person observations, and outline the implications that flow from these findings. Their discoveries are a challenge to our current assumptions about the abortion debate today, and their conclusions will be compelling for both scholars and activists alike.
This powerful collection of essays gained instant recognition as one of the first attempts to present both sides of the abortion debate in the words of leading proponents.
Author: Robert M. Baird
Publisher:
ISBN: STANFORD:36105113697952
Category: Abortion
Page: 272
View: 333
This powerful collection of essays gained instant recognition as one of the first attempts to present both sides of the abortion debate in the words of leading proponents.
Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on the ConstitutionPublish On: 2002
appendix B MEDICAL ETHICS REGARDING ABORTION Maior Ethics Principles
Applied to Abortion in General There are many methods of ethics reasoning ,
none of which has produced conclusive arguments on all the issues of abortion .
Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on the Constitution
For approximately three decades, the abortion debate has polarized America. This comprehensive volume includes bibliographic citations that address the moral and religious aspects of abortion.
Author: George F. Johnston
Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group
ISBN: 0313314020
Category: Reference
Page: 247
View: 410
For approximately three decades, the abortion debate has polarized America. This comprehensive volume includes bibliographic citations that address the moral and religious aspects of abortion. It covers such topics as the various arguments both for and against abortion, the status of the fetus, and overviews of several religions' stances on abortion. Citations also include references on how Christianity has influenced abortion politics and law, discussions of Operation Rescue, and official statements on abortion by religious organizations.
The book is written in straightforward, jargon-free language that makes it accessible to college students at all levels and to the educated lay reader as well.
Author: Jeffrey H. Reiman
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0847692086
Category: Philosophy
Page: 127
View: 350
In Abortion and the Ways We Value Human Life, Jeffrey Reiman argues that an overlooked clue to the solution of the moral problem of abortion lies in the unusual way in which we value the lives of individual human beings-namely, that we value them irreplaceably. We think it is not only wrong to kill an innocent child or adult, but that it would not be made right by replacing the dead one with another living one, or even several. Reiman argues that there are only a limited number of facts that could justify such valuing, with the result that human children and adults have the fullest right to protection of their lives, infants have a lesser but substantial right to such protection, and fetuses do not qualify at all. Leading up to this argument, Reiman presents a survey of Western attitudes and laws about abortion from Hammurabi's Code to Roe v. Wade, and a critical analysis of all the major philosophical arguments on the issue, pro and con. The book is written in straightforward, jargon-free language that makes it accessible to college students at all levels and to the educated lay reader as well.
Author: Mark Youngblood HerringPublish On: 2003-01-01
Herring examines the issue from the debate's origin to its current state and expected future.
Author: Mark Youngblood Herring
Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group
ISBN: 0313317100
Category: History
Page: 200
View: 568
Herring examines the issue from the debate's origin to its current state and expected future. Narrative chapters include discussions of the pro and con arguments associated with abortion, featuring quotes from doctors, politicians, religious figures, and ordinary people.
Patrick Lee surveys the main philosophical arguments in favor of the moral permissibility of abortion and refutes them point by point.
Author: Patrick Lee
Publisher: CUA Press
ISBN: 9780813217307
Category: Philosophy
Page: 177
View: 307
Patrick Lee surveys the main philosophical arguments in favor of the moral permissibility of abortion and refutes them point by point. In a calm and philosophically sophisticated manner, he presents a powerful case for the pro-life position and a serious challenge to all of the main philosophical arguments on behalf of the pro-choice position.
Author: Hendrik Van Der BreggenPublish On: 2020-10-16
A clear and thorough summary of standard pro-choice arguments and of sound pro-life replies.
Author: Hendrik Van Der Breggen
Publisher:
ISBN: 9798693788701
Category:
Page: 152
View: 182
Endorsements "Discussions on abortion often degenerate quickly into personal attacks and our culture is quick to supply us with a set of labels to encourage those attacks: anti-choice, pro-abortion, and others. Is it possible to discuss an issue this contentious in a way that critiques viewpoints while showing kindness and respect to those who hold them? Hendrik van der Breggen has shown the way in this book. Not only is it clear and readable, it is fair to all positions. Most importantly, he avoids straw man fallacies which are so common in writings on divisive and contentious issues. If you are looking for a book both to help you understand both sides in the ongoing abortion disputes of our culture and also to develop thoughtful responses for your own discussions with others, this will be an important book for you." -Paul Chamberlain, PhD, Professor of Ethics and Leadership, Director of the Institute for Christian Apologetics, Trinity Western University, author of Talking About Good And Bad Without Getting Ugly: A Guide To Moral Persuasion (InterVarsity Press) "What a refreshing read! Dr. van der Breggen writes in a way that is easy to understand even for those who have never studied philosophy. The abortion debate is so tangled up in politics and slogans that reason gets left out of the discussion. This book approaches the overused and underthought arguments from a place of logic, allowing the reader to look again at what it means to be a member of the human race. I also found it refreshing that he is able to remove both politics and religion from the discussion around abortion. I highly recommend this book to anyone who thinks they already understand the abortion arguments circling through social media." -Roger Gingerich, MD, Family Physician, former Chairman of the Board, Providence University College and Seminary, former Executive Director of Christian Medical and Dental Association of Canada "This is the clearest and most thorough summary of standard (plus many non-standard but important) pro-choice arguments and of sound pro-life replies to them that I have read. Van der Breggen is fair, patient, and non-abrasive to the pro-choice arguments he refutes. His counter-arguments are cogent, succinct, and intelligible. This will be a must-read for anyone seriously interested in the topic, and will make a great text for applied ethics, bioethics, or introductory ethics classes." -Patrick Lee, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Center for Bioethics, Franciscan University of Steubenville "I thoroughly enjoyed Untangling Popular Pro-Choice Arguments. Hendrik van der Breggen addresses the most common challenges to the pro-life position and offers brief and well-researched responses. ... Whether you are new to this issue, or have been studying it for years like me, you will benefit greatly from reading and studying Dr. van der Breggen's book." -Sean McDowell, PhD, Associate Professor of Apologetics, Biola University "Professor van der Breggen makes a valuable contribution to the abortion debate in systematically identifying the arguments used by pro-choice advocates to justify and promote women's access to abortion and seeking to refute each of them. People on both sides of the debate, whether pro-life or pro-choice, will agree with some of van der Breggen's arguments and disagree with others, but we will all be forced to analyse more precisely, whether our stance is ethical and justified. In short, whatever our position on abortion this book merits reading." -Margaret Somerville, AM, FRSC, DCL, Professor of Bioethics, Affiliate of the Institute for Ethics and Society, University of Notre Dame Australia About the author HENDRIK VAN DER BREGGEN, PhD (University of Waterloo), is a retired philosophy professor (formerly at Providence University College, Manitoba, Canada).
It is of some interest to note that both sides in the abortion debate have chosen
the strongest deontological , rights - based arguments for their names , showing
that they recognize the power of this type of ethical claim : Pro - choice , for an ...
Author: Gary Crum
Publisher: American University Press Publ
ISBN: 1879383047
Category: Social Science
Page: 149
View: 213
Provides ethical, political, social, and medical information on the issue of abortion intended to represent both the pro-life and pro-choice points of view
Whenever people receive their first serious instruction on the abortion issue , it
comes as a shock to many of them that virtually all the popular arguments for abortion fail . That does not mean , of course , that the general public as well as
some ...
Author: Francis Beckwith
Publisher:
ISBN: 0899008429
Category: Abortion
Page: 121
View: 334
We try to silence their voices, whether through the hands of an abortionist, clever slogans, or simply ignoring the issue. But the compelling cry of the threatened unborn continues to demand a hearing.
Essay 2 Very Small Fry Arguments for Abortion THE ARGUMENTS ON opposing
sides of any issue rarely seem to grapple directly with one another . They start
from different presumptions ; they locate emphasis differently ; they advance ...
Author: James Tunstead Burtchaell
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Pub
ISBN: UVA:X000353565
Category: Humor
Page: 383
View: 527
A leading Catholic scholar investigates the abortion issue and looks at personal accounts as well as pro-abortion arguments
