Abortion as a Contemporary Moral Issue Phil 240, Introduction to Ethical Theory, W9L2 Benjamin Visscher Hole IV

Clicker Quiz Review and discuss Thomson Begin Hursthouse Overview of Today Clicker Quiz Review and discuss Thomson Begin Hursthouse

Clicker Quiz

it would be unjust to unhook yourself from him. Thomson claims that if the violinist only needed to be hooked up to your kidneys for an hour: it would be unjust to unhook yourself from him. to unhook yourself from him would violate his right to life. it would be indecent to unhook yourself from him. all of the above.

Thomson concludes that abortion is morally permissible: only in cases of self-defense. only in cases of rape, or where the health of the mother is threatened. in many but not all cases. in all cases. none of the above.

What sort of person should I be? both a and b. neither a nor b. According to Hursthouse, virtue ethics provides an answer to the question: What should I do? What sort of person should I be? both a and b. neither a nor b.

Review and discuss Thomson Judith Jarvis Thomson: A Defense of Abortion

Thomson’s Main Argument Either a fetus is a person with the right to life or not. If a fetus is a person, then abortion is not impermissible. If a fetus is not a person, then abortion is not impermissible. Either way, abortion is not impermissible.

The Right to Life Premise Two: If a fetus is a person, then abortion is not impermissible. When is it morally permissible to violate the right to life? Thomson’s Main Argument

The Violinist Premise Two: If a fetus is a person, then abortion is not impermissible. When is it morally permissible to violate the right to life? Violinist Analogy

The Violinist “You wake up in the morning and find yourself back to back in bed with an unconscious violinist. He has been found to have a fatal kidney ailment, and the Society of Music Lovers has canvassed all the available medical records and found that you alone have the right blood type to help. They have therefore kidnapped you, and last night the violinist’s circulatory system is plugged into yours, so that your kidneys can be used to extract poisons from his blood as well as your own … To unplug you would be to kill the him. But never mind, it’s only for nine months.”

Killing vs. Letting Die Say the violinist is putting too much strain on your kidneys … “If anything in the world is true, it is that you do not commit murder, you do not do what is impermissible, if you reach around to your back and unplug yourself from the violinist to save your life.”

“If anything in the world is true, it is that you do not commit murder” Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Positive vs. Negative Rights Objection Response “‘everyone has a right to life, so the unborn person has right to life.’” “In Thomson’s view, the right to life (the one we ascribe to persons) is not a positive right to receive whatever minimum aid is needed to preserve life – such as the use of someone’s kidneys or Henry Fonda’s cool hand” (B/B, 390). The right to life is merely a negative right.

Positive vs. Negative Rights Objection Response “In the most ordinary sort of case, to deprive someone of what he has the right to is just to treat him unfairly.” “… suppose that, having learned that otherwise it means nine years in bed with that violinist, you unplug yourself from him. You surely are not being unjust to him, for you gave him no right to use your kidneys, and no one else can have given him such right.” The right to life is merely a negative right.

Thomson’s Conclusion “Nobody is morally required to make large sacrifices, of health, of all other interests and concerns, or of all other duties and commitments, for nine years, or even for nine months, in order to keep another person alive.” Thus, even if we assume the fetus is a person with the right to life, abortion is not morally impermissible, at least in many cases.

Begin Hursthouse: Initial Clarifications Rosalind Hursthouse: “Virtue Theory and Abortion”

Rosalind Hursthouse: “Virtue Theory and Abortion” The Pope’s Argument Hursthouse A fetus is a person with the right to life. It is morally wrong to kill a person with the right to life. Therefore, it is morally wrong to kill a fetus. (Abortion is immoral.) Argues that although the debate about abortion has tended to be focused on two considerations —the moral status of the fetus and the rights of the mother— a virtue oriented approach regards these two considerations as largely irrelevant to the issue.

A sketch of a virtue-oriented theory An action is right if and only if it is what a virtuous agent would do in the circumstances. A virtuous agent is one who acts virtuously; that is, one who has and exercises all the virtues. A virtue is a character trait a human being needs to flourish or live well. Hursthouse: We must go on to specify which traits count as virtues and argue for this. 19

Objections & Responses Some initial clarifications Eudaimonia is a difficult concept, but not substantially more so than rationality or happiness. Virtue ethics is not trivially circular. Virtue ethics answers the questions “What should I do?” as well as “What kind of person should I be?” Virtue ethics does involve rules or principles. Virtue theory is not committed to reductionism. 20

Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Eudaimonia is a difficult concept, but not substantially more so than rationality or happiness. Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Virtue ethics is not trivially circular. Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Virtue ethics answers the questions “What should I do?” as well as “What kind of person should I be?” Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Virtue ethics does involve rules or principles. Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Virtue theory is not committed to reductionism. Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree