1. Introduction to Philosophy Spring 2009
Abortion
Introduction to Philosophy
Spring 2009

2. Abortion Agree or disagree with the following:
(1) Abortion is never OK.
(2) Abortion is always OK.
(3) Abortion is OK in the early stage of pregnancy (i.e., first trimester).
(4) Abortion is OK when the pregnancy is the result of rape.
(5) Abortion is OK when the pregnancy is the result of incest.
(6) Abortion is OK when the couple has taken reasonable precautions against pregnancy.
(7) Using contraception is morally wrong.
(8) It is never OK to take a human life.
(9) It is never OK to take an innocent human life.
(10) A fetus has a right to life.
(11) Capital punishment is sometimes OK.
(12) Killing someone in self-defense is sometimes OK.
(13) A person has the right to do whatever she wants with her body.
(14) Infanticide is sometimes OK.
(15) Abortion is OK when the woman could die as result of carrying the pregnancy to term.
(16) Abortion is OK when the woman could be seriously injured as a result of carrying the pregnancy to term.

3. The question we are considering: Is abortion
Morally permissible? That is, when someone
has an abortion, is what she does morally
wrong or morally acceptable?
The legal status of abortion is irrelevant for
us because there may be actions that are
morally permissible but illegal.
actions that are legal but moral
impermissible.

4. ‘pro-life’ and ‘pro-choice’ are ridiculous, misleading terms.
Abortion
‘pro-life’ and ‘pro-choice’ are ridiculous, misleading terms.
My preferred terminology:
‘Abortion Opponents’ – people who believe that abortion is morally wrong (at least in most cases).
‘Abortion OK-ers’ – people who believe that abortion is morally permissible (at least in many cases)

5. Popular arguments for Abortion-OK usually focus on
(a) a woman’s right to decide what happens in and to her own body.
(b) a fetus does not have a right to life.
(i) that fetuses are not human beings and hence do not have the rights of human beings, including the right to life;
(ii) that fetuses are human beings, but not all human beings have a right to life; and fetuses are examples of human beings that lack a right to life.

6. 1. A fetus is a human being from the ‘moment’ of conception.
Abortion
Here are some popular arguments against the permissibility of abortion.
Argument 1
1. A fetus is a human being from the ‘moment’ of conception.
2. All human beings have a right to life.
3. Killing anything with a right to life is morally impermissible.
4. Therefore, killing a fetus is morally impermissible (i.e., morally wrong).

7. Argument 1 is valid, but is it sound? Consider premise 1:
Abortion
Argument 1 is valid, but is it sound?
Consider premise 1:
A fetus is a human being from the ‘moment’ of conception.
Why think it is true?

8. - Fetal development is a continuous process.
Abortion
Here is a suggestion:
- Fetal development is a continuous process.
So, there is not a particular moment at which we can justifiably say that a fetus has become a human being.
But a late-stage fetus is clearly a human being.
So, we should treat a fetus as a human being from the moment of conception.

9. Abortion
Thomson’s objection:
The same could be said of the development of an acorn into an oak tree, but we would not think that an acorn was an oak tree.
Also, it is unclear what the term ‘human being’ would mean if a tiny clump of cells counted as a human being.

10. Gene Hackman

11. Argument 2: The Potentiality Argument
Abortion
Argument 2: The Potentiality Argument
Even if an early-stage fetus is not a human being, the fetus obviously differs in significant ways from other ‘parts’ of a mother’s body.
The fetus is at least a potential human being.

12. A fetus is a potential human being.
Abortion
A fetus is a potential human being.
A potential human being has a right to life.
3. Killing anything with a right to life is morally impermissible.
4. Therefore, killing a fetus is morally impermissible.

13. why should we think that premise 2 is true?
Abortion
why should we think that premise 2 is true?
Presumably, because actual human beings have a right to life; so, a potential human being has the right to life. Or, at the very least, a potential human being has the most fundamental rights of an actual human being.

14. This reasoning seems to rest on the following principle:
Abortion
This reasoning seems to rest on the following principle:
If x is a potential F, then x has the rights of an actual F.
But this principle is false, right?

15. (a) A fetus is a human being from the moment of conception.
Abortion
Thomson
For the sake of argument, she grants a number of points that Abortion Opponents want to make:
(a) A fetus is a human being from the moment of conception.
(b) Human beings do have a right to life.
(c) A fetus is an innocent human being; a fetus has value, etc.
(d) A fetus is not viable.

16. She also grants the following:
Abortion
She also grants the following:
Women have the right to decide what happens in and to their bodies.
What Thomson wants to show is that it (a) – (c) do not entail that all abortion is morally wrong.

17. The Famous ‘Famous Violinist Case’
Abortion
The Famous ‘Famous Violinist Case’
2 important things to think about:
Is there a morally significant difference between killing someone and letting someone die?
What does it mean to say that someone has a ‘right to life’.

18. Best Movies of All Time Mulholland Drive No Country for Old Men*
Best Movies of All Time
Mulholland Drive
No Country for Old Men
Blue Velvet
Superbad
Apocalypse Now