A Defense of Abortion.docx
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A Defense of Abortion.docx
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ADefenseofAbortion
Mostoppositiontoabortionreliesonthepremisethatthefetusisahumanbeing,aperson,fromthemomentofconception.Thepremiseisarguedfor,but,asIthink,notwell.Take,forexample,themostcommonargument.Weareaskedtonoticethatthedevelopmentofahumanbeingfromconceptionthroughbirthintochildhoodiscontinuous;thenitissaidthattodrawaline,tochooseapointinthisdevelopmentandsay"beforethispointthethingisnotaperson,afterthispointitisaperson"istomakeanarbitrarychoice,achoiceforwhichinthenatureofthingsnogoodreasoncanbegiven.Itisconcludedthatthefetusis.oranywaythatwehadbettersayitis,apersonfromthemomentofconception.Butthisconclusiondoesnotfollow.Similarthingsmightbesaidaboutthedevelopmentofanacornintoanoaktrees,anditdoesnotfollowthatacornsareoaktrees,orthatwehadbettersaytheyare.Argumentsofthisformaresometimescalled"slipperyslopearguments"--thephraseisperhapsself-explanatory--anditisdismayingthatopponentsofabortionrelyonthemsoheavilyanduncritically.
Iaminclinedtoagree,however,thattheprospectsfor"drawingaline"inthedevelopmentofthefetuslookdim.Iaminclinedtothinkalsothatweshallprobablyhavetoagreethatthefetushasalreadybecomeahumanpersonwellbeforebirth.Indeed,itcomesasasurprisewhenonefirstlearnshowearlyinitslifeitbeginstoacquirehumancharacteristics.Bythetenthweek,forexample,italreadyhasaface,armsandless,fingersandtoes;ithasinternalorgans,andbrainactivityisdetectable.Ontheotherhand,Ithinkthatthepremiseisfalse,thatthefetusisnotapersonfromthemomentofconception.Anewlyfertilizedovum,anewlyimplantedclumpofcells,isnomoreapersonthananacornisanoaktree.ButIshallnotdiscussanyofthis.Foritseemstometobeofgreatinteresttoaskwhathappensif,forthesakeofargument,weallowthepremise.How,precisely,arewesupposedtogetfromtheretotheconclusionthatabortionismorallyimpermissible?
Opponentsofabortioncommonlyspendmostoftheirtimeestablishingthatthefetusisaperson,andhardlyanytimeexplainingthestepfromtheretotheimpermissibilityofabortion.Perhapstheythinkthesteptoosimpleandobvioustorequiremuchcomment.Orperhapsinsteadtheyaresimplybeingeconomicalinargument.Manyofthosewhodefendabortionrelyonthepremisethatthefetusisnotaperson,butonlyabitoftissuethatwillbecomeapersonatbirth;andwhypayoutmoreargumentsthanyouhaveto?
Whatevertheexplanation,Isuggestthatthesteptheytakeisneithereasynorobvious,thatitcallsforcloserexaminationthanitiscommonlygiven,andthatwhenwedogiveitthiscloserexaminationweshallfeelinclinedtorejectit.
Ipropose,then,thatwegrantthatthefetusisapersonfromthemomentofconception.Howdoestheargumentgofromhere?
Somethinglikethis,Itakeit.Everypersonhasarighttolife.Sothefetushasarighttolife.Nodoubtthemotherhasarighttodecidewhatshallhappeninandtoherbody;everyonewouldgrantthat.Butsurelyaperson'srighttolifeisstrongerandmorestringentthanthemother'srighttodecidewhathappensinandtoherbody,andsooutweighsit.Sothefetusmaynotbekilled;anabortionmaynotbeperformed.
Itsoundsplausible.Butnowletmeaskyoutoimaginethis.Youwakeupinthemorningandfindyourselfbacktobackinbedwithanunconsciousviolinist.Afamousunconsciousviolinist.Hehasbeenfoundtohaveafatalkidneyailment,andtheSocietyofMusicLovershascanvassedalltheavailablemedicalrecordsandfoundthatyoualonehavetherightbloodtypetohelp.Theyhavethereforekidnappedyou,andlastnighttheviolinist'scirculatorysystemwaspluggedintoyours,sothatyourkidneyscanbeusedtoextractpoisonsfromhisbloodaswellasyourown.Thedirectorofthehospitalnowtellsyou,"Look,we'resorrytheSocietyofMusicLoversdidthistoyou--wewouldneverhavepermitteditifwehadknown.Butstill,theydidit,andtheviolinistisnowpluggedintoyou.Tounplugyouwouldbetokillhim.Butnevermind,it'sonlyforninemonths.Bythenhewillhaverecoveredfromhisailment,andcansafelybeunpluggedfromyou."Isitmorallyincumbentonyoutoaccedetothissituation?
Nodoubtitwouldbeveryniceofyouifyoudid,agreatkindness.Butdoyouhavetoaccedetoit?
Whatifitwerenotninemonths,butnineyears?
Orlongerstill?
Whatifthedirectorofthehospitalsays."Toughluck.Iagree.butnowyou'vegottostayinbed,withtheviolinistpluggedintoyou,fortherestofyourlife.Becauserememberthis.Allpersonshavearighttolife,andviolinistsarepersons.Grantedyouhavearighttodecidewhathappensinandtoyourbody,butaperson'srighttolifeoutweighsyourrighttodecidewhathappensinandtoyourbody.Soyoucannoteverbeunpluggedfromhim."Iimagineyouwouldregardthisasoutrageous,whichsuggeststhatsomethingreallyiswrongwiththatplausible-soundingargumentImentionedamomentago.
Inthiscase,ofcourse,youwerekidnapped,youdidn'tvolunteerfortheoperationthatpluggedtheviolinistintoyourkidneys.CanthosewhoopposeabortiononthegroundImentionedmakeanexceptionforapregnancyduetorape?
Certainly.Theycansaythatpersonshavearighttolifeonlyiftheydidn'tcomeintoexistencebecauseofrape;ortheycansaythatallpersonshavearighttolife,butthatsomehavelessofarighttolifethanothers,inparticular,thatthosewhocameintoexistencebecauseofrapehaveless.Butthesestatementshavearatherunpleasantsound.Surelythequestionofwhetheryouhavearighttolifeatall,orhowmuchofityouhave,shouldn'tturnonthequestionofwhetherornotyouareaproductofarape.AndinfactthepeoplewhoopposeabortiononthegroundImentioneddonotmakethisdistinction,andhencedonotmakeanexceptionincaseofrape.
Nordotheymakeanexceptionforacaseinwhichthemotherhastospendtheninemonthsofherpregnancyinbed.Theywouldagreethatwouldbeagreatpity,andhardonthemother;butallthesame,allpersonshavearighttolife,thefetusisaperson,andsoon.Isuspect,infact,thattheywouldnotmakeanexceptionforacaseinwhich,miraculouslyenough,thepregnancywentonfornineyears,oreventherestofthemother'slife.
Somewon'tevenmakeanexceptionforacaseinwhichcontinuationofthepregnancyislikelytoshortenthemother'slife,theyregardabortionasimpermissibleeventosavethemother'slife.Suchcasesarenowadaysveryrare,andmanyopponentsofabortiondonotacceptthisextremeview.Allthesame,itisagoodplacetobegin:
anumberofpointsofinterestcomeoutinrespecttoit.
1.
Letuscalltheviewthatabortionisimpermissibleeventosavethemother'slife"theextremeview."IwanttosuggestfirstthatitdoesnotissuefromtheargumentImentionedearlierwithouttheadditionofsomefairlypowerfulpremises.Supposeawomanhasbecomepregnant,andnowlearnsthatshehasacardiacconditionsuchthatshewilldieifshecarriesthebabytoterm.Whatmaybedoneforher?
Thefetus,beingtolife,butasthemotherisapersontoo,sohasshearighttolife.Presumablytheyhaveanequalrighttolife.Howisitsupposedtocomeoutthatanabortionmaynotbeperformed?
Ifmotherandchildhaveanequalrighttolife,shouldn'tweperhapsflipacoin?
Orshouldweaddtothemother'srighttolifeherrighttodecidewhathappensinandtoherbody,whicheverybodyseemstobereadytogrant--thesumofherrightsnowoutweighingthefetus'srighttolife?
Themostfamiliarargumenthereisthefollowing.Wearetoldthatperformingtheabortionwouldhedirectlykillingsthechild,whereasdoingnothingwouldnotbekillingthemother,butonlylettingherdie.Moreover,inkillingthechild,onewouldbekillinganinnocentperson,forthechildhascommittednocrime,andisnotaimingathismother'sdeath.Andthenthereareavarietyofwaysinwhichthismightbecontinued.
(1)Butasdirectlykillinganinnocentpersonisalwaysandabsolutelyimpermissible,anabortionmaynotbeperformed.Or,
(2)asdirectlykillinganinnocentpersonismurder,andmurderisalwaysandabsolutelyimpermissible,anabortionmaynotbeperformed.Or,(3)asone'sdutytorefrainfromdirectlykillinganinnocentpersonismorestringentthanone'sdutytokeepapersonfromdying,anabortionmaynotbeperformed.Or,(4)ifone'sonlyoptionsaredirectlykillinganinnocentpersonorlettingapersondie,onemustpreferlettingthepersondie,andthusanabortionmaynotbeperformed.
Somepeopleseemtohavethoughtthatthesearenotfurtherpremiseswhichmustbeaddediftheconclusionistobereached,butthattheyfollowfromtheveryfactthataninnocentpersonhasarighttolife.Butthisseemstometobeamistake,andperhapsthesimplestwaytoshowthisistobringoutthatwhilewemustcertainlygrantthatinnocentpersonshavearighttolife,thethesesin
(1)through(4)areallfalse.Take
(2),forexample.Ifdirectlykillinganinnocentpersonismurder,andthusisimpermissible,thenthemother'sdirectlykillingtheinnocentpersoninsideherismurder,andthusisimpermissible.Butitcannotseriouslybethoughttobemurderifthemotherperformsanabortiononherselftosaveherlife.Itcannotseriouslybesaidthatshemustrefrain,thatshemustsitpassivelybyandwaitforherdeath.LetuslookagainatthecaseofyouandtheviolinistThereyouare,inbedwiththeviolinist,andthedirectorofthehospital
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