Ethics Exam 3

Abortion

intentional termination of a pregnancy

Traditional Anti-abortion Argument

1. it is wrong to kill innocent human beings

2. Fetus are innocent human beings

3. thus, it is wrong to kill a fetus

What problem does Warren see with the Traditional Anti-abortion Argument?

What does “Human beings” mean?

Moral sense of human=

members of moral community , deserve moral consideration, (person)

Genetic Sense of human=

homo sapiens, (human)

Warren: fallacy of equivocation

using the same meaning for two different things

Fallacy of Begging Question

Assume what is supposed to be proven

Warrens 5 Criteria for being a person:

1. Consciousness (feel pain)

2. Reasoning

3. Self-motivated Activity

4. Capacity to communicate

5. Presence of self-concepts/ self-awareness

Warrens view on a fetus vs the 5 Criteria

a fetus does not satisfy (1-5) and there for is not a person

to be able to interact on a moral level…

you must meet some of the criteria (1-5)

if you meet criteria (1-5) you are…

a fully functioning member of a community

Equal consideration is…

different than equal treatment

you don’t have to be a genetic human to…

be a person

Objections to Warrens argument

1. Resemblance

2. Potential

3. Infanticide

Objection: resemblance and Warrens response

1. fetus’s resemble persons & thus should have rights of persons

2. don’t meet criteria (1-5), physical resemblance isn’t morally relevant

Objection: Potential and Warrens response

1. anything that has the potential to be a person deserves at least the right to life

2. actuality trumps/ outweighs potentiality

Objection: Infanticide and Warrens response

1. Killing a fetus over would imply killing an infant is okay(according to criteria 1-5) but its not okay

2. birth determines point at which fetus isn’t dependent on the mother, other people are available to take care of it,

Warren agrees that fetus have potential but…

that potential doesn’t outweigh the actuality of the mother