10 PHI 111 - Abortion

Who or what has moral status?

To have moral have moral status is to have rights which others are required to respect and not violate. Who examples: human vs. persons have moral status

Noonan’s main arguement

1. All human beings have moral status and therefore a right to life

2. Fetuses are human beings

3. Therefore fetus have the right to life

Noonan’s argument to alternative points

1. All other alternatives ex. heartbeat to conception as the beginning of life are arbitrary

2. Conception can be defended as the beginning of life

3. Therefore conception is the most plausible start to life

Noonan on mothers

Unless the life of the mother is in danger, no abortion

Religous argument against abortion

1. God creates all human beings from conception with dignity and worth

2. Abortion violates dignity and worth

3. Therefore abortion is not permissible

Play it safe argument

1. Unless we have a great deal of confidence that the fetus gets moral status at some point after conceptions, we should play it safe and assume that the fetus obtains moral status at birth

2. We do not have a great deal of confidence that the fetus gains moral status at some other point

3. Therefore we should play it safe and assume that the fetus obtains moral status at birth

Warren criteria for persons

1. consciousness

2. reasoning

3. self motivated activity

4. capacity to communicate

5. self-aware

Warren main argument

1. All and only people have moral status

2. Fetuses do not satisify the “person criteria”

3. Therefore abortion is permissible

Objections to warren

1. disabled

2. elders

3. coma

4. blacked out

5. infanticide

Infanticide

Warren says that if no parents want to adopt an infant or no orphanage wants to take the infant in it is permissible to kill the infant.

English case 1

Abortion permissible in cases of geniune self defence
Objection: fetus not trying to kill the mother

English response: hypnotized attackers, it is permissible to kill those who are threatening your life even if it might not be their fault

English other cases

1. Rape

2. Poor health of baby

3. Signifigant affects to the mothers life

English says that you can abort in all of these cases