abortion - margaret little, `abortion, intimacy, and the duty to … · 2013. 9. 3. ·...
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Abortion
AbortionMargaret Little, ‘Abortion, Intimacy, and the Duty to Gestate’
Dr. Clea F. Rees
Centre for Lifelong LearningCardiff University
Autumn 2013
Anders Tomlinson,Moments of Intertwinement
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AbortionOutline
Virtue
Vice
Moral
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oral
Ethical
Unethica
lPe
rmissi
bleImpermissible
Deadlock
Thomson’s Move
Little’s Thesis
ArgumentationThe State of the DebateArguments ILittle’s PremisesArguments IILogical StructureThe Importance of RelationshipAnticipating Objections
Evaluation
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AbortionDeadlock
Virtue
Vice
Moral
Imm
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Ethical
Unethica
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bleImpermissible
Deadlock
b
AbortionDeadlock
Virtue
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Deadlock
Typical Pro-Choice/Pro-Life Agreement
I Principles:I Persons have a right to control their bodies.I Persons have a right to life.I The right to life outweighs the right to control one’s body.
I Status:I The woman is a person.I The woman has rights to life and to control her body.
I Conditionals:I If the foetus is a person, then it has a right to life.I If the foetus has a right to life, then it has a right not to be
aborted. [At least unless the woman’s life is endangered.]
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AbortionDeadlock
Virtue
Vice
Moral
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Ethical
Unethica
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bleImpermissible
Deadlock
Typical Pro-Choice/Pro-Life DisagreementPro-Choice
I Only persons have (full)rights.
I The foetus is not a person.I The foetus has no relevant
rights.or The foetus’s right(s) are
outweighed.
Pro-Life
I Potential persons have(full) rights.
or The foetus is a personfrom conception.
I The foetus has a right tolife.
I The woman’s right(s) areoutweighed.
b
AbortionDeadlock
Virtue
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Deadlock
b
AbortionThomson’s Move
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Thomson’s Move
Thomson GrantsI Principles:
I Persons have a right to control their bodies.I Persons have a right to life.I The right to life outweighs the right to control one’s body.
I Status:I The woman is a person.I The woman has rights to life and to control her body.I The foetus is a person.
I Conditionals:I If the foetus is a person, then it has a right to life.
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AbortionThomson’s Move
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Thomson’s Move
Thomson Rejects
I Conditionals:I If the foetus has a right to life, then it has a right not to be
aborted. [At least unless the woman’s life is endangered.]
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AbortionThomson’s Move
Virtue
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Thomson’s Move
Thomson Claims
I The right to life is the right not to be killed unjustly.I Abortion is not unjust killing.I The foetus has no right not to be aborted at any stage of
pregnancy, for any reason.I Even if the foetus is an innocent person and even though all
innocent persons have a right to life.
b
AbortionLittle’s Thesis
Virtue
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Little’s Thesis
What is Little’s main thesis or conclusion?
Terminology:
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AbortionArgumentation
The State of the Debate
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ArgumentationThe State of the Debate
How would Little assess Thomson’s analogies (question 3)?
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AbortionArgumentation
The State of the Debate
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ArgumentationThe State of the Debate
Common problem with both sides of abortion debate (question 4):
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AbortionArgumentation
Arguments I
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ArgumentationArguments I
ArgumentsPhilosophers care a great deal about arguments, becausephilosophers try to answer philosophical questions by constructing,analysing and criticising arguments.
By ‘arguments’ we do not mean just any sort of argument. We arenot concerned with cases where two people shout contradictions ornames at each other or anything like that. We are concerned witharguments in a formal sense.
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AbortionArgumentation
Arguments I
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ArgumentationArguments I1
Definition (Argument)An argument consists of a set of sentences of which one is theconclusion and the rest are premises.
Definition (Conclusion)The conclusion is the claim the argument tries to convince you of.
Definition (Premises)The premises are claims which are supposed to support theconclusion.
1These definitions are somewhat simplified so be aware that things areactually a little more complex than they suggest.
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AbortionArgumentation
Arguments I
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ArgumentationArguments I
Example (Argument)
1. Some cows have calves.——
2. Some cows lactate.
Gisela Fabian, Cow Pasture
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AbortionArgumentation
Arguments I
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ArgumentationArguments I
Example (Argument)
1. Cats detest being wrapped intowels like burritos.
2. You ought not be cruel to cats.——
3. You ought not wrap cats intowels like burritos.
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AbortionArgumentation
Arguments I
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ArgumentationArguments I
Example (Argument)
1. Abortion is the deliberate killing of ahuman being.
2. If something is the deliberate killing ofa human being, then it is wrong.——
3. Abortion is wrong.
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AbortionArgumentation
Arguments I
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ArgumentationArguments I
Example (Argument)
1. My cat enjoys a good game oftiddlywinks.
2. If my cat enjoys a good game oftiddlywinks, then tiddlywinks is agame loved by the gods.——
3. Tiddlywinks is a game loved by thegods.
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AbortionArgumentation
Little’s Premises
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ArgumentationLittle’s Premises
What premises does Little’s argument rely on (question 5)?
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AbortionArgumentation
Arguments II
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ArgumentationArguments II
Definition (Sub-Argument)A sub-argument is an argument which forms one part of a largerargument.
Definition (Sub-Conclusion)The conclusion of a sub-argument is a sub-conclusion of the overallargument.
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AbortionArgumentation
Arguments II
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ArgumentationArguments II
Example (Argument with Sub-Conclusion)
1. Abortion is the deliberate killing of a human being.2. All human beings are persons.3. If something is the deliberate killing of a person, then it is
wrong.——
4. If something is the deliberate killing of a human being, then itis wrong. (From 2, 3)——
5. Abortion is wrong. (From 1, 4)
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AbortionArgumentation
Logical Structure
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ArgumentationLogical Structure
How are Little’s premises supposed to support her conclusion (6)?
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AbortionArgumentation
The Importance of Relationship
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ArgumentationThe Importance of Relationship
I What role does discussion of parenthood play in Little’sargument?
I Little suggests it is a more helpful comparison than standardanalogies.
I Why?I Do we need an ethics of parenthood?
I Would this be different from an ethics of other humanrelationships?
I Little’s discussion of relationships is key.I Thin relationship: obligation to openness.
e.g. Mere biological relationship.I Thick relationship: much greater obligations.
e.g. Social parenthood.I Is this a helpful way to think about the permissibility of
abortion?
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AbortionArgumentation
Anticipating Objections
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ArgumentationAnticipating Objections
Objections and responses (question 7):
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AbortionEvaluation
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Evaluation
How good is Little’s argument?