This book introduces readers to the many arguments and controversies concerning abortion. It focuses on how to think about the issues, not just what to think about them. It is an ideal resource to improve your understanding of what people think, why they think that and whether their (and your) arguments are good or bad, and why. It’s ideal for classroom use, discussion groups, organizational learning, and personal reading. From the Preface:
To many people, abortion is an issue for which discussions and debates are frustrating and fruitless: it seems like no progress will ever be made towards any understanding, much less resolution or even compromise.
Judgments like these, however, are premature because some basic techniques from critical thinking, such as carefully defining words and testing definitions, stating the full structure of arguments so each step of the reasoning can be examined, and comparing the strengths and weaknesses of different explanations can help us make progress towards these goals.
Here we use basic critical thinking skills to argue that abortion is typically not morally wrong. We begin with less morally-controversial claims: adults, children and babies are wrong to kill and wrong to kill, fundamentally, because they, we, are conscious, aware and have feelings. We argue that since early fetuses entirely lack these characteristics, they are not inherently wrong to kill and so most abortions are not morally wrong, since most abortions are done early in pregnancy, before consciousness and feeling develop in the fetus.
Furthermore, since the right to life is not the right to someone else’s body, fetuses might not have the right to the pregnant woman’s body-which she has the right to-and so she has the right to not allow the fetus use of her body. This further justifies abortion, at least, until technology allows for the removal of fetuses to other wombs. Since morally permissible actions should be legal, abortions should be legal: it is an injustice to criminalizing actions that are not wrong.
In the course of arguing for these claims, we:
- discuss how to best define abortion;
- dismiss many common question-begging arguments that merely assume their conclusions, instead of giving genuine reasons for them;
- refute some often-heard everyday arguments about abortion, on all sides;
- explain why the most influential philosophical arguments against abortion are unsuccessful;
- provide some positive arguments that at least early abortions are not wrong; 6. briefly discuss the ethics and legality of later abortions, and more.
This essay is not a ‘how to win an argument’ piece or a tract or any kind of apologetics. It is not designed to help anyone ‘win’ debates: everybody ‘wins’ when we calmly and respectfully engage arguments. And its discussion should not be taken as absolute ‘proof’ of anything: much more needs to be understood and carefully discussed-always.
Advanced Praise:
A lucid and engaging introduction to the ethics of abortion. Nobis and Grob are refreshingly fair and balanced in their treatment of a hotly contested issue. They seek to find the best arguments, not arguments that fit an agenda.
-Rebecca Tuvel, Rhodes College
This book provides a great set of tools for talking about this thorny issue. Even if you disagree with the conclusions that the authors reach, you’ll learn a great deal by reading this accessible and thoughtful volume.
-Bob Fischer, Texas State University
An easy to read, yet rigorous, exploration of key concepts and assumptions present in both popular and philosophical discourse on abortion. An excellent introduction.
-Chelsea Haramia, Spring Hill College
About the Authors
Nathan Nobis, Philosophy, Morehouse College Kristina Grob, Philosophy, University of South Carolina Sumter
More at www.AbortionArguments.com
