What are some criticisms of mary anne warrens on the moral. Warrens project it is possible to show that, on the basis of intuitions which we may expect even to opponents of abortion to share, a fetus is not a person, and hence not the sort of entity to which it is proper to ascribe full moral rights. Mary anne warrens the abortion issue essay 837 words. The debate hinges on the moral status of the fetus. Mary anne warren provides a wellknown defense of the liberal position in the abortion debate, yet her argument is subject to the objection that it implies that. She concludes her use of this analogy by agreeing with thomson.
Mary anne warren s argument on the legal status of abortion. Warren defends an extremely permissive view on abortion, according to which abortion is morally permissible at any stage of the pregnancy and under any circumstances. Mary anne warren, on the moral and legal status of abortion. The central moral aspect concerns whether there is any morally relevant point during the biological process of the development of the fetus from its beginning as a unicellular zygote to birth itself that may justify not having an abortion after that point. In this thoughtprovoking feminist study of the moral issues raised by new and emerging technologies of sex selection, mary anne warren shows that these technologies could substantially undermine and. I will argue that, while it is not possible to produce a satisfactory defense of a womans right to obtain an abortion. Summary and opinion of mary anne warrens the moral. Her essays have sometimes been required readings in academic courses dealing with the abortion debate and they are frequently cited in major publications like peter singer s the moral of the. Philosophers and the issue of abortion page 1 of 6. Warrens project it is possible to show that, on the basis of intuitions which we may expect even to opponents of abortion to share, a fetus is not a person, and hence not the sort of entity to which it. Mary anne warren does birth make a difference to the moral rights of the fetusinfant. Mary anne warren, on the moral and legal status of abortion 12 terms. What warren calls the standard antiabortion argument relies on the premise that. Every human has a right to life, a fetus is a human, killing humans is wrong, abortion is wrong.
Review and criticism of warren on birth as a criterion of the moral. On the moral and legal status of abortion oxford academic journals. However, her understanding of the concept of personhood. That is, what does it take to be an entity towards which people have moral considerations. Unfortunately, however, the fact that restrict ing access to abortion has tragic side effects does not, in itself, show. Infanticide and the liberal view on abortion wiley online library. In this paper, i will examine and critique mary anne warren s on the moral and legal status of abortion, where she examines the moral humanity of the fetus and its right to life. In a postscript to her original article, warren argues that her position does not commit her to the moral acceptability of infanticide.
If this is true, then it becomes difficult to justify either a moral or a legal distinction between late abortion and. Indeed, warren thinks that the conservative is guilty of a logical mistake. Liberals, like mary anne warren in her classic defense of abortion, do not deny that the fetus is biologically human, but warren denies that biological humanity is either necessary or sufficient for personhood and a right to life. Her argument has the advantage over thomsons of being quite straightforward, even though some found her conclusions to. Mary warren, on the moral and legal status of abortion, 1973. P3it is always impermissible to kill something with a right to life. View warren, on the moral and legal status of abortion. In this selection she defends the view that abortion is always morally. Part iii, contemporary moral problems, features new essays on abortion by mary anne warren, don marquis, and rosalind hursthouse.
Yet she still argues that abortion is permissible up until the time of birth. In the first place, the moral status of embryos and foetuses cannot be determined solely through a consideration of their intrinsic properties, as most of the. Dec 31, 2009 im blogging my way through every essay in the blackwell companion to ethics. Infanticide and the liberal view on abortion card 2000. The philosopher known as mary anne warren gives an example of a possible view on abortion. Mary anne warrens argument also coincides with the utilitarian idea of happiness. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Now including hgtv, food network, tlc, investigation discovery, and much more. Summary of mary anne warrens on the moral and legal status. On the moral and legal status of abortion according to warren, we must distinguish between two senses of human being human in the genetic sense and human in the a. In the personhood argument in favor of abortion rights mary anne warren points out the two senses in which something can be human. Mary anne warren, on the moral and legal status of abortion, the monist, volume 57, issue 1, 1 january 1973, pages 4361, select format select format. Response to thomson not clear enough what constitutes responsibility for becoming pregnant. Mary anne warren investigates a theoretical question that is at the center of practical and professional ethics.
Moral status mary anne warren oxford university press. A critique of mary anne warrens on the moral and legal. It identifies two weaknesses inherent in approaches to the ethics of abortion that focus exclusively upon the nature of the foetus, and the moral status this is thought to imply. Finally, liberals hold that even relatively late abortion is sometimes. Summary of mary anne warrens on the moral and legal. Im blogging my way through every essay in the blackwell companion to ethics. In her case on the moral and legal status of abortion, she argues for the idea that abortion is morally acceptable. Warren believes that prior to a certain point in a pregnancy, the child does not have the capacity to understand the ramifications of what an. Warren and marquis on abortion, part 1 mary anne warren. May 22, 2017 now including hgtv, food network, tlc, investigation discovery, and much more. In this paper, i will examine and critique mary anne warrens on the moral and legal status of abortion, where she examines the moral humanity of the fetus and its right to life.
The united states supreme court membership in 1973 at the time of roe v. First, i want to thank professor card for his thought provoking comments. On the moral and legal status of abortion we will be concerned with both the moral status of abortion. I will show that the fetus is not a person, and hence not worthy of full moral rights. Mary anne warren is one of the top advocates for keeping abortion legal without any restrictions on it. Abortion in history before antibiotics, abortions were an incredibly. Throughout her paper, she puts forth reasons as to why birth is such a significant and defining moment for the pregnant woman and her newborn infant. On the moral and legal status of abortion mary anne warren prolife argument 1. This chapter examines two variants of the concept of a person, and considers the arguments for regarding personhood, in either of these two senses, as the sole criterion of moral status. For purposes of our discussion we will be defining abortion as follows. On the moral and legal status of abortion, the monist, volume 57, issue 1, 1 january. On the moral and legal status of abortion the monist oxford.
Mary anne warren describes how abortion should be kept legal without any restrictions on it. On the moral and legal status of abortion au coeur. Mary anne warren, author of gendercide and the nature of woman, is a professor of philosophy at. On the moral and legal status of abortion, the monist, volume 57, issue 1, 1 january 1973, pages 4361. Mary anne warrens personhood argument in favor of abortion.
Mary anne warren pioneered this type of argument in her influential 1973 article on abortion. This essay will examine and defend mary anne warrens weak. The extension of legal personhood to fetuses would not only threaten womens right to choose abortion, but also undermine other fundamental rights. What follows is an outline of mary anne warrens 1973 piece, on the moral and legal status of abortion. Wadsworth we will be concerned with both the moral statu1 s of abortion, which for our purposes we may define as the act that a woman performs in voluntarily terminating, or. Challenge to traditional anti abortion argument traditional anti abortion argument 302. Warren considers the following antiabortion argument. Wade what follows is an outline of mary anne warren s 1973 piece, on the moral and legal status of abortion. Mary anne warrens personhood argument in favor of abortion presentation by. Mary anne warren mary anne warren on the moral and legal. Warrens argument for a pregnant womans moral right to an abortion.
She claims, for the sake of argument, that if the fetus is a person, then indeed there. Pdf mary anne warren on full moral status researchgate. On the moral and legal status of abortion, the monist, volume 57, issue 1. A critique of mary anne warrens on the moral and legal status of abortion, part iv in part one, i examined warrens claim about humanity, in part two i examined warrens qualifications for personhood and showed why the unborn qualify, and in part three i examined warrens two questions about personhood and showed that her position fails to. Whereas thomson stated that, even if the fetus has a full right to life, abortion is nevertheless permissible. Wade what follows is an outline of mary anne warrens 1973 piece, on the moral and legal status of abortion. Noonans traditional anti abortion argument assumes that a fetus is human in the moral sense. Nov 20, 2015 the varying interpretations of what makes something human is problematic for this argument. The moral difference between infanticide and abortion. This paper seeks to delve into her article, especially her arguments and form an objection to her work. I recently gave an indepth critique of one of the most important articles ever written on the abortion issue. Noonan is correct in holding that the key issue in the abortion debate is whether or not the fetus is a person.
Prolife critique of mary anne warrens on the moral and. Challenge to traditional antiabortion argument traditional antiabortion argument 302. Today, i deal with the cheery topic of abortion, following the article by mary ann warren. On the moral and legal status of abortion stephen hicks, ph. Now mary anne warrens unyielding argument on the basis of personhood is that, if we assume that an entity is a person just because it happens to. In a postscript to her original article, warren argues that her position does not commit her to. Warren and marquis on abortion, part 1 mary anne warren moral standing the standard antiabortion argument. On the moral and legal status of abortion mary anne warren the monist, vol. Aug 14, 20 i recently gave an indepth critique of one of the most important articles ever written on the abortion issue. Warren argues that no single property will do as a sole criterion, and puts forward seven basic principles as criteria. Mary anne warrens the abortion issue in mary anne warrens the abortion issue, children are not persons in the empirical sense. Mary anne warrens argument on the legal status of abortion stands on a concrete understanding and realization of an individuals personhood. Personally she is in favor of it but connected to it are argumentative questions that are cited by her regarding community, rights of human beings and the standing of a.
Most contemporary philosophers believe that birth cannot make a difference to moral rights. Thomsons arguments are helpful, but its not clear that we should share thomsons intuition about, for example, the permissibility of unhooking oneself from the famous unconscious violinist. The varying interpretations of what makes something human is problematic for this argument. Mary anne warren the moral and legal status of abortion. Abortion marry anne warren on the moral and legal status. As the topic suggests the main point and thesis of the writers article is the moral and legal status of abortion.
Mary anne warren shows that these technologies could substantially undermine and more 5. What are some criticisms of mary anne warrens on the. Pdf in the contemporary debate on moral status, it is not uncommon to find philosophers who embrace the the principle of full moral status. The first, and more exclusive, concept of personhood emphasizes the mental capacities that are essential for moral agency, such as the capacity to deliberate about moral questions, and voluntarily to conform. Mary anne warren s personhood argument in favor of abortion presentation by. Part ii reprinted, with postscript, in the problem of abortion, 1984, joel feinberg, ed. A common argument for abortion involves denial of the personhood of the unborn embryo or fetus. We began our investigation into abortion by evaluating what most people consider to be the key premise in the abortion debate. Every person has a right to life, a fetus is not a person, killing people is wrong, there is nothing wrong with abortion noonans traditional anti abortion argument assumes. On the moral and legal status of abortion mary anne warren from biomedical ethics. I only read through part two, and skimmed the rest. The only criticism that i have is after she establishes 5 criteria for personhood she says that if prolife advocates were to disagree with the criteria she establishes.
Maryanne warren puts forward in her article on the moral and legal status of abortion, the perspective that abortion is acceptable morally. Mary anne warren begins by introducing the topic of her paper, which discusses the moral significance of birth. Another liberal position is argued by mary ann warren, who arrives at her conclusions by analysis of the concept of personhood. In part 1 i look at some background issues, consequentialist arguments in favour of abortion, and arguments based on the right to. Mary anne warrens the abortion issue 823 words 123.
Which of the following does the fetus not possess according to warren. Taurek and derek parfit on when and why one should save from harm a greater rather than a lesser number of people. Mary anne warren august 23, 1946 august 9, 2010 was an american writer and philosophy professor, noted for her writings on the issue of abortion. Wadsworth we will be concerned with both the moral statu1 s of abortion, which for our purposes we may define as the act.
I would like to turn my attention now to another popular essay written by mary anne warren called on the moral and legal status of abortion. According to the liberal view, abortion for any reason at any time during pregnancy is morally permissible. A critique of mary anne warrens on the moral and legal status of abortion, part v. Start studying mary anne warren, on the moral and legal status of abortion. This article gives an overview of the moral and legal aspects of abortion and evaluates the most important arguments. I will argue that, while it is not possible to produce a satisfactory defense of a womans right to obtain an abortion without showing that a fetus is not a human being. Mary anne warrens the abortion issue 823 words 123 help me. According to warren, it is possible to show that the fetus in fact is not a person and thus abortion is in all cases permissible. Pdf abortion and personhood joseph spoerl academia. Wadsworth we will be concerned with both the moral statu1 s of abortion, which for. Mary anne warren provides a wellknown defense of the liberal position in the abortion debate, yet her argument is subject to the objection that it. Mary anne warren begins her discussion of abortion by disagreeing with judith thomson. She states that the morality of abortion is dependent on the moral status of the baby, not simply on the rights of the mother.
The personhood argument in favor of abortion mary anne warren mary anne warren is associate professor of philosophy at san francisco state university and has written widely on feminism, including the nature of woman. The ethics of abortion california state university. Mary anne warrens on the moral and legal status of abortion i. To print or download this file, click the link below.
597 1320 496 685 848 1553 718 1004 607 343 445 859 1206 31 1434 625 1236 1420 243 367 28 212 559 717 1521 1264 769 167 28 823 1402 676 209 319 425 1347 1163 338 4 740 232