Abortion, infanticide and moral context. 2013

Lindsey Porter
Philosophy Department, University of Sheffield, 45 Victoria Street, Sheffield S3 7QB, UK. l.porter@sheffield.ac.uk

In 'After-birth abortion: why should the baby live?', Giubilini and Minerva argue that infanticide should be permitted for the same reasons as abortion. In particular, they argue that infanticide should be permitted even for reasons that do not primarily serve the interests (or would-be best interests) of the newborn. They claim that abortion is permissible for reasons that do not primarily serve the interests (or would-be interests) of the fetus because fetuses lack a right to life. They argue that newborns also lack a right to life, and they conclude that therefore, the same reasons that justify abortion can justify infanticide. This conclusion does not follow. The lack of a right to life is not decisive. Furthermore, the justificatory power of a given reason is a function of moral context. Generalisations about reasons across dissimilar moral contexts are invalid. However, a similar conclusion does follow-that fetus-killing and newborn-killing are morally identical in identical moral contexts-but this conclusion is trivial, since fetuses and newborns are never in identical moral contexts.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007237 Infanticide The killing of infants at birth or soon after. Neonaticide,Infanticides,Neonaticides
D005328 Fetal Viability The potential of the FETUS to survive outside the UTERUS after birth, natural or induced. Fetal viability depends largely on the FETAL ORGAN MATURITY, and environmental conditions. Viability, Fetal
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000028 Abortion, Induced Intentional removal of a fetus from the uterus by any of a number of techniques. (POPLINE, 1978) Embryotomy,Abortion (Induced),Abortion Failure,Abortion History,Abortion Rate,Abortion Technics,Abortion Techniques,Abortion, Drug-Induced,Abortion, Rivanol,Abortion, Saline-Solution,Abortion, Soap-Solution,Anti-Abortion Groups,Fertility Control, Postconception,Induced Abortion,Previous Abortion,Abortion Failures,Abortion Histories,Abortion Rates,Abortion Technic,Abortion Technique,Abortion, Drug Induced,Abortion, Previous,Abortion, Saline Solution,Abortion, Soap Solution,Abortions (Induced),Abortions, Drug-Induced,Abortions, Induced,Abortions, Previous,Abortions, Rivanol,Abortions, Saline-Solution,Abortions, Soap-Solution,Anti Abortion Groups,Anti-Abortion Group,Drug-Induced Abortion,Drug-Induced Abortions,Embryotomies,Failure, Abortion,Failures, Abortion,Group, Anti-Abortion,Groups, Anti-Abortion,Histories, Abortion,History, Abortion,Induced Abortions,Postconception Fertility Control,Previous Abortions,Rate, Abortion,Rates, Abortion,Rivanol Abortion,Rivanol Abortions,Saline-Solution Abortion,Saline-Solution Abortions,Soap-Solution Abortion,Soap-Solution Abortions,Technic, Abortion,Technics, Abortion,Technique, Abortion,Techniques, Abortion
D000300 Adoption Voluntary acceptance of a child of other parents to be as one's own child, usually with legal confirmation. Adoptions
D026712 Value of Life The intrinsic moral worth ascribed to a living being. (Bioethics Thesaurus) Economic Value of Life,Life Valuation, Economic,Economic Life Valuation,Economic Value, Life,Economic Values, Life,Life Economic Value,Life Economic Values,Respect for Life,Right to Life,Sanctity of Life,Valuation, Economic Life,Economic Life Valuations,Life Sanctities,Life Sanctity,Life Valuations, Economic,Life, Respect for,Life, Right to,Valuations, Economic Life
D028681 Moral Obligations Duties that are based in ETHICS, rather than in law. Moral Duties,Duties, Moral,Duty, Moral,Moral Duty,Moral Obligation,Obligation, Moral,Obligations, Moral
D028723 Personhood The state or condition of being a human individual accorded moral and/or legal rights. Criteria to be used to determine this status are subject to debate, and range from the requirement of simply being a human organism to such requirements as that the individual be self-aware and capable of rational thought and moral agency.
D033421 Beginning of Human Life The point at which religious ensoulment or PERSONHOOD is considered to begin. Beginning of Life,Ensoulment,Ensoulments,Human Life Beginning,Life Beginning, Human

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