The Golden Rule Argument Against Abortion

1679 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Assy about abortion

Golden Rule and Abortion In his essay “Against the Golden Rule Argument Against Abortion,” David Boonin-Vail argues against R. M. Hare and Harry J. Gensler. He states both versions of the golden rule should be rejected. The golden rule is a biblical rule of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matt. 7:12). Boonin-Vail maintains that both Hare’s and Gensler’s interpretations are not adequate enough in stating that the golden rule shows abortion to be immoral for various reasons.
I will not be arguing that the golden rule argument is sound. I agree with Boonin-Vail’s reasoning. However, I believe that his argument falls short when criticizing the implication of contraception for the same reason as abortion. To better understand Boonin-Vail’s argument I will reformulate it and later on further explain each premise: P1: Both versions of the golden rule argument are objectionable,
P2: Both versions are unable to avoid the implication of contraception,
P3: Both versions are unable to support satisfactorily modified conclusions, P4: Arguments that avoid future implications (such …show more content…

Simply having the argument look like this: P1: Both versions of the golden rule argument are objectionable,
P2: Both versions are unable to support satisfactorily modified conclusions, P3: Arguments that are objectionable and unable to support satisfactorily modified conclusions should be rejected C: Therefore, both versions of the golden rule should be rejected.
To reemphasize, applying the golden rule to abortion does not make for a sound argument. However, Boonin-Vail’s criticism of Hare and Genseler’s philosophies pertaining to this application, is not completely unflawed either. Boonin-Vail would make for a stronger argument if he does not address his second premise, not allowing for future objections to his main

Show More
Related

  • Patrick Lee And Robert P. George's The Wrong Of Abortion

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    Patrick Lee and Robert P. George’s, “The Wrong of Abortion” is a contentious composition that argues the choice of abortion is objectively unethical. Throughout their composition, Lee and George use credibility and reason to appeal the immorality of abortions. The use of these two methods of persuasion are effective and compels the reader to consider the ethical significance. Lee and George construct their argument by disputing different theories that would justify abortions. They challenge the ontological and evaluation theories of the fetus, as well as the unintentional killing theory. This article was obtained through Google, in the form of a PDF file that is associated with Iowa State University.

    Read More

  • Marquis vs. Warren in the Case Against Abortion

    1306 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many factors that are taken into consideration when determining if abortion is morally permissible, or wrong including; sentience of the fetus, the fetuses right to life, the difference between adult human beings and fetuses, the autonomy of the pregnant woman, and the legality of abortion. Don Marquis argues that abortion is always morally wrong, excluding cases in which the woman is threatened by pregnancy, or abortion after rape, because fetuses have a valuable future. Mary Anne Warren contends that late term abortions are morally permissible because birth is the most significant event for a fetus, and a woman’s autonomy should never be suspended.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Why Abortion Is Immoral By Dan Marquis

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Dan Marquis’ article, “Why Abortion is Immoral”, he argues that aborting a fetus is like killing a human being already been born and it deprives them of their future. Marquis leaves out the possible exceptions of abortion that includes: a threat to the mom’s life, contraceptives, and pregnancy by rape. First, I will explain Marquis’ pro-life argument in detail about his statements of why abortion is morally wrong. Like in many societies, killing an innocent human being is considered morally wrong just like in the United States. Second, I will state my objection to Marquis’ argument through examining the difference between a human being already born future compared to a potential fetus’s future. Thus, Marquis’ argument for his pro-life

    Read More

  • A Secular Defense of Pro-Life

    2741 Words  | 6 Pages

    The pro-life stance on abortion is often associated with and defended by traditional Christian beliefs , ; however, this paper will argue that it can and should be defended with secular arguments that appeal to reason and our shared human condition. This paper will try and counter the notion that the argument is simply another battlefield where religion and secular thought meet. Rather, it is an important issue that carries with it heavy implications not only for the religious but also for the secular. The major arguments discussed include the emotional and physical toll on the mother, the societal toll of having abortion legalized, and the rights attributed to every human being; first, however, the stance taken in this paper will be further defined and clarified.

    Read More

  • Wrongful Conception

    2025 Words  | 5 Pages

    Our culture has a stringent belief that creating new life if a beautiful process which should be cherished. Most often, the birth process is without complications and the results are a healthy active child. In retrospect, many individuals feel that there are circumstances that make it morally wrong to bring a child into the world. This is most often the case when reproduction results in the existence of another human being with a considerably reduced chance at a quality life. To delve even further into the topic, there are individuals that feel they have been morally wronged by the conception in itself. Wrongful conception is a topic of debate among many who question the ethical principles involved with the sanctity of human life. This paper will analyze the ethical dilemmas of human dignity, compassion, non-malfeasance, and social justice, as well the legal issues associated with wrongful conception.

    Read More

  • Bioethics Before Birth By Tooley And Marquis

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    The word abortion brings out a variety of attitudes & perceptions amongst people. The topic is surrounded by emotion and empathy, which often creates a divide, those who view abortion as permissible and those who do not. In “Bioethics Before Birth," Tooley and Marquis provide their arguments on abortion. Their arguments share some similarities but their viewpoints and delivery set them apart. I will evaluate and compare the differences and similarities in their arguments.

    Read More

  • A Critique of On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion, by Mary Anne Warren

    1015 Words  | 3 Pages

    Warren rejects emotional appeal in a very Vulcan like manner; devout to reason and logic and in doing so has created a well-written paper based solely on this rational mindset. Works Cited Warren, Mary Anne, and Mappes, D. DeGrazia. On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion. Biomedical Ethics 4th (1996): 434-440. Print.

    Read More

  • A Defense of Abortion

    785 Words  | 2 Pages

    To analyze the question of "Is abortion moral? " one must not take different examples, but use a single example that includes most, if not all of the cases. The only exception, for the reasons I will state afterwards, is sexual harassment. This is the only extreme case that occurs in real life. To strengthen the argument I will try to look from a Kantian perspective. .

    Read More

  • Ethical Dilemmas Surrounding Abortion

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    In our society, there are many ethical dilemmas that we are faced with that are virtually impossible to solve. One of the most difficult and controversial issues that we are faced with is abortion. There are many strong arguments both for and against the right to have an abortion which are so complicated that it becomes impossible to resolve. The complexity of this issue lies in the different aspects of the argument. The essence of a person, rights, and who is entitled to these rights, are a few of the many aspects which are very difficult to define. There are also issues of what circumstances would justify abortion. Because the issue of abortion is virtually impossible to solve, all one can hope to do is understand the different aspects of the argument so that if he or she is faced with that issue in their own lives, they would be able to make educated and thoughtful decisions in dealing with it.

    Read More

  • Perspectives on Abortion

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    Baird, Robert M., and Stuart E. Rosenbaum. The Ethics of Abortion: Pro-life vs. Pro-choice. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus, 1989. Print.

    Read More

  • The Debate Of The Permissibility Of Abortion

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    The permissibility of abortion has been a crucial topic for debates for many years. People have yet to agree upon a stance on whether abortion is morally just. This country is divided into two groups, believers in a woman’s choice to have an abortion and those who stand for the fetus’s right to live. More commonly these stances are labeled as pro-choice and pro-life. The traditional argument for each side is based upon whether a fetus has a right to life. Complications occur because the qualifications of what gives something a right to life is not agreed upon. The pro-choice argument asserts that only people, not fetuses, have a right to life. The pro-life argument claims that fetuses are human beings and therefore they have a right to life. Philosopher, Judith Jarvis Thomson, rejects this traditional reasoning because the right of the mother is not brought into consideration. Thomson prepares two theses to explain her reasoning for being pro-choice; “A right to life does not entail the right to use your body to stay alive” and “In the majority of cases it is not morally required that you carry a fetus to term.”

    Read More

  • Baruch Spinoza's Anti Anthroponcentric View

    1603 Words  | 4 Pages

    thereby attempts in the Appendix to argue on the following crucial points: 1) The reason

    Read More

  • Arguments Against Abortion Deontology Essay

    835 Words  | 2 Pages

    The issue that this essay is dedicated to assist to this never ending battle of abortion. This essay will be written from the point of a pro-abortion utilitarian however I must also consider the argument against abortion to get a full understanding of how serious this issue is, the against argument is of a deontological stand-point. First while I argue that abortion is not impermissible, I do not argue that I is always permissible. It allows for and supports our sense, for an example, that Ms Judith Jarvis Thompson states in her A Defence of Abortion, “a sick and frightened teenaged school girl who is pregnant due to being raped may choose abortion and it should be morally permissible however choosing to terminate your pregnancy when you are

    Read More

  • The Ethics Of Abortion By Judith Jarvis Thomson

    1549 Words  | 4 Pages

    The ethics of abortion is a topic that establishes arguments that attempt to argue if abortion is morally justified or not. Philosopher Judith Jarvis Thomson wrote a pro- choice piece called “A Defense of Abortion.” In this paper, she presents various arguments that attempt to defend abortion by relating it to the woman carrying the fetus and her right in controlling her body. On the other side of the spectrum, philosopher Don Marquis wrote a pro- life paper called “Why Abortion Is Immoral.” Ultimately, Marquis argues that abortion is immoral with rare exceptions because it is resulting in the deprivation of the fetus’s valuable future. He supports his paper by creating the future-like-ours argument that compares the future of a fetus to the

    Read More

  • The Ethics Of Abortion, And Virtue Of Ethics

    1210 Words  | 3 Pages

    Abortion “is an issue that raises questions about life and death, about what a person is and when one becomes a person, about the meaning of life, about the rights of women, and about the duties of men”(Velasquez 485). Abortion is an unresolved ethical issue that has been in doubt for many years because one can argue that you are killing an innocent person/fetus but many argue that is not person because they don’t have a conscious or the characteristics that defines a “person”. John Stuart Mill in a way justifies abortion, Mill is known to be openly speak about women’s rights and about human rights. Although, it might be immortal to end someone’s life one might argued that the individual has the right to choose and have the option. But in

    Read More

More about The Golden Rule Argument Against Abortion

Open Document