Author Archives: KS

Personhood and Conjoined Twins

Conjoined twins are frequently brought up by the pro-life community as a kind of “gotcha” response to bodily autonomy arguments for abortion rights. Typically, such an argument goes like this: Conjoined twins are two people who share the same body. Each has bodily autonomy – yet neither twin can violate the other’s right to lifeContinue reading “Personhood and Conjoined Twins”

Should Women Face Murder Charges for Abortion? If You’re Pro-Life, The Answer is Yes.

“If pro-lifers got their way, a teenager who used abortion pills to end her pregnancy after a rape would face greater punishment than her rapist!” This statement has spread rapidly through pro-choice groups; it is typically used to galvanize pro-choice people by suggesting pro-life ethics lead to obviously monstrous moral conclusions. In response, many mainstreamContinue reading “Should Women Face Murder Charges for Abortion? If You’re Pro-Life, The Answer is Yes.”

The Feminist Case for Debating Abortion Ethics

The imminent reversal of Roe V Wade has caused considerable debate in feminist spaces about the best way to advocate for abortion rights going forward. To the surprise of many pro-choice philosophers, some feminists (including some prominent feminist philosophers) have responded by arguing that feminists should not engage further with discussions around the ethics ofContinue reading “The Feminist Case for Debating Abortion Ethics”

A Rebuttal of the “Future Like Ours” Argument Against Abortion

One of the more popular pro-life arguments challenging the morality of abortion is the “Future Like Ours” argument, explained in this famous paper by Don Marquis. Don Marquis argues that the wrongness of killing lies in the way it deprives an entity of a future it will value. Importantly, Marquis’ argument suggests that beings thatContinue reading “A Rebuttal of the “Future Like Ours” Argument Against Abortion”

Are abortion restrictions about controlling women? A response to Nobis

In his blog post “What if it Really is About the Babies? On Anti-Abortion Motivations“, pro-choice philosopher Nathan Nobis critiques the popular feminist sentiment that abortion restrictions are motivated by a desire to control women rather than to save babies. He writes: [Pro-choice people’s] suggestion is that anti-abortion advocates are not really concerned about stopping embryos andContinue reading “Are abortion restrictions about controlling women? A response to Nobis”

Modal Potential and Animal Persons: Responses to More Philosophical Pro-Life Objections

A few pro-life readers responded to my earlier post refuting fetal personhood with a couple objections that I felt were important to address. Pro-life Objection: Argument From Modal Personhood This objection hinges on the idea that there is a critical moral difference between the potential of a gamete and the potential of a zygote, evenContinue reading “Modal Potential and Animal Persons: Responses to More Philosophical Pro-Life Objections”

The Ethics of Later Abortion

Discussions of the ethics of abortion and fetal personhood can sometimes break down because pro-life and pro-choice debaters often focus on abortions at different stages of pregnancy. Pro-life proponents often speak of abortion as if it were always taking place at the end of pregnancy, while pro-choice advocates often speak abortion as if it wereContinue reading “The Ethics of Later Abortion”