PHIL 237 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, Liberal Democracy, Fetus
16 Aug 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
PHIL 237
Lecture 5
Part 2 — Bioethics
Abortion: a deliberate termination of human pregnancy
Pre 1967: Abortion if illican in most liberal democracies (except Sweden and Denmark)
Post1967: Legalization of abortion in Great Britain, Italy, Spain, France, etc.
1973: Ros vs. Wade (USA — constitutional right to abolition
1978: Louis Brown’s birth — first human to have been born after conception by in vitro
fertilization
-First time in human history that humanity could play with birth and human conception by
Bioethics
1989: Jean-Guy Tremblay vs. Chantal Daigle (Canada)
Post 2001: George W. Bush policies against research on stem cells
2006: George W. Bush vetoes against the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act
Peter Singer
-Australian moral philosopher, born July 1946
-Professor of bioethics at Princeton
Public positions on animal rights, global poverty and abortion and euthanasia
-Notorious utilitarian (equal consideration of interests) — both at theoretical and practical
levels
“Taking Life: The Embryo and Fetus” — Peter Singer
The Conservative Position
1. It is wrong to kill an innocent human being (if x is an innocent human being, then it is wrong
to kill x)
2. A human fetus is an innocent human being, therefore it is wrong to kill a human fetus
The Liberal Argument
-First liberal strategy (or typical liberal response) deny the second premise: “a human fetus is
an innocent human being”
-Fertilized egg goes through consciousness, quickening, viability and birth. One must
determine when a human fetus becomes a living human being
-Pre birth, a fetus is not considered a human being, therefore it is okay to kill the human.
-Problem: if we use birth as the stance for humanity, what must we do for an immature birth…
is it right to just kill the premature fetus?
Other Liberal Arguments (no denial of both premises)
1. Consequences of restrictive laws — under the blanket or undercover practises
2. Public vs. Private sphere distinction
3. Feminist argument — a woman may choose what to do with her own body: Judith Jarvis
Thompson and the violinist example
Peter Singer’s strategy — deny the first premise
1. New Question: When is it wrong to kill a human being? — when does human life begin?
Answer: rationality, self-consciousness, awareness, autonomy, capacity to experience pleasure
and pain etc.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Pre 1967: abortion if illican in most liberal democracies (except sweden and denmark) Post1967: legalization of abortion in great britain, italy, spain, france, etc. 1973: ros vs. wade (usa constitutional right to abolition. 1978: louis brown"s birth rst human to have been born after conception by in vitro fertilization. First time in human history that humanity could play with birth and human conception by. Post 2001: george w. bush policies against research on stem cells. 2006: george w. bush vetoes against the stem cell research enhancement act. Public positions on animal rights, global poverty and abortion and euthanasia. Notorious utilitarian (equal consideration of interests) both at theoretical and practical levels. Taking life: the embryo and fetus peter singer. First liberal strategy (or typical liberal response) deny the second premise: a human fetus is an innocent human being . Fertilized egg goes through consciousness, quickening, viability and birth. One must determine when a human fetus becomes a living human being.
