Ethics Quiz #4

Question 1

Philosopher’s View on Abortion
1). Mary Anne Warren

Answer 1

✅ abortion IS permissible: any laws that restrict a woman from having an abortion are unjustified violations of the woman’s moral rights

Question 2

Philosopher’s View on Abortion
2). Patrick Lee & Robert George

Answer 2

⛔ abortion is NOT permissible: EXCEPT when the woman’s life is in danger from the pregnancy

Question 3

Philosopher’s View on Abortion
3). Judith Jarvis Thomson

Answer 3

✅abortion IS permissible: when precautions have been taken OR when carrying the child to term requires large sacrifices

Question 4

Philosopher’s View on Abortion
4). Rosalind Hursthouse (hurt=vicious)

Answer 4

🟡abortion IS permissible: when NO VICIOUS MOTIVES led to pregnancy & NO VICIOUS MOTIVES involved in abortion decision (BUT abortion is WRONG to SOME DEGREE)

Question 5

Mary Anne Warren:
Where does a being’s right to life come from?

Answer 5

how person-like it is

Question 6

Mary Anne Warren:
5 Criteria for Personhood

Answer 6

1) consciousness
2) reasoning
3) self motivated activity
4) communicate
5) self awareness

Question 7

Mary Anne Warren:
How does she use the 5 criteria for personhood to argue a pro choice position?

Answer 7

a fetus only has a FEW out of the 5 necessary traits to be a person

Question 8

Patrick Lee and Robert George:
a) Where does a Being’s right to life come from?
b) What do they think is problematic about Warren’s view of where moral rights come from?

Answer 8

a) what KIND of being they are
b) a development based theory (warren) makes moral worth & rights random/unpredictable/unreliable

Question 9

Patrick Lee and Robert George:
WHY is abortion wrong, DESPITE the mother/fetus having a right to life & carrying a child to term is hard?

Answer 9

the burden of pregnancy is LESS than the harm the fetus would suffer by being aborted

Question 10

Judith Thomson:
What DETERMINES whether an abortion is morally permissible or not?

Answer 10

using protection OR if carrying to term would cause large sacrifices

Question 11

Judith Thomson:
What is the “famous violinist” scenario supposed to demonstrate about THE RIGHT TO LIFE?

Answer 11

the right to life exists in the right to NOT be UNJUSTLY killed (abortions are fair)

Question 12

Judith Thomson:
How is the “famous violinist” scenario relevant to the abortion debate?

Answer 12

the famous violinist scenario is the hypothetical scenario in which a terminally ill violinist who needs a kidney is plugged into you, without your consent, and if you unplug him, he will die. is it immoral to unplug him? –> it equates the violinist to a fetus in that making the decision to unplug the violinist (abort the fetus) a debate of whether abortions are moral or not.

Question 13

Rosalind Hursthouse:
What reasons does she give for thinking that a woman who opts NOT to be a mother via abortion may be Manifesting a flawed grasp of what her life should be about?

Answer 13

1) the woman’s views might be CHILDISH, MATERIALISTIC, SHALLOW, etc
2) she LACKS self confidence/responsibility

Question 14

Rosalind Hursthouse:
What VICE(S) does she think are shown if a woman disregards the fact that abortion ends a new human life?

Answer 14

she thinks not taking abortion seriously is vicious. she thinks it shows a lack of self confidence or responsibility