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Full Idea
One reason why most of us feel puzzled about the problem of abortion is that we want, and do not want, to allow to the unborn child the rights that belong to adults and children.
Gist of Idea
Abortion is puzzling because we do and don't want the unborn child to have rights
Source
Philippa Foot (Abortion and the Doctrine of Double Effect [1967], p.19)
Book Ref
Foot,Philippa: 'Virtues and Vices' [Blackwell 1981], p.19
A Reaction
We also do and don't want children to have the same rights as adults. Rights should accrue with development and maturity, it seems. No one thinks sperm and egg have rights. Why stop at 'adult'? Superior adults deserve more rights!
| 22383 | Abortion is puzzling because we do and don't want the unborn child to have rights [Foot] |
| 22384 | A 'double effect' is a foreseen but not desired side-effect, which may be forgivable [Foot] |
| 22385 | The doctrine of double effect can excuse an outcome because it wasn't directly intended [Foot] |
| 22386 | Double effect says foreseeing you will kill someone is not the same as intending it [Foot] |
| 22387 | Without double effect, bad men can make us do evil by threatening something worse [Foot] |
| 22388 | Double effect seems to rely on a distinction between what we do and what we allow [Foot] |