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Full Idea
It seems that the bearers of rights must at least have the capacity to desire what they have a right to, which is something the foetus does not have.
Gist of Idea
You can't have a right to something you can't desire, so a foetus has no 'right' to life
Source
Jonathan Glover (Causing Death and Saving Lives [1977], §9.4)
Book Ref
Glover,Jonathan: 'Causing Death and Saving Lives' [Penguin 1982], p.127
A Reaction
Obviously we could say a person has a right to something they don't desire (such as freedom). How about: a mental defective has the right not to be laughed at, even if they don't understand the mockery?
Related Idea
Idea 20285 If a right entails having the relevant desire, many creatures might have no right to life [Singer]
| 4668 | You can't have a right to something you can't desire, so a foetus has no 'right' to life [Glover] |
| 4670 | Being alive is not intrinsically good, and there is no 'right to life' [Glover] |
| 20879 | Too many options may open us to unwanted pressures, like being paid very little [LaFollette] |
| 20880 | Should people be forced to make choices? [LaFollette] |