-
2Are human embryos Kantian persons?: Kantian considerations in favor of embryonic stem cell researchPhilosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine 3 (1): 4. 2008.One argument used by detractors of human embryonic stem cell research invokes Kant's formula of humanity, which proscribes treating persons solely as a means to an end, rather than as ends in themselves. According to Fuat S. Oduncu, for example, adhering to this imperative entails that human embryos should not be disaggregated to obtain pluripotent stem cells for hESCR. Given that human embryos are Kantian persons from the time of their conception, killing them to obtain their cells for research…Read more
-
185A Kantian Defense of Abortion Rights with Respect for Intrauterine LifeDiametros 39 70-92. 2014.In this paper, I appeal to two aspects of Immanuel Kant’s philosophy – his metaphysics and ethics – in defense of abortion rights. Many Kantian pro-life philosophers argue that Kant’s second principle formulation of the categorical imperative, which proscribes treating persons as mere means, applies to human embryos and fetuses. Kant is clear, however, that he means his imperatives to apply to persons, individuals of a rational nature. It is important to determine, therefore, whether there is an…Read more
-
66Yes, the baby should live: a pro-choice response to Giubilini and MinervaJournal of Medical Ethics 39 (5): 330-335. 2013.In their paper 'After-birth abortion: why should the baby live?' Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva argue that because there are no significant differences between a fetus and a neonate, in that neither possess sufficiently robust mental traits to qualify as persons, a neonate may be justifiably killed for any reason that also justifies abortion. To further emphasise their view that a newly born infant is more on a par with a fetus rather than a more developed baby, Giubilini and Minerva el…Read more
-
58Pleading Men and Virtuous Women: Considering the Role of the Father in the Abortion DebateInternational Journal of Applied Philosophy 21 (1): 1-24. 2007.Far too often in our society, the input of a potential father is not deemed relevant in a woman’s abortion decision. Men, however, can suffer emotional strains due to the abortion of their potential child, and given this harm it seems that morality must make room for a potential father’s voice in the abortion decision. I will argue that a man cannot have the right to veto a woman’s decision to procure an abortion, yet there may be times where a woman may exercise her right to an abortion in a ma…Read more
-
26Beyond Abortion: The Implications of Human Life AmendmentsJournal of Social Philosophy 43 (2): 140-160. 2012.
-
124The Value of Choice and the Choice to Value: Expanding the Discussion about Fetal Life within Prochoice AdvocacyHypatia 28 (3): 663-683. 2013.In this essay, I provide evidence that a new generation of prochoice advocates wishes to move away from defending abortion rights via the view that fetal life has little or no value and toward a more complex view of abortion rights. This newer view simultaneously grants that fetuses are more than simply “clumps of cells,” that they are, to some extent, entities that possess some degree of value, and also that women still have the right to decide whether they wish to continue a pregnancy. Prima f…Read more
-
46Defending My “Rethinking” of RoeAmerican Journal of Bioethics 10 (12). 2010.In 2008, many states sought to pass Human Life Amendments, which would extend the definition of personhood to encompass newly fertilized eggs. If such an amendment were to pass, Roe v. Wade, as currently defended by the Supreme Court, may be repealed. Consequently, it is necessary to defend the right to an abortion in a manner that succeeds even if a Human Life Amendment successfully passes. J.J. Thomson's argument in “A Defense of Abortion” successfully achieves this. Her argument is especially…Read more
-
98The metaphysical foundations of reproductive ethicsJournal of Applied Philosophy 26 (2): 190-204. 2009.Many bioethicists working in reproductive ethics tacitly assume some theory of diachronic personal identity. For example, Peter Singer argues that there is no identity relation between a foetus and a future individual because the former shares no robust mental connections with the latter. Consequently, abortion prevents the existence of an individual; it does not destroy an already existing individual. Singer's argument implicitly appeals to the psychological account of personal identity, which,…Read more
-
42Should parents be licensed?: Debating the issues (review)Journal of Value Inquiry 39 (3-4): 531-535. 2005.
-
36A Metaphysical and Ethical Defense of Human Embryonic Stem Cell ResearchEthics in Biology, Engineering and Medicine 3 (4): 209-225. 2012.
-
117Are human embryos Kantian persons?: Kantian considerations in favor of embryonic stem cell researchPhilosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine 3 4. 2008.One argument used by detractors of human embryonic stem cell research (hESCR) invokes Kant's formula of humanity, which proscribes treating persons solely as a means to an end, rather than as ends in themselves. According to Fuat S. Oduncu, for example, adhering to this imperative entails that human embryos should not be disaggregated to obtain pluripotent stem cells for hESCR. Given that human embryos are Kantian persons from the time of their conception, killing them to obtain their cells for …Read more
-
54Revisiting the argument from fetal potentialPhilosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine 2 7. 2007.One of the most famous, and most derided, arguments against the morality of abortion is the argument from potential, which maintains that the fetus' potential to become a person and enjoy the valuable life common to persons, entails that its destruction is prima facie morally impermissible. In this paper, I will revisit and offer a defense of the argument from potential
-
29Revisiting justified nonvoluntary euthanasiaAmerican Journal of Bioethics 8 (11). 2008.No abstract