Deck 91: Jane English: The Moderate Position: Beyond the Personhood Argument

Question 1

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-According to English, killing an innocent person is

A) always wrong.
B) sometimes permissible.
C) not permissible even in self-defense.
D) always permissible.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-English argues that if pregnancy presents a serious threat to the woman, she may kill the fetus that poses such a threat, even if it is an innocent person.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-English says that nonpersons should get no moral consideration at all.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-English thinks that in the later months of pregnancy, abortion seems to be wrong except to save the woman from serious injury or death.

Question 5

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-English thinks that the belief that a fetus is not a person implies that you can do to it anything you wish.

Question 6

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-English accepts most early-stage abortions and rejects most later-stage abortions.

Question 7

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-English advances a moderate position on abortion.

Question 8

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-English thinks that infanticide is morally permissible.

Question 9

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-English thinks the concept of a person points us to a solution to the abortion question.

Question 10

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-English argues that Tooley's conclusions about abortion are wrong.

Question 11

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-English completely rejects Thomson's argument.

Question 12

Beckwith evaluates several arguments for the permissibility of abortion and concludes that they all fail. He finds fault with the argument from a woman's right over her own body, the argument from abortion being safer than childbirth, and Judith Jarvis Thomson's famous "violinist" argument.
-English points out that animals are not persons, yet to kill or torture them for no reason at all is wrong.