[net.abortion] denying the antecedent

emjej@uokvax.UUCP (04/10/84)

#N:uokvax:20200003:000:513
uokvax!emjej    Apr 10 13:43:00 1984

Re Laura's conclusion of "if a fetus is a human being, then it is
wrong to abort it:" this is an implication that I think even a pro-
choice person would agree with--he/she would simply deny the
antecedent. (If one is going to postulate the antecedent, well,
that's one's privilege, I suppose, but be it known that others may
disagree.)

Also, I wonder what a non-human intelligence would make of the
statement that a philosophy not based on the value of human life
is of necessity subjective?

						James Jones

welsch@houxu.UUCP (Larry Welsch) (04/12/84)

I think it is irrelevant whether or not the fetus is a "human being."  The
issue is one of who has the right to make life/death decisions.  States
have proved inadequate to make such decisions.  The only alternative is
for the people directly involved with the life of the fetus and its
raising to make such decisions.  If the parents cannot agree, (unfortunate
but sometimes happens) then the choice belongs to the mother.  

I will be quite happy to debate anyone on whether or not the state has the
right to make life/death decisions for anybody.

						Larry Welsch
						houxu!welsch

P.S. Sophie really did change my opinion on the issue of who should have
the final say.