Blog 5

Blog 5 - How did the second contemporary issue effect your principles? Are you better able to see areas where your principles need adjusting? What adjustments need to be made? Which philosopher's position was least consistent with your own principles and why?


The second comtemporary issue of abortion was one that not only effected my principles but also the way that I think about life.  The meaning of it, that is.  Before our discussion about abortion, I would always say that it didn't matter what the mother did and if she didn't want the child, no matter the circumstances, she shouldn't have to have it.  Yet when we talked about the blastocytes forming and everything that goes into actually having an abortion, my ideas about it were altered.  I know that I can't be half for abortion and half against it, but I can't see myself just completely switching gears.  Do I agree with abortion? No.  I don't think that something that has the potential of life should be cut off before it has the chance to get there.  I do, however, believe that a woman's body and future are hers to control, and if she doesn't think that a baby is best, she should get an abortion.  I don't think that she should get a free pass, but I do not think that an unwanted child should be born. 


The philospher's position that was least consistent with my principles was Warren.  Her "5 pinpoints" of human life sort of make me angry.  The fact that she even picks this as criteria for abortion pisses me off.  It's so obvious that the little balls of cells inside of pregnant bellies fit none of these criterion.  But I don't think that these points matter.  No a fetus is not a member of the community of self motivated, but it has the POTENTIAL to be.  So in that sense, I completely disagree that this "justifies" the fact that abortion is okay.  I don't disagree with aborting a child, but I don't agree that these 5 criterion are the reason why it would be okay.  I just believe that if a woman does not WANT a child, she should not be legally bound to have one. 
I commented on Luke Demuro's blog http://lukedemuro.blogspot.com/.