Abortion Series on Hold (Sorry)
I’m placing the abortion series on hold while I collect my thoughts regarding abortion in relation to slavery, particularly in relation to the status of Indians and Africans in the early Americans. A class I’m taking on African American history has been very insightful in this regard.
Nous 
Food for thought for when you continue the series, especially since you’re thinking about slavery:
There can be a third ground for abortion, and it’s typically the most sophisticated argument from that perspective. Basically, it goes like this:
– A person’s self-ownership is inalienable (i.e., one can’t perpetually contract one’s self to any other self). This is a reason why a perpetual slavery contract is still invalid even if it’s signed willingly by the slave. Further, temporary contracts to provide one’s time, labor and/or resources can only be binding when entered into by two willing parties before the provision begins.
– There can be no valid temporary contract between the mother and pre-born baby because of the self-inalienability mentioned above and because a pre-born baby doesn’t have the necessary preceding existence to temporarily contract for life support services.
Of course, consistency demands that people who hold to these arguments also support toddlers being denied food and shelter by parents who no longer wish to provide. The more extreme supporters do indeed recognize this and accede the point.
poppies
March 17, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Thanks. Never heard that argument before. I’ll definitely give it a spin when I start the series again. Are there any articles, journal articles, or books on the argument?
Tim
March 18, 2009 at 6:59 am
“The Ethics of Liberty” by Murray Rothbard is the standard text for this view. He’s sort of a libertarian rock star scholar.
http://mises.org/rothbard/ethics/fourteen.asp
poppies
March 18, 2009 at 11:50 pm
I’ll take a look at that as soon as I get the chance. Thanks.
Tim
March 19, 2009 at 12:08 pm