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> This is not the case. Even if the foetus is a human person, body autonomy tells us that no person should be forced to give up their own bodily well being in e

> This is not the case. Even if the foetus is a human person, body autonomy tells us that no person should be forced to give up their own bodily well being in ensure the survival of someone else. Exactly. I think it helps to steer the debate towards the assumption that the fetus is a human being since it exists. The mother does not have the right to kill it as it would be murder. However, the mother has the right to stop her pregnancy since it is her body. Now the kick is: These two statements are not contradictory! If the fetus is viable then his life can be saved by the doctors, otherwise it will die. In either case, it is not the (legal) responsibility of the mother. Of course, the mother would be probably a douchebag if she tries to interrupt a pregnancy at 8 months, but that's a different issue.

odshoifsdhfs 6y ago
Not taking sides, but I don't think it is so black and white if you frame it like that. A newborn baby is pretty much helpless and needs its mother/other. If we go just by that, it means a new mother does nothing wrong if they leave their kid outside in the sun for 5 days until it dies. After all, no-one should give their 'bodily' well being. Yes, you can give him for adoption, etc, but by the logic here it means if a mother just leaves their kids to starve, not kill them directly, but not doing 'motherly' things, it is ok, after all, they aren't fully responsible. (again, not taking sides in the pro-life/pro-choice argument, just stating it isn't black or white)
- enriquto 6y ago
  I think yours is a very good analogy, and it really holds. If a mother has a baby that, for whatever reasons, cannot take care of, then she has the right to give the baby for adoption (or give the custody to the father). If she kills the baby (e.g., by neglect), then she is of course guilty of murder. An abortion is a very similar case, she cannot take care of the fetus inside her body, and she assigns the care of the fetus to the doctors that perform the abortion. These doctors may or may not be able to keep the fetus alive. That way, you can be pro-choice and pro-life at the same time (albeit limited by the current status of medical technology). EDIT: to clarify, I'm not really unbiased about that and I do take sides: I think that people have the right to control their bodies, and thus women have the right to have abortions. (I also think that abortion is wrong when there's no risk of physical trauma for the woman, but hey, people have the right to do wrong things!)

odshoifsdhfs 6y ago

Not taking sides, but I don't think it is so black and white if you frame it like that. A newborn baby is pretty much helpless and needs its mother/other. If we go just by that, it means a new mother does nothing wrong if they leave their kid outside in the sun for 5 days until it dies. After all, no-one should give their 'bodily' well being. Yes, you can give him for adoption, etc, but by the logic here it means if a mother just leaves their kids to starve, not kill them directly, but not doing 'motherly' things, it is ok, after all, they aren't fully responsible. (again, not taking sides in the pro-life/pro-choice argument, just stating it isn't black or white)

enriquto 6y ago
I think yours is a very good analogy, and it really holds. If a mother has a baby that, for whatever reasons, cannot take care of, then she has the right to give the baby for adoption (or give the custody to the father). If she kills the baby (e.g., by neglect), then she is of course guilty of murder. An abortion is a very similar case, she cannot take care of the fetus inside her body, and she assigns the care of the fetus to the doctors that perform the abortion. These doctors may or may not be able to keep the fetus alive. That way, you can be pro-choice and pro-life at the same time (albeit limited by the current status of medical technology). EDIT: to clarify, I'm not really unbiased about that and I do take sides: I think that people have the right to control their bodies, and thus women have the right to have abortions. (I also think that abortion is wrong when there's no risk of physical trauma for the woman, but hey, people have the right to do wrong things!)