Abortion and the moral significance of merely possible persons
Subtitle: finding middle ground in hard cases
By: Melinda A. Roberts
Series: Philosophy and medicine -- v. 107
Publisher: Springer
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Dordrecht; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 189
ISBN-13: 9789048137916; 9789048137923
Subjects: Human reproduction; Moral and ethical aspects; Abortion
Description: "This book has two main goals. The first is to give an account, called Variablism, of the moral significance of merely possible persons -- persons who, relative to a particular circumstance, or possible future or world, could but in fact never do exist. The second is to use Variablism to illuminate abortion. ... Variablism supports the argument that the early abortion is ordinarily permissible when it is what the woman wants. .... In contrast, the late abortion is ordinarily subject to a different analysis. For the loss incurred in that case has full moral significance, according to Variablism, since it is incurred at a world where the person who incurs it does or will exist."--P. [4] of cover.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p.183-186) and index.