Introductory Lectures on Bioethics: Lecture 6 - Abortion and Moral Status

Prof. Bonnie Steinbock, University at Albany (emerita), CUHK Centre for Bioethics

[amg]

Bonnie is an excellent speaker and academic. She seriously knows her subject area. She explains it very well.gives excellent examples and then goes back to the central point again. She’s very clear and thorough.😊

[johntindell]

Thank you very much for the logically well throughout ethics. I admire how she managed to respond in the way that she did, given being put on the spot.

[dirkvalentine]

It seems to be that the most potent positions on either “side” are the FLO theory and Interest based positions like Bonnie’s. Time to go on ResearchGate and see some critiques on either position.

[ufconlyfamz]

Pre: 54:10: Moral status of Foetus and different views. 54:35: Moving on - "Women, in essence, serving as a life support system

[amg]

These videos are excellent and very informative!😊

[oscarolvera]

Excellent lecture! thank you so much for the information.

[philosopher]

If contraception fails and she falls pregnant and I as the man am not ready to be a dad and suggest an abortion. If she decides to keep the baby and i walk out then don't ask me for child support money.

[MsEmi]

Isn’t there potential sentience and the genetic correlates of sentience in the DNA code? Wouldn’t the unique nature of this potential sentience relate to an interest in manifesting and developing it not just for the persons interest but also for society’s interests in the unique contribution of that individual? This wouldn’t relate to a biological identity argument rather both embodied and biological.

[agnesannrobin]

Watching this now in 2022…oh how far back the US 🇺🇸 has put itself in terms of women’s rights.

[KatrinaDancer]

Something pro-life people always seem to assume is that everyone is grateful to be born. I assure you that although most people are glad to have been born there are lots of people who wish they'd never been created. I have a very privileged life but with the depression and anxiety that runs in my family I truly wish I had never been forced to exist. Now that I'm here I do my best to make this a better world but I'm absolutely an anti-natalist. I think abstinence is a great option but not everyone chooses that so I think abortion is the more moral choice over having children. Embryos and young fetuses aren't sentient (until week 17) so they have no self-interest. I think abortion should be done before 17 weeks but in that time period I think it's the best choice.
As far as religion, I'm a Cathar. We believe the greatest sin is procreation. I guarantee ensoulment doesn't happen at conception because identical twins form sometime in the 1st 2 weeks and twins don't share a soul.

[philosopher]

The things that's common between the king and prince is royalty, the thing that's common between fetus and adult is humanity. These are just entities that exist at different stages of development.