Exam 10: Christopher Tollefsen and Nathan Nobis, “Abortion”

Which author adopts the following definition of abortion: "An abortion is the intentional killing of an embryo or fetus to end a pregnancy?"

In their replies, Nathan Nobis and Christopher Tollefsen both offer competing accounts of what grounds human rights. In your essay, explain the authors' disagreement, drawing from both of their accounts. Then, briefly describe the extent to which you take the human rights issue to be an important one in the abortion debate. In other words, how much rides on whether human fetuses have rights? Can abortion be justified even if they do?

In his reply, Tollefsen affirms that what is the appropriate grounding property for basic rights?

In his reply, Nobis affirms that what is the appropriate grounding property for basic rights?

In his essay, Tollefsen presents a moral argument that proceeds in three steps. Which of the following is NOT one of those steps?

In footnote three of Nathan Nobis's essay, Nobis responds to the concern that men should not offer arguments on the abortion debate. He says: Someone's sex (or gender) doesn't influence their ability to give good arguments on issues that, in many ways, mostly affect people who are importantly different from them. Women can have insights and good arguments about issues that uniquely affect men, and vice-versa. … Women are not infallible on these topics, and neither are men. The goal for everyone is to carefully and critically evaluate any claims and arguments, whatever and whoever their source. In your essay, consider the question, "What influences a person's ability to give good arguments on a certain issue?" To do this, try to come up with an example from beyond the abortion debate that responds to the line of reasoning that Nobis presents here. In other words, can you think of a case where people might think that only those uniquely affected by an issue are able to craft good arguments about it? Why should others agree? Does this example complicate Nobis' position on men's ability to give arguments in the abortion debate, or are the cases dissimilar enough that his point stands?

In his essay, Tollefsen makes a number of claims. Which of the following is NOT one of his claims?

In his essay, Nobis gives examples of a number of question-begging arguments on abortion. Identify an example of a question-begging argument.

Both authors agree that the claim "fetuses are biologically human" is of little moral relevance when determining the ethical status of abortion.

In his essay, Nobis outlines positive defenses of abortion founded on three areas of concern. Which of the following is NOT one of those areas?

In his essay, Tollefsen claims that dualism is misguided because it fails to recognize what?

In his essay, Nobis defends a number of claims. Which of the following is NOT one of those claims?

In his reply, Christopher Tollefsen discusses what he takes to be the similarity between human fetuses and us. He affirms: …there is a way in which human fetuses are vastly more like us than any other creature of whose existence we are directly aware. Human fetuses - if they do not die, or are not otherwise impaired - will grow and develop naturally to the point of being able to exercise exactly the characteristics that impress Nobis (and me) so much. No other being of whose existence we are directly aware will ever do that In your essay, consider, "What traits make something like us?" What do you think is morally relevant in determining whether or not something is like a human person? Does your account challenge Tollefsen's defense of human fetuses being similar to us?