Deck 12: Abortion

Question 1

Talk about:
-Abortion

Answer 1

the deliberate termination of a pregnancy.

Question 2

Talk about:
-Ambiguous

Answer 2

having more than one meaning.

Question 3

Talk about:
-Cesarean section

Answer 3

an operation that involves a surgical incision through the abdomen and uterus to remove the fetus from the womb, while seeking to preserve its life.

Question 4

Talk about:
-Conception

Question 5

Talk about:
-Embryo

Question 6

Talk about:
-Fetus

Question 7

Talk about:
-Moral agent

Question 8

Talk about:
-Persons

Question 9

Talk about:
-Right to life

Question 10

Talk about:
-Sorites

Question 11

Talk about:
-Supererogatory

Question 12

Talk about:
-Trimester

Question 13

Talk about:
-Viability

Question 14

Talk about:
-Zygote

Question 15

According to the Argument from Humanity,

A) if the fetus is an innocent human being, then abortion is always (or perhaps almost always) immoral.
B) the fetus is an innocent human being.
C) abortion is always (or perhaps almost always) immoral.
D) All of the above

Question 16

According to the text, fetuses are presumed to be innocent because fetuses

A) are not moral agents.
B) cannot cause harm.
C) cannot suffer.
D) None of the above

Question 17

According to the text, what is one problem with arguing that abortion is wrong because fetuses are innocent human beings?

A) Fetuses are not human.
B) Fetuses are not innocent.
C) "Human being" is an ambiguous term.
D) It is not wrong to kill innocent human beings.

Question 18

An argument begs the question against its opponents if it

A) raises further questions that its opponents must answer.
B) assumes the truth of the conclusion it is meant to support.
C) has false premises.
D) Both a and b

Question 19

Which of the following would a pro-choice advocate say about the moral rule against killing innocents?

A) It shows that abortion is morally wrong.
B) It is not a true moral rule.
C) It only applies to persons, not all members of our species.
D) It can be broken when doing so would make one better off.

Question 20

According to the text, a person is

A) a member of the species Homo Sapiens.
B) a rational, self-aware being with capacities for emotion, reflection and communication.
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Question 21

According to the text, the term human being is ambiguous about whether it is a _______ category or a _______ one.

A) biological; sociological
B) psychological; sociological
C) biological; deontological
D) biological; psychological

Question 22

According to the psychological view of humanity, a human being is a(n)

A) member of the species Homo sapiens.
B) person.
C) innocent creature.
D) immoral creature.

Question 23

According to the biological view of humanity, a human being is a(n)

A) member of the species Homo sapiens.
B) person.
C) innocent creature.
D) immoral creature.

Question 24

A pro-choice advocate might argue that abortion is not immoral because fetuses are not

A) members of the species Homo sapiens.
B) innocent.
C) persons.
D) All of the above

Question 25

According to the Argument from Potential, abortion is immoral because most fetuses have

A) the potential to be a person.
B) the same moral status as a person.
C) a right to life.
D) All of the above

Question 26

Premise 1 of the Argument from Potential relies on the following general principle:

A) If X has the potential to be a person, then it is immoral to kill X.
B) If X has the potential to be Y, then X has the same moral status as Y.
C) If a fetus has the potential to be a person, then it is immoral to kill a fetus.
D) If a fetus has the potential to be Y, then it has the same moral status as Y.

Question 27

According to the text, the problem with the Argument from Potential is that

A) the best support for one of its premises is a false principle.
B) one of its premises is false.
C) the best support for its conclusion is a false premise.
D) its conclusion is false.

Question 28

According to the Argument from Ensoulment, it is immoral to kill a human fetus because it

A) has the potential to be a person.
B) is a person.
C) has a soul.
D) has the potential to have a soul.

Question 29

According to the Infanticide Argument,

A) abortion is a form of infanticide.
B) there is no way to tell the difference between a fetus and an infant.
C) whether or not a fetus is a person makes no difference to its moral status.
D) if infanticide is immoral, then so is abortion.

Question 30

What is the sorites reasoning behind the Infanticide Argument?

A) A difference in one grain of sand cannot make a difference to whether you have a heap of sand.
B) A difference in spatial location cannot make a difference to whether a fetus has a particular moral status.
C) A difference of a few hours cannot make a difference to whether a fetus has a particular moral status.
D) Both b and c

Question 31

According to the text, on what grounds might one reject the sorites reasoning behind the Infanticide Argument?

A) Even if we cannot point to a precise moment of difference, sorites reasoning does not establish that there is no difference.
B) A difference of a few hours can make a difference to whether a fetus has a particular moral status.
C) A difference in spatial location can make a difference to whether a fetus has a particular moral status.
D) A difference in one grain of sand cannot make a difference to whether you have a heap of sand.

Question 32

The Argument from Personhood seeks to establish that

A) human fetuses are persons.
B) it is morally acceptable to kill human fetuses.
C) human fetuses have rights.
D) it is immoral to kill human fetuses.

Question 33

According to the text, the problem with the Argument from Personhood is that

A) it implies that abortion is both morally acceptable and immoral.
B) it contradicts itself.
C) accepting it requires accepting the Infanticide Argument.
D) All of the above

Question 34

According to the text, the Argument from Personhood is unsound because the following premise is implausible:

A) If a being lacks moral rights, then it is morally acceptable to treat it in any way we like-including killing it.
B) If a being is not a person, then it lacks any moral rights.
C) Fetuses are not persons.
D) Fetuses lack moral rights.

Question 35

Assess the merits of the various arguments that seek to establish that abortion is immoral. Which of these arguments do you think is strongest, and why? Do you think it ultimately succeeds? Why or why not?

Question 36

Assess the merits of the various arguments that seek to establish that abortion is morally acceptable. Which of these arguments do you think is the strongest, and why? Do you think it ultimately succeeds? Why or why not?

Question 37

What is the notion of personhood that is at issue in the debate over abortion? What significance do you think personhood has for this debate? Is it only persons that have moral status? Defend your answers.

Question 38

Assuming that there is a difference in moral status between a fetus and an infant, what is the best way to justify this claim? Do you think this justification ultimately succeeds in making a moral distinction between fetuses and infants? Defend your answers.

Question 39

Do fetuses have interests? If they do, how do we weigh these interests against the interests of persons (especially pregnant women)? If not, does this entail that infants have no interests either? Defend your answers.

Question 40

According to Noonan, if we cannot point to a precise point during gestation when the fetus acquires a right to life, then

A) the fetus has no right to life.
B) a fetus only has a right to life if it is viable.
C) a fetus only has a right to life if we consider it a person.
D) a fetus has a right to life from conception.

Question 41

Noonan argues that fetuses acquire the right to life when they are

A) viable.
B) sentient.
C) conceived.
D) perceived as human.

Question 42

Which of the following is not one of the distinctions about the humanity of fetuses discussed by Noonan?

A) Interests
B) Viability
C) Social visibility
D) Experience

Question 43

According to Noonan, anyone _______ is human.

A) with a sense of self
B) conceived by human parents
C) recognized as human by society
D) who looks like other humans

Question 44

Noonan argues that conception is the point when a fetus acquires the right to life because fetuses

A) are human from conception.
B) receive their genetic code at conception.
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Question 45

Noonan believes that abortion is permissible when the fetus is

A) inviable.
B) unconscious.
C) not perceived as human.
D) None of the above

Question 46

According to Noonan, arguments for the permissibility of abortion

A) succeed in establishing that abortion is permissible.
B) fail to establish that abortion is permissible.
C) rely on distinctions that lack moral significance.
D) Both b and c

Question 47

Noonan argues that the appeal to probabilities shows

A) the plausibility of thinking embryos are human.
B) the implausibility of thinking embryos are human.
C) that embryos are human.
D) that embryos are not human.

Question 48

Noonan draws an analogy between the probability that one will hit someone when shooting a gun into the bushes and the probability that a fetus will

A) be viable.
B) fully develop.
C) be aborted.
D) endanger the mother's life.

Question 49

According to Noonan, abortion is morally wrong except when the fetus

A) is not yet viable.
B) is not yet conscious.
C) endangers the mother's life.
D) is unwanted by the mother.

Question 50

When does Noonan think the fetus acquires the right to life, and why? What implications does this have for the moral status of abortion? Do you agree with Noonan? Why or why not?

Question 51

Noonan discusses and rejects a variety of distinctions that might be used to defend the moral permissibility of abortion. Do you think Noonan is right to reject these distinctions? If not, which distinction do you think is correct? Defend your answers.

Question 52

According to Noonan, what does it take to be human? To what purpose does Noonan put this definition of humanity? Do you think this definition is plausible for this purpose? Defend your answers.

Question 53

Many people claim that a fetus is a person from the moment of conception. In her paper, Thomson

A) agrees with this claim.
B) disagrees with this claim.
C) grants this claim for the sake of argument.
D) Both b and c

Question 54

In the case of the violinist, Thomson thinks

A) you are obligated to unplug yourself.
B) you are obligated not to unplug yourself.
C) it would be nice of you to remain attached, but you are not obligated to do so.
D) it would be nice of you to unplug yourself, but you are not obligated to do so.

Question 55

According to Thomson, the right to life is a right to

A) not be killed.
B) not be killed unjustly.
C) the bare minimum one needs for continued life.
D) individual liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Question 56

Thomson claims that no one has the right to the use of your body unless

A) they cannot survive without the use of your body.
B) you grant them the right to it.
C) granting them the use of your body would maximize happiness.
D) they pays you something in return for it.

Question 57

Thomson claims that a woman grants a fetus a right to the use of her body whenever she has

A) intercourse.
B) intercourse voluntarily.
C) intercourse voluntarily without using protection.
D) None of the above

Question 58

The case of the violinist is supposed to show that

A) abortion is always morally permissible.
B) the right to decide what happens to one's body is always more morally important than the right to life.
C) the right to life is not always more morally important than the right to decide what happens to one's body.
D) Both a and b

Question 59

Which of the following claims does Thomson think is true?

A) Abortion is never morally permissible.
B) Abortion is sometimes morally impermissible.
C) A fetus is a person from the moment of conception.
D) Directly killing an innocent person is always impermissible.

Question 60

What claim does Thomson assume for the sake of argument?

A) A fetus is a person from the moment of conception.
B) Abortion is murder.
C) All fetuses have the right not to be killed.
D) Both a and b

Question 61

When does Thomson think that abortion is morally impermissible?

A) Whenever the life of the mother is not threatened
B) When the woman has given the fetus the right to use her body
C) Any time past the first trimester
D) Never

Question 62

According to Thomson, what is the relationship between the right to life and the right to decide what happens to one's body?

A) The right to life is always more important.
B) The right to decide what happens to one's body is always more important.
C) The two rights never conflict.
D) The right to decide what happens to one's body is often, but not always, more important.

Question 63

Briefly recount Thomson's violinist case. What does Thomson take the case to show? Raise what you take to be the most serious objection to Thomson's treatment of the violinist case. How would Thomson respond to your objection? Ultimately, do you think your objection succeeds? Why or why not?

Question 64

How does Thomson interpret the idea of having a right to life? Does she think that fetuses have a right to life? What implications about abortion does she draw from the notion of a right to life? Do you find her account of what it is to have a right to life compelling?

Question 65

Write an essay discussing whether you think a fetus is a person from the moment of conception. Be sure to address Thomson's comments on this topic. Given your view, what conclusions should we draw about the moral status of abortion?
Warren's "On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion" Multiple Choice Questions

Question 66

According to Warren, abortion is _______ morally permissible.

A) sometimes
B) never
C) always
D) None of the above (Warren does not take a definite position.)

Question 67

According to Warren, the appeal to _______ is a feeble argument for the permissibility of abortion.

A) side effects
B) property rights
C) self-determination
D) bodily autonomy

Question 68

Warren argues that fetuses

A) are not members of the moral community.
B) do not have full and equal moral rights.
C) are not persons.
D) All of the above

Question 69

Warren critiques Thomson's violinist analogy on the grounds that it

A) does not show that abortion is permissible in cases of rape.
B) shows that abortion is permissible in cases of rape.
C) only shows that abortion is permissible in cases of rape.
D) shows that abortion is only permissible in cases of rape.

Question 70

According to Warren, the moral right to obtain an abortion is _______ dependent on the extent to which the woman is responsible for her pregnancy.

A) fully
B) partly
C) not at all
D) None of the above (Warren does not take a definite position.)

Question 71

Warren critiques Noonan's argument that abortion is morally wrong on the grounds that Noonan

A) conflates two distinct senses of the term "human."
B) does not establish that fetuses are human beings in any sense.
C) does not establish that fetuses are human beings in the genetic sense.
D) conflates two distinct senses of the term "person."

Question 72

According to Warren, the moral community consists of all and only

A) members of Homo sapiens.
B) human beings.
C) fetuses.
D) persons.

Question 73

Which of the following is not one of Warren's criteria for personhood?

A) Communication
B) Potentiality
C) Reasoning
D) Consciousness

Question 74

According to Warren, genetic humanity is _______ for personhood.

A) necessary but not sufficient
B) sufficient but not necessary
C) both necessary and sufficient
D) neither necessary nor sufficient

Question 75

According to Warren, the rights of actual persons _______ outweigh the rights of potential persons.

A) never
B) always
C) sometimes
D) None of the above (Warren does not take a definite position.)

Question 76

Discuss the five criteria of personhood identified by Warren. Do you agree that these are the criteria for personhood? Do you agree that fetuses lack all of these traits? Defend your answers and explain their significance for the permissibility of abortion.

Question 77

Warren thinks that to show that abortion is morally permissible, we must show that fetuses lack personhood. Why does she think this? Do you agree with her? Why or why not?

Question 78

Does Warren's argument for the permissibility of abortion have the implication that newborn infants are not persons? If it does not, what are the relevant differences between fetuses and newborn infants? If it does, what significance does this have for the plausibility of Warren's argument? Defend your answers.

Question 79

According to Marquis, standard anti-abortion arguments

A) succeed in establishing that abortion is immoral.
B) rely on a moral principle concerning the wrongness of killing that is too broad in scope.
C) rely on a moral principle concerning the wrongness of killing that is too narrow in scope.
D) entail that it is morally permissible to kill infants.

Question 80

Marquis claims that killing is wrong primarily because it

A) brutalizes the one who kills.
B) causes a great loss to the loved ones of the victim.
C) deprives the victim of a valuable future.
D) ends the life of the victim.