Moral Considerability Morally considerable Obligations regarding or - - PDF document

Moral considerability and Noonan 1 Ethics

Abortion and Moral Considerability

Noonan’s Argument

Moral Considerability

Morally considerable

• Moral standing
• Obligations TO (for its
• wn sake)
• Direct obligation
• Example: other people

are surely morally considerable

Obligations “regarding” or “with respect to”

• Obligation regarding

property is not obligation TO the property but to people

• An indirect obligation
• When others care, we

have obligation regarding, but still not morally considerable

Moral Considerability and Fetus

If fetus is morally considerable, then:

• Obligation TO it for

its own sake

• Not dependent on
• ther people caring

If fetus is not morally considerable, then:

• May still have obligation

regarding fetus because

• thers (e.g., parents) care
• Obligation depends on
• thers.
• Even if others care, still

not morally considerable (by definition)

Moral considerability and Noonan 2 Ethics

Requirement for Moral Considerability?

What are your candidates for moral considerability?

• ________________________________
• ________________________________
• ________________________________
• _______________________________

When Does Fetus Become Fully Morally Considerable? (“Human”)

• Sperm and egg cells
• Conceptus (embryo, “pre-embryo”)
• Implantation
• Brain waves
• Awareness of sensations (e.g., pain and pleasure); capacity

for experience

• Heart beat
• “Quickening”
• Birth
• Self-awareness
• Fully developed rationality

Noonan’s Argument

• It is immoral to harm one’s “fellow man”
• It is immoral to harm one’s fellow man to

the point of killing except in self-defense.

• The fetus is a human, a “fellow man”
• Therefore, it is immoral to kill a fetus

except in self-defense; i.e., when the mother’s life is in danger.

Moral considerability and Noonan 3 Ethics

The Probability Argument

• Not meant to be decisive. Just “buttressing”
• The greatest point of discontinuity in the

probability of the fetus “fully developing”

• Why not “becoming human”?
• E.g., from sperm 1 in 200,000 to 4/5 chance

at conception

Where NOT to Draw Line

• Viability

– What is Noonan’s “reduction to absurdity argument against viability? – How might we criticize it?

• Sentiments of adults

Think about Warren’s (next essays’) view on this exact point.

• Others