Consider the contrast between these comments and the abortion debate in the US. I think the essence of the latter is a disagreement about the absolute and relative moral statuses of and rights due to fully grown humans and potential people. I expect it would continue to exist even if everyone agreed on the pertinent biological and medical facts of the matter.
I doubt that this is a descriptively accurate characterization of the debate. I’m guessing a majority of the most committed pro-life activists aren’t motivated by a concern for potential people; they actually believe a foetus is a person, not just potentially a person. A number of Christian denominations preach that ensoulment occurs at conception, and that personhood (in the moral sense) is associated with ensoulment. If everyone agreed on the pertinent biological facts—one of which is that there is no such thing as a soul—this justification would no longer work.
I’m guessing a majority of the most committed pro-life activists aren’t motivated by a concern for potential people; they actually believe a foetus is a person, not just potentially a person.
Thanks for catching this. The words “person” and “potential person” were just intended to be labels, but I ended up unintentionally sneaking in connotations. Let’s imagine that in my counterfactual situation no one is doing that either intentionally or unintentionally.
one [pertinent biological fact] is that there is no such thing as a soul
I don’t disagree, but I do think religious people might claim something similar to, “even though the soul is not a physical thing, it still exists in the sight of God”.
Yes. If they thought the utility gained by making potential persons into actual ones, was greater than the negative utility to women who become unwilling mothers (would abort if they could), then they would support forcing all women to be constantly pregnant.
I doubt that this is a descriptively accurate characterization of the debate. I’m guessing a majority of the most committed pro-life activists aren’t motivated by a concern for potential people; they actually believe a foetus is a person, not just potentially a person. A number of Christian denominations preach that ensoulment occurs at conception, and that personhood (in the moral sense) is associated with ensoulment. If everyone agreed on the pertinent biological facts—one of which is that there is no such thing as a soul—this justification would no longer work.
Thanks for catching this. The words “person” and “potential person” were just intended to be labels, but I ended up unintentionally sneaking in connotations. Let’s imagine that in my counterfactual situation no one is doing that either intentionally or unintentionally.
I don’t disagree, but I do think religious people might claim something similar to, “even though the soul is not a physical thing, it still exists in the sight of God”.
Yes. If they thought the utility gained by making potential persons into actual ones, was greater than the negative utility to women who become unwilling mothers (would abort if they could), then they would support forcing all women to be constantly pregnant.
They’re deontologists—it’s a mistake to attempt to predict their ethical reasoning using consequentialist or utilitarian terms.