Understanding Abortion (eBook)

Stephen D. Schwarz is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Rhode Island, where he started teaching in 1963. He continues teaching on a part-time basis, including ethics and the philosophy of the human person. The present book developed from lectures and discussions on abortion in his ethics classes over the last 30 years or so. He studied philosophy at Fordham University under Dietrich von Hildebrand and Balduin Schwarz, his father. He received his BA and MA at Fordham and his Ph. D. at Harvard and he is the author of The Moral Question of Abortion (Chicago: Loyola Press, 1990).Kiki Latimer collaborated with Stephen Schwarz in the production of this book. She wrote the opening section, “Oh my God, I’m pregnant.” She has served as his teaching assistant in ethics and other classes over the last 25 years. She received her BA in speech communication and psychology, with a minor in philosophy from the University of Rhode Island; she graduated Summa cum Laude. She served as executive director at Woman-to-Woman, a pregnancy advising agency for 20 years. She is the author of three children’s books: Islands of Hope (Coconut Creek, FL: Educa Vision, Inc., 2009), The WaterFireDuck (Coconut Creek, FL: Educa Vision, Inc., 2009), Bubble Butt! (Coconut Creek, FL: Educa Vision, Inc., 2010) www.kikilatimer.com

Chapter 1: IntroductionPart I. The Pro-Choice Moral PositionChapter 2: The Feminist Quality of Life ArgumentChapter 3: The General Quality of Life ArgumentChapter 4: The Not-a-Person ArgumentChapter 5: the No-Duty-to-Sustain ArgumentPart II. The Pro-Life Moral PositionChapter 6: The Reality of the Child in the WombChapter 7: Abortion Means Killing this ChildChapter 8: Abortion Causes Pain to the ChildChapter 9: The Dignity of the Human PersonPart III. Further Moral ConsiderationsChapter 10: Some Pro-Choice Replies to Pro-Life ClaimsChapter 11: When does a Person Begin to Exist?Chapter 12: Other ApproachesChapter 13: What Should We Do if We are in Doubt?Part IV. The Legal QuestionChapter 14: The Legal Status: Pro-Choice and Pro-LifeChapter 15: The Role of GovernmentChapter 16: Other Significant Legal AspectsChapter 17: The Hard Cases: Rape, Life of the Woman, Severe DeformitiesPart V. Concluding TopicsChapter 18: Safety IssuesChapter 19: Going Beyond Abortion: The Unity WayChapter 20: Ultimate IssuesAbout the Authors