Philosophers' Café: Abortion and Human Equality

The Philosophers' Café is a public forum in which community members discuss interesting contemporary issues in a relaxed and informal setting.

Our next meeting is September 17, 7pm, at Brewery Nonic. The topic is "Abortion and Human Equality" and will be moderated by Dr. Alexander Bozzo (Philosophy, UW-Stout). Here is the abstract:

"Few moral issues are as hotly contested as abortion. But what are the main arguments for and against it? In this Café we will discuss some of the these arguments (and the fanciful thought experiments associated with them!). In particular, we will discuss a recent argument put forward by opponents of abortion: "the moral equality argument." According to this argument, differences in intellectual ability, mental capacity, physical strength, race, sex, and so on, are irrelevant to whether human beings have equal moral rights. But what then grounds this equality? According to this line of argument, the only plausible ground is our common humanity. But, since fetuses are humans, doesn't this imply that fetuses too are moral equals, and thus have a right to life?"

Join us for some fun discussion! Everyone is welcome!

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