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utsfl:classroom:seminars:pba305y [2016/10/14 09:10] – balleyneutsfl:classroom:seminars:pba305y [2016/10/15 14:07] – new introduction and skeleton outline balleyne
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-====== PBA305H: Sentience, Cortical Brain Activity, etc. -- Functionalism ======+====== PBA305H: Peter Singer: Speciesism and Functionalism ====== 
 +There are four main ways in which abortion advocates will argue: 
 +  - Abortion can be justifiable due to the circumstances of a crisis pregnancy 
 +  - Abortion is justifiable because the pre-born are not human 
 +  - Abortion is justifiable because the pre-born are not persons 
 +  - Abortion is justifiable even if the pre-born are persons, because of bodily autonomy 
 +   
 +Peter Singer's influential defence of abortion argues that (1) it doesn't matter if the pre-born are human, because species membership is not relevant for moral consideration, and (2) even though the pre-born are human, they are not persons((http://www.utilitarianism.net/singer/by/1995----03.htm)), and therefore don't have moral status. 
 + 
 +He argues that the moral question for abortion should be based on a utilitarian calculation which compares the preferences of a woman against the preferences of the fetus -- and does not consider a fetus or newborn of having many, if any, serious interests.(([[wp>Peter_Singer#Abortion.2C_euthanasia_and_infanticide|Peter Singer on Abortion]])) He agrees with pro-lifers that birth is not relevant, so he bites the bullet and says that infanticide isn't intrinsically wrong either -- the same argument used against the sanctity of pre-born human life applies against the sanctity of newborn human life. 
 + 
 +===== Background ===== 
 +==== Preference Utilitarianism ==== 
 +FIXME 
 +==== Rejecting Other Pro-Choice Arguments ==== 
 +FIXME 
 +===== Speciesism ===== 
 +FIXME 
 +===== Functionalism ===== 
 +FIXME 
 +===== Old Notes =====
 FIXME Refactor this in terms of two core components to the argument: (1) speciesism, (2) personhood (self-awareness, etc. Kaczor 30-35) FIXME Refactor this in terms of two core components to the argument: (1) speciesism, (2) personhood (self-awareness, etc. Kaczor 30-35)
 FIXME David Boonin's functionalism, separate seminar? FIXME David Boonin's functionalism, separate seminar?
  
-Most abortion advocates deny the humanity of the pre-born to justify abortion. Peter Singer instead argues that it can be justifiable to kill innocent pre-born (or newborn) human beings because they are not persons((http://www.utilitarianism.net/singer/by/1995----03.htm)), and because he doesn't consider membership in a species to be morally relevant (comparing speciesism to racism or sexism). He argues that the moral question for abortion should be based on a utilitarian calculation which compares the preferences of a woman against the preferences of the fetus -- and does not consider a fetus or newborn of having many serious interests.(([[wp>Peter_Singer#Abortion.2C_euthanasia_and_infanticide|Peter Singer on Abortion]])) He agrees with pro-lifers that birth is not relevant, so he bites the bullet and says that infanticide isn't intrinsically wrong either -- the same argument used against the sanctity of pre-born human life applies against the sanctity of newborn human life.