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Comment
. 2023 Sep;20(3):353-357.
doi: 10.1007/s11673-023-10262-7. Epub 2023 Jun 6.

The Impairment Argument and Future-Like-Ours: A Problematic Dependence

Christopher Bobier  1
Affiliations
Comment

The Impairment Argument and Future-Like-Ours: A Problematic Dependence

Christopher Bobier. J Bioeth Inq. 2023 Sep.

Abstract

In response to criticism of the impairment argument for the immorality of abortion, Bruce Blackshaw and Perry Hendricks appeal to Don Marquis's future-like-ours (FLO) account of the wrongness of killing to explain why knowingly causing fetal impairments is wrong. I argue that wedding the success of the impairment argument to FLO undermines all claims that the impairment argument for the immorality of abortion is novel. Moreover, I argue that relying on FLO when there are alternative explanations for the wrongness of causing FAS begs the question. I conclude, therefore, that the impairment argument remains unsuccessful.

Keywords: Abortion; Fetal harms; Future-like-ours; Impairment.

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References

    1. Blackshaw, B. 2019. The impairment argument for the immorality of abortion: A reply. Bioethics 33(6): 723–724.
    1. ____. 2020. The impairment argument for the immorality of abortion revisited. Bioethics 34(2): 211–213.
    1. ____. 2021. Strengthened impairment argument does not restate Marquis. Journal of Medical Ethics 47(12): 841–842.
    1. ____. 2022. The non-identity problem and the psychological account of personal identity. Philosophia 50(2): 425–436.
    1. Blackshaw, B.P., and P. Hendricks. 2021a. Strengthening the impairment argument against abortion. Journal of Medical Ethics 47(7): 515–518.

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