With recognition has come criticism, of varying quality. She wants to explore how virtue ethics might direct one to think about abortion in. On the moral and legal status of abortion, mary anne warren. Rosalind hursthouse virtue theory and abortion dead. What can contemporary virtue ethics say about the problem of abortion. An acon is right iff it follows a rule that is part of an ideal moral code. Hursthouses virtue ethics and abortion springerlink. Virtue ethics is perhaps the most important development within late twentiethcentury moral philosophy. Rosalind hursthouses justly famous virtue theory and abortion is a. Hursthouse thinks that this framing of the issues can be limited and myopic. For utilitarianism, there is a link between right action and consequences, and then between. Hursthouses book is a modern classic that provides a definitive statement of neoaristotelian naturalism. Rosalinda hursthouse virtue theory and abortion critical. Jason berke the morality of abortion through the lens of kantian ethics and utilitarianism duration.
Hursthouses theory lets now take a brief look at rosalind hursthouses virtue ethics, as its fairly typical. I begin by outlining virtue ethics in comparison to the two other dominant approaches in normative ethics. Assessment in the excerpt virtue theory and abortion, rosalind hursthouse presents the following argument for the moral acceptance of abortion. It is motivated by hursthouses puzzling claim in her.
As such, my references are to the ordinal page number of the typeset electronic pdf file. The sort of ethical theory derived from aristotle, variously described as virtue ethics, virtuebased ethics. I should point out that, like hursthouse, i am not trying to solve the problem of abortion. Rosalind hursthouses justly famous virtue theory and abortion is a touchstone in this field, to which along with her book beginning lives we will need to return at some length in what follows. Rosalind hursthouse virtue theory and abortion the sort of ethical theory derived from aristotle, variously described as virtue ethics, virtue based ethics, or neoaristotelianism, is becoming better known, and is now quite widely recognized as at least a possible rival to deontological and utilitarian theories. Critical assessment in the excerpt virtue theory and abortion, rosalind hursthouse presents the following argument for the moral acceptance of abortion. What is the major criticism of virtue ethics that hursthouse identifies. Relatively brief discussions of this paper which are integrated into analyses of other virtue theorists views of abortion and related issues are found in john hackerwright, 2007, pp.
Some critical reflections on abortion and virtue theory springerlink. Must moral theories give guidance for acon that any reasonably clever adolescent could. Hursthouse s virtue ethics takes as central the conception of a human being who possesses all ethical virtues of character and no vices or defects of characterhumanbeingratherthanpersonbecausetherelevantcharactertraitsarenaturaltothespecies. If i follow hursthouse thus far, the practice of virtue in accordance with ones wisdom on various situations will perhaps lead to overall wellbeing, or, for some a sense of flourishing.
Rosalinda hursthouse virtue theory and abortion critical assessment. Mary rosalind hursthouse born 10 november is a britishborn new zealand moral philosopher noted for her work on virtue ethics. An ethical theory should be able to guide action, to tell us what we ought to do given our particular circumstances. Hursthouse herself wrote on abortion see virtue theory and abortion 1991, and though she may be against talking about the more general cases i. Pdf virtue theory and abortion a boat without a compass. He asserts that the debate should focus on if it is wrong to kill an innocent human being instead of arguing whether a fetus is or is not an innocent human being. View notes hursthouse from phl 292 at university of alabama. Hursthouse, virtue theory and abortion part 2 youtube. These are my notes from the reading, rather than a summary. Virtue theory and abortion essay example topics and well.
How does hursthouse defend virtue ethics from this criticism. Hursthouse, virtue theory and abortion part 2 christina hendricks. Virtue ethics is a type of ethical theory in which the. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The sort of ethical theory derived from aristotle, variously described as virtue ethics, virtuebased ethics, or neoaristotelianism, is becoming better known, and is. Virtue ethics does not tell us what we should do from 1. Some strengths of the book include a careful elaboration of what means to act as the virtuous person would act in a way that shows how virtue ethics captures much that is plausible in kantian and utilitarian accounts while avoiding their shortcomings, illustrating how virtue ethics can. The sort of ethical theory derived from aristotle, variously described as virtue ethics. This essay explicates and evaluates the roles that fetal metaphysics and moral status play in rosalind hursthouses abortion ethics. Arational actions in the journal of philosophy, vol.
Virtue theory and abortion by rosalind hursthouse robyn waller phl 292 fall 2014 previous discussion of abortion the morality of. I feel if we could have a discussion of abortion on a mainstream scale it would improve things. Hursthouse, virtue theory and abortion 1991 ubc blogs. Rosalind hursthouse general defense of virtue theoryethics application of virtue to the issue of abortion slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Virtue theory says there is no answer to abortion rather there is a variety of popular answers main focuses debated on abortion. Some critical reflections on abortion and virtue theory. Rosalind hursthouse, 17 at the time, knew immediately that she wanted to study philosophy, too, and enrolled the next year. Mary rosalind hursthouse born 10 november 1943 is a britishborn new zealand moral philosopher noted for her work on virtue ethics. Hursthouse, who was mentored by elizabeth anscombe and philippa footis best known as a virtue ethicist. This chapter will expound and critique rosalind hursthouses famous article abortion and virtue theory. Virtue theory and abortion in philosophy and public affairs, vol. The introduction to the theory involves an explanation of and then contrast with deontological and utilitarian theories. Applying virtue ethics to our treatment of the other animals.
For hursthouse, a virtue is a rather complex thing. After all, it basically just amounts to thinking about what to do using the virtue and vice terms. In having an abortion in these circumstances, would the agent acting virtuously or viciously or neither. Rosalind hursthouse virtue theory and abortion the sort of ethical theory derived from aristotle, variously described as virtue ethics, virtuebased ethics, or neoaristotelianism, is becoming better known, and is now quite widely recognized as at least a possible rival to deontological and utilitarian theories. Hursthouse illustrates in her discussion of abortion how such. Hursthouse herself wrote on abortion see virtue theory and abortion 1991, and though she may be against talking about the more general cases i so think its important to consider particular cases. Rosalind hursthouse is a proponent of virtue ethics. I then consider what some important virtue ethicists have said about abortion, especially the work of rosalind hursthouse. Rosalind hursthouse, gavin lawrence, warren quinn, oup, 1995. Hursthouse, rosalind 1991, virtue theory and abortion. In this paper i aim to go some way towards developing a version of virtue theory that satisfies four constraints that applied ethics places upon moral theory, namely that it should. Abortion abortion is the intentional termination of a pregnancy. When rosalind hursthouse begins to address abortion in the second.
After recognizing the many contributions her analysis offers, i. Virtue theory and abortion essay example topics and. Reviewed by gilbert harman, department of philosophy, princeton univer sity. On virtue ethics by rosalind hursthouse, 1999 online. It is motivated by hursthouses puzzling claim in her widely anthologized paper virtue ethics and abortion that fetal moral status and by implication its underlying metaphysics are in a way, fundamentally irrelevant to her position.
For utilitarianism, there is a link between right action and. Singer suggests that the argument of abortion has missed the point. Start studying rosalind hursthouse virtue theory and abortion. As explained by hursthouse 225, the theory of utilitarianism considers an action to be right if it can provide the best consequence to the. For kantian ethics deontological theory, there is a link between right action and moral rules, and then. For example, the virtue of honesty is not just a disposition to do honest thingsto tell the truth, to avoid cheating etc. Opinion i agree with hursthouse that since pregnancy is unlike any other condition, that viewing it in callous terms is not the way to go about discussing abortion. The prochoice arguments of when personhood begins are vague and, therefore, cannot provide a concrete moment of when personhood starts. Download citation hursthouses virtue ethics and abortion. For kantian ethics deontological theory, there is a link between right action and moral rules, and then between moral rules and rationality.
What features do you think an adequate normative theory should have. My goal here is to consider what contemporary virtue ethics can say about the problem of abortion. Hursthouses aim in this essay is to defend virtue ethics against the following objection phrased as an argument. This chapter will expound and critique rosalind hursthouse s famous article abortion and virtue theory. Virtue theory and abortion rosalind hursthouse free essays. Abortion and virtue ethics ust research online university of st. Rosalind hursthouse, who has made notable contributions to this development, now presents a full exposition and defence of her neoaristotelian version of virtue ethics. Its important i think that you either read her book in full before moving on to other books, or somehow get the main content of the book from good secondary sources.
Despite being widely anthologized, virtue theory and abortion has received little scrutiny in print. Applying virtue ethics in virtues and reasons, festschrift for philippa foot, eds. Rosalind hursthouse virtue and abortion philosophical. In ii will describe how hursthouse sets out what she. Abortion ethics without metaphysics it is motivated by hursthouses puzzling claim in her widely anthologized paper virtue ethics and abortion that. Rosalind hursthouse applying virtue ethics to our treatment of the other animals applying virtue ethics to moral issues should be straightforward. Rosalind hursthouse, virtue theory and abortion, philosophy and public affairs 20, no. Rosalind hursthouse, in her essay virtue theory and abortion, puts forth her theory of virtue by first introducing the mechanics of the theory and then applying it to the particular moral controversy of abortion. Hursthouses virtue ethics takes as central the conception of a human be ing who possesses all ethical virtues of character and no vices or defects of characterhumanbeingratherthanpersonbecausetherelevantchar. A fertilized egg is a zygote, then an embryo up to 8 weeks, then a fetus. Virtue theory and abortion essay medicine and health.
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