Abortion Rights And Wrongs

Innocent Threats

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Deciding whether the embryo/fetus is a person (or has the rights of an adult) is discussed elsewhere. Consider instead the claim that it is always wrong to directly kill innocent people.

  • Suppose someone is falling toward you and will crush and kill you unless you destroy him. Is it wrong to do so?
  • Suppose an innocent person is being used as a shield by someone trying to kill you. Is it wrong to kill the innocent person in order to get to your assailant?
  • Suppose someone who thinks you are a murderer, or someone who is dreaming, or someone who has been hypnotized, tries to kill you. Is it wrong to kill him?
Are these cases of innocent threats? Can a fetus sometimes be such a threat? How can we make our view of all these cases internally consistent?


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