Description: This book features opening arguments followed by two rounds of reply between two moral philosophers on opposing sides of the abortion debate. In the opening essays, Kate Greasley and Christopher Kaczor lay out what they take to be the best case for and against abortion rights. In the ensuing dialogue, they engage with each other's arguments and each responds to criticisms fielded by the other. Their conversational argument explores such fundamental questions as: what gives a person the right to life? Is abortion bad for women? What is the difference between abortion and infanticide? Underpinned by philosophical reasoning and methodology, this book provides opposing and clearly structured perspectives on a highly emotive and controversial issue. The result gives readers a window into how moral philosophers argue about the contentious issue of abortion rights, and an in-depth analysis of the compelling arguments on both sides.
Brief description: Christopher Kaczor is Professor of Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University, California. His publications include A Defense of Dignity (2013) and The Ethics of Abortion (2nd edition, 2015).
Review Quotes: 'This book is the cure for arguments all too often relying upon ad hominem attacks, false premises, bad data and incompleteness. It is also necessary preparation for intelligently grappling with the complex set of arguments about abortion accumulated over more than half a century.' Helen Alvaré, George Mason University, Virginia