Meeting the Epicurean Challenge: A Reply to Christensen
Journal article
Blackshaw, B and Rodger, D (2019). Meeting the Epicurean Challenge: A Reply to Christensen. Journal of Medical Ethics. 45, pp. 478-479. https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2018-105267
Authors | Blackshaw, B and Rodger, D |
---|---|
Abstract | In ‘Abortion and deprivation: a reply to Marquis’, Anna Christensen contends that Don Marquis’ influential ‘future like ours’ argument for the immorality of abortion faces a significant challenge from the Epicurean claim that human beings cannot be harmed by their death. If deprivation requires a subject, then abortion cannot deprive a fetus of a future of value, as no individual exists to be deprived once death has occurred. However, the Epicurean account also implies that the wrongness of murder is also not grounded in the badness of death, which is strongly counterintuitive. There is an alternative: we can save our intuitions by adopting a more moderate Epicurean account such as that proposed by David Hershenov, who grounds the wrongness of killing in the prevention of the benefit of further good life rather than in the badness of death. Hershenov’s account, however, is equally applicable to Marquis’ argument: abortion similarly prevents a fetus from enjoying the benefit of a future like ours. Consequently, we conclude that Christensen’s criticism of Marquis’ argument fails to undermine his reasoning. |
Keywords | Death; Epicureanism |
Year | 2019 |
Journal | Journal of Medical Ethics |
Journal citation | 45, pp. 478-479 |
Publisher | BMJ |
ISSN | 1473-4257 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2018-105267 |
Web address (URL) | https://jme.bmj.com/content/45/7/478 |
Publication dates | |
16 Feb 2019 | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 01 Feb 2019 |
Accepted | 31 Jan 2019 |
Accepted author manuscript | License File Access Level Open |
https://openresearch.lsbu.ac.uk/item/86798
Download files
Accepted author manuscript
MEETING THE EPICUREAN CHALLENGE_ A REPLY TO CHRISTENSEN.docx | ||
License: CC BY 4.0 | ||
File access level: Open |
133
total views161
total downloads0
views this month0
downloads this month