Blessed are the peacemakers: commentary on making peace in gestational conflicts.
The purpose of this commentary on James Nelson's article [1] is to advocate introducing the ethics of care into the arena of gestational conflict. Too often the debate gets stalled in a maternal versus fetal rights headlock. Interventionists stress fetal over maternal rights: they believe education, post-birth prosecution or pre-birth seizure of pregnant women may be permissible. In contrast to interventionists, other philosophers stress that favoring fetal rights treats women like 'fetal containers'. I question whether we should really consider issues of moral/parental obligations to children in terms of rights. Rather, the language of care should guide moral conduct vis-a-vis children/fetuses. The particularity of each woman's story--the particulars of her human relationships--inform her story. An individual's ability to care is largely a function of whether community cares for her. We must care for others to enable them to care for themselves and their loved ones--born or unborn.
Tong
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R
Department of Philosophy, Davidson College, NC 28036.
D004989:Ethics; D005260:Female; D005610:Freedom; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D033261:Maternal-Fetal Relations; D028681:Moral Obligations; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations