A Picture is Not an Argument

May 3, 2022

From The Atlantic:

The argument for abortion, if made honestly, requires many words: It must evoke the recent past, the dire consequences to women of making a very simple medical procedure illegal. The argument against it doesn’t take even a single word. The argument against it is a picture. [“The Dishonesty of the Abortion Debate,” Caitlin Flanagan]

This brings to mind philosopher Leonard Peikoff’s talk, A Picture is Not an Argument.

Roe vs Wade on the Brink: Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer on Abortion Rights in 2021

Dec 30, 2021

Philosophers Onkar Ghate and Ben Bayer have a timely discussion on Roe vs Wade and the right to abortion.

Topics covered include:

• A brief history of abortion jurisprudence since Roe v. Wade;
• Ayn Rand’s view of Roe and her support for abortion rights;
• Why abortion rights are not grounded in a right to privacy;
• Why activities don’t need to be concretely enumerated to be protected by fundamental rights;
• Why we need abstract principles to state fundamental legal principles;
• Why conservative sympathy for the reversal of Lochner v. New York implies a presumption in favor of government power;
• Whether the potential to feel pain is the basis of rights;
• How Roe v. Wade tries to balance competing interests, not to protect rights;
• Why regarding life as sacred from conception is a baseless religious viewpoint;
• Why it’s arbitrary to regard viability as the limit for justifiable abortion;
• Whether religion or judicial philosophy motivates Justice Thomas;
• Whether “individual responsibility” means a woman who chooses to have sex should carry a pregnancy to term;
• The Supreme Court Justices’ unphilosophical approach.

Mentioned in the discussion are Leonard Peikoff’s essay “Abortion Rights Are Pro-Life,” Ben Bayer’s essays “Ayn Rand’s Radical Case for Abortion Rights” and “Science without Philosophy Can’t Resolve Abortion Debate,” and Tom Bowden’s “Justice Holmes and the Empty Constitution.”

Abortion Defenders Are Losing the Moral High Ground

Aug 5, 2018

Philosopher Ben Bayer provides “some observations about why I think even some of the best defenses have not been strong enough and have even conceded ground to their opponents.”

Link: Abortion Defenders Are Losing the Moral High Ground (New Ideal)