Date: 	Wed, 2 Sep 1998 14:05:32 PDT
From: ken <kenneth.mackendrick-AT-utoronto.ca>
Subject: Re: HAB: abortion as moral issue


On Wed, 2 Sep 1998 11:52:03 -0400 Mathieu Deflem wrote:

> If we accept that "the" abortion question is inextricably 
linked to ethics, the  moral issue on abortion cannot, I believe, 
concern the abortion decision but a  respect for others' 
viewpoints on abortion, whatever they are.

We're not talking about respect here though.  The abortion 
issue concerns health, welfare, life, death, and touches every 
single aspect of a persons moral consciousness.  Respect is 
fine enough, as is tolerance, but public funding, medical care, 
criminal justice, child care, and support networks are all part 
of this debate.  Respect might create the possibility of 
argumentation - but in the mean time what is to be done?  
There are people on both sides but the debate circles around 
fundamental contradictions of opinion - contradictions which 
cannot, under any possible circumstances, be resolved.
 
> Perhaps we ought to think about not whether we can defend 
abortion to be  legal/morally acceptable of not, but how to 
accept one anothers' viewpoints.

I have a real problem respecting something I find totally 
repulsive (ie. the so-called pro-life arguments) - which I find 
completely anti-humanist.  Most of the anti-abortion 
perspectives I've read about are, pure and simple, remixed 
forms of religious ideology.  I don't have a problem arguing 
with people I disagree with - but I regard the anti-abortion laws 
sickening and cruel.

Noam Chomsky noted once that someone who denies that the 
holocaust occurred has already stepped outside of the realm 
of humanity... his point is well taken although surely 
exaggerated.  In many of these instances strategic actions are 
the only available option - simply because people cannot be 
'forced' into debate and then 'forced' to be reasonable.  
Habermas might be correct to say that good reasons must 
guide decisions which are to be rational - but, in this case, 
reason is nowhere to be found (ie. I'm not claiming rationality 
for my position although I have reasons).

ken




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