By Ronald F. White, Ph.D.

Professor of Philosophy

College of Mount St. Joseph

• Factors influencing Debate• Issues

– Reproductive Assistance– Contraception– Reproductive Control– Abortion

• Moral and Political Beliefs– Extreme Liberal– Extreme Conservative– Moderate

• Social and Political Factors

• Scientific Factors

• Low Tech– Surrogate Motherhood– Artificial Insemination

• Autologous• Heterologous-• Mixed

• High Tech– Hormone Therapy– In Vitro Fertilization

• Donated Gametes (sperm, ova)• Sperm Injection Technique

– Gift (Gamete Intra-fallopian Transfer)– Artificial Uterus– Reproductive Cloning

• Abstinence

• Strategic Abstinence

• Condoms

• Intrauterine Devices

• Birth Control Pills

• The Morning After Pill

• Male Pill?

• Mate Selection• Gamete Selection• Donor Sperm• Donor Ova• Genetic Testing and Screening

– Therapy– Enhancement

• Sex Selection

• Genetic Manipulation

• History• How to Argue About Abortion• Arguments from Personhood• Descriptive Personhood• Normative Personhood

– Status of the Fetus• Strict Potentiality Criterion• Graduated Potentiality Criterion• Actual Possession Criterion

• Rights-Based Arguments– Plugged In Violinist

• Voluntariness and Responsibility• Conflict of Claims• Rape and Incest• Save Life of Mother

– Biological– Social-

• Contraceptive Failure

• Utilitarian Arguments (Consequentialism)• Consequences for

– Fetuses– Women– Men– Society– Zealous Advocacy-Protest

• Morality vs. Politics

• Extreme Liberal (Libertarian)

• Extreme Conservative – Roman Catholic– Communitarian Virtue-Based

• Various Moderate Views– Welfare Liberalism– Utilitarianism

• Libertarian

• Property Rights-”I own my body.”

• Liberty– Self-Regarding Acts– Other-Regarding Acts – Positive Rights– Negative Rights

• Roman Catholic• Life is a Gift From God• Divine Purpose• Natural Law (Natural=Good)• Purpose of Bodily Organs• Sins of the Flesh• Perversion

– Sex for Fun, Masturbation, Pornography, Gay Sex, Anal, Oral, Beastiality, Pedophilia, Pederasty, Necrophilia.

• Fornication– Marriage and Natural Law

• Monogamy• Serial monogamy• Polygamy and polyandry

• Welfare Liberalism

• Utilitarianism