The Impairment Argument's Coup de Grâce

According to Hendricks Impairment Argument (IA), abortion is immoral because it impairs the fetus. Here, I argue it is not sufficient to show merely that abortion impairs, Hendricks must show that it harms the fetus. If the fetus is not numerically identical to the person it will become, then it isn't harmed by an abortion. But if the fetus is numerically identical to the person it will become, it is harmed by the deprivation of a future of value. However, taking this route ultimately undermines the novelty of the impairment argument.

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Publication Details

Journal
Bioethics
Published
2025-01-10
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.13394
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Theology and Philosophy of Evil
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
17.27
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article

The Impairment Argument's Coup de Grâce

Braylen Samuel
1 citations
Bioethics
Theology and Philosophy of Evil
17.27
article

The Impairment Argument's Coup de Grâce

Braylen Samuel
article en
1 citations

Abstract

According to Hendricks Impairment Argument (IA), abortion is immoral because it impairs the fetus. Here, I argue it is not sufficient to show merely that abortion impairs, Hendricks must show that it harms the fetus. If the fetus is not numerically identical to the person it will become, then it isn't harmed by an abortion. But if the fetus is numerically identical to the person it will become, it is harmed by the deprivation of a future of value. However, taking this route ultimately undermines the novelty of the impairment argument.

BioethicsVol. 39(5)
University of Houston (US)
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Theology and Philosophy of Evil
17.27
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The Impairment Argument's Coup de Grâce — Braylen Samuel · Bioethics (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS