Abortion & Unborn Human Life

By Patrick Lee

Book Overview

Is it ever morally right to procure an abortion, to help procure one, or to perform one? Patrick Lee surveys the main philosophical arguments in favor of the moral permissibility of abortion and refutes them point by point. In a calm and philosophically sophisticated manner, he presents a powerful case for the pro-life position and a serious challenge to all of the main philosophical arguments on behalf of the pro-choice position. Lee's method is strictly philosophical, with special attention given to authors in the broadly analytical school of thought. He contends that what is killed in abortion is indeed an individual human being. Attempts to argue otherwise are carefully presented and criticized, as are other attempts to justify abortion morally. Since 1996 when the first edition of Abortion and Unborn Human Life appeared, the debate about the morality of abortion has not subsided. From the standpoint of philosophy many issues have become clearer. Accordingly, Patrick Lee confirms his position that unborn human beings have an equal and inherent dignity and are subjects of basic rights from the moment of fertilization. In this second edition, Lee provides significant updates in view of recent developments. Among the developments have been an added precision required for the argument against the gradualist position, the position that a human being only gradually comes to be; significant developments in embryology strengthening the case that at fertilization a new human individual comes to be; and further refinements to the argument that some abortions are non-intentional killing. Lee argues that what is at stake in this debate about how to treat unborn human beings is whether we will or will not recognize the fundamental equal dignity possessed by every human being, simply by virtue of being the kind of being he or she is. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patrick Lee holds the John N. and Jamie D. McAleer Chair of Bioethics and is the director of the Institute of Bioethics at Franciscan University Steubenville. He is known nationally as a keynote speaker and author of contemporary ethics, especially on controversies regarding human life and marriage. Lee is the coauthor of Body-Self Dualism in Contemporary Ethics and Politics, and the author of numerous published articles. PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION: "Readers looking for a succinct and narrowly defined philosophical argument against abortion will find this book appealing. It is useful as a review of the past several decades of philosophical debate on abortion, and it may help readers understand how lines get drawn in such philosophical debate."-- Booklist "A very good book on the abortion question. Lee's methods are rigorous and exact, his writing accessibly clear. This book is, therefore, an especially welcome contribution to a field of enquiry in which these two qualities are rarely found in combination."--Kevin L. Flannery, S.J., Gregorianum

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 081321730X
• ISBN13: 9780813217307
• Release Date: May 2010
• Publisher: Catholic University of America Press
• Length: 177 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Top Tier

As someone in the process of writing a Ph.D. in bioethics, allow me to say that this is essential reading. Not only has Patrick Lee written a great introduction to natural law thinking, he may also have written the single best pro-life book in print today. Lucid, concise, and logical, I think of this work as a standard that my thinking should be modeled after and should measure up to. I encourage all Christian philosophy students to get a copy and keep careful notes. Also, be sure to check out other writers from the same school, namely, Robert P George and John Finnis.

Outstanding

I have read a number of books on the abortion issue (both pro/con), and this is certainly one of the best philosophical defenses of the pro-life position. Be warned: if you're looking for partisan ranting or emotional appeals--i.e. abortion is wrong because liberals are evil people, or because God said so, or because babies are cute--this is not that book. Purely philosophical. Well thought out, well written. Anyone wishing to discuss this issue beyond simple slogans should read this book. Highly recommended.

A philosophical weapon for the cause of life

Finally, an absolute masterpiece of scholarship that sets us free from the political and philosophical rubbish of the past 3 decades. Lee gives us a pristine work of philosphical investigation and explanation. For those of us who are already Pro-Life, this book gives us a superb weapon in the fight against the culture of death that is America today. For the Pro-Murder (aka Pro-Choice) agenda, this book effectively refutes all their claims without appealing to religion or theology for support. As a student of Lee's, I have had the privilege of his philosophical expertise on a one-on-one basis and this book brings his sound insights to the rest of the world. Buy this book and read it today!

thorough defense of the pro-life position

Dr Lee offers devastating criticism of the pro-choice position on abortion. The reviewer below is a sad and tragic example of the poor argumentation that is offered for being pro-choice. While acknowledging that the unborn is a human person, still she calls this person a "parasite", the same chilling term the Nazi propaganda film "The Eternal Jew" used to describe the Jewish population. One can only wonder how well this reviewer below read Dr. Lee's book, as he discusses abortion in the context of the life of the mother and sees it as justifiable in a sense of non-intentional taking of life based on a principle of double effect. Additionally, Dr Lee's points would do well to show these sorts of arguments below could be also used to justify infanticide, as all children rely on their parents bodies for "life-support" whether it be through breast feeding, the administering of medicine, etc. Child support laws force parents to make use of their bodies (like go to work and pay money) in ways the dead beat parent may not wish.Dr Lee does a fine job here of not only refuting this sort of emotional "run of the mill" argument below, but also the more sophisticated philosophical and scientific points brought forward by the pro-choice crowd. Included is a critique of the moral theory known as "consequentialism", a rebuttal of the famous "violinist argument", and a host of other very useful information. This is one of the top books on the market regarding presenting a persuasive rational argument for the prolife view.

An excellent defense of the pro-life position.

"Abortion and Unborn Human Life" is quite simply one of the best philosophical defenses of the pro-life position. The book is impressive in its clarity, its complete avoidance of emotional rhetoric, and Lee's willingness to address the most sophisticated pro-choice arguments.Lee's book will be welcomed mainly by those who are interested in the _philosophical_ issues behind the abortion debate. There are no slogans, no sound-bites, no pictures of thumb-sucking foetuses here -- merely calm, rational argumentation. This is a refreshing change, and it is precisely what the abortion debate generally lacks. As a pro-choicer, I do think Lee's arguments are flawed. His arguments in favour of foetal personhood are particularly tendentious. Nevertheless, the book presents a formidable challenge to the pro-choice position, and interested parties owe it to themselves to read it.