Infanticide After Abortion
Q&A Radio: Sunday, 12 May 2013, Question 2
I answered a question on infanticide after abortion on Philosophy in Action Radio on 12 May 2013. You can listen to or download the podcast segment below – or check out the whole episode.
Is killing a baby born after an abortion a form of murder? Kermit Gosnell is currently on trial for murder, due to accusations that he killed infants who were delivered in abortions at his clinic. If the facts are as reported, should he be convicted of murder? What should be done when a baby is born alive during an abortion? What are the likely cultural and political implications of this trial?
My Answer, In Brief: According to the testimony at the trial, Kermit Gosnell did not merely perform abortions: he killed born babies, i.e. persons with a right to life. A person who does that is guilty of murder, and he should be prosecuted and punished.
Tags: Abortion, Children, Crime, Ethics, Infanticide, Law, Politics, Pregnancy, Rights
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- Duration: 15:52
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Relevant Links
- The Atlantic: Why Dr. Kermit Gosnell's Trial Should Be a Front-Page Story and 14 Theories for Why Kermit Gosnell's Case Didn't Get More Media Attention by Conor Friedersdorf
- CBS News Coverage of the Kermit Gosnell Trial
- The "Personhood" Movement Is Anti-Life: Why It Matters that Rights Begin at Birth, Not Conception by Ari Armstrong and Diana Hsieh, particularly Rights in Pregnancy
- Abortion Doctor Kermit Gosnell Condemned by Pro-Abortion Rights Groups
- Gallup: Americans' Abortion Views Steady Amid Gosnell Trial
- Philosophy in Action: Criminal Death of a Fetus
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About Philosophy in Action Radio
I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My first book, Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame, is available for purchase in paperback, as well as for Kindle and Nook. The book defends the justice of moral praise and blame of persons using an Aristotelian theory of moral responsibility, thereby refuting Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."
My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.
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