Abortion and Infanticide

Abortion and Infanticide examines the moral status of early human life and the ethics of abortion and infanticide through philosophical analysis. The book presents systematic arguments about personhood, consciousness, and rights. Tooley develops a framework for determining what entities have a right to life, focusing on psychological characteristics rather than biological ones. He challenges traditional views about the moral significance of being human and explores criteria for moral status. The work addresses major objections and competing views through detailed philosophical arguments and thought experiments. Medical ethics, law, and public policy implications receive consideration throughout the analysis. This 1983 text remains influential in bioethics discussions for its rigorous examination of fundamental questions about the beginning of life and moral status. The arguments contribute to ongoing debates about reproductive rights and the ethics of medical care.

Readers note that Tooley presents his arguments methodically and attempts to address the topic through philosophical reasoning rather than emotion. Many acknowledge the book's thorough examination of personhood and consciousness, with several reviewers citing the detailed analysis of what constitutes a "right to life." Liked: - Clear writing style and logical progression - Comprehensive treatment of counter-arguments - Focus on philosophical rather than religious arguments Disliked: - Some found conclusions disturbing or extreme - Technical language can be dense - Length of arguments feels repetitive to some readers Ratings: Goodreads: 3.93/5 (14 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (6 ratings) One philosophy student reviewer wrote: "Tooley's arguments are precise but the implications are unsettling." Another noted: "The book changed how I think about consciousness and rights, even though I disagree with the conclusions." No mainstream book review sites (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly) have published reviews.

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🔸 Published in 1983, this philosophical work was one of the first academic books to seriously examine the moral status of early-term fetuses and newborns together as a unified ethical question. 🔸 Michael Tooley developed his controversial "psychological continuity" theory, arguing that moral personhood requires self-awareness and the capacity to have desires about one's future existence. 🔸 The book helped establish Tooley as a leading figure in bioethics, though he is also known for his work in causation theory and the philosophy of time and space. 🔸 Several major philosophers, including Peter Singer, have cited this work as influential in developing their own positions on the moral status of early human life. 🔸 While primarily a philosophical text, the book incorporates scientific research on fetal and infant neural development to support its ethical arguments about consciousness and personhood.