Bodies, selves, and moral responsibilities

Journal/Book: Women Stud Int Forum. 1999; 22: the Boulevard Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford Ox5 1GB, England. Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd. 89-96.

Abstract: In this article, I respond critically to Naomi Wolf's claim that the pro-choice movement has abandoned the moral framework regarding abortion. Proponents of pro-choice and pro-life stances both draw heavily on moral concepts of care, nurture, and choice. I argue that Wolf does not give due consideration to ways in which feminist ethics have expanded notions of morality to integrate the rights and responsibilities of moral selves. I demonstrate this integration through elaborating on Wolf's major contentions about: the importance of language as a moral construct; the range of accountability in decision-making; and the insertion of a specifically spiritual discourse into discussions of bodies and selves.

Note: Article Porter E, Univ Ulster, Dept Sociol, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Londonderry, NORTH IRELAND

Keyword(s): ABORTION; POLITICS; RIGHTS

Zurück | Weiter