Self-Quiz 4.13: Don Marquis, Why Abortion Is Immoral

According to Marquis, standard anti-abortion arguments

succeed in establishing that abortion is immoral.

rely on a moral principle concerning the wrongness of killing that is too broad in scope.

rely on a moral principle concerning the wrongness of killing that is too narrow in scope.

entail that it is morally permissible to kill infants.

Marquis's account of the wrongness of killing entails that it is wrong to kill

all and only humans.

all humans and some other animals.

some humans and some animals.

all animals.

Marquis admits that his account would be implausible if it could be shown that

the fetus is not a person.

his account entails that contraception is wrong.

the fetus is not a human.

killing is sometimes permissible.

Marquis rejects the claim that one's future is valuable only if one values it because

it cannot account for the fact that a suicidal young person might have a valuable future.

something can be valuable even if it isn't valued by anyone.

one's future might be valuable for other people.

fetuses aren't capable of valuing their futures.

According to Marquis, any plausible account of what makes killing wrong must appeal to the effect it has on

the person killed.

the killer.

those who care about the person killed.

All of the above

What criticism does Marquis make of the standard pro-choice arguments?

They are based on principles that are too narrow in scope.

They are based on principles that are too broad in scope.

They are based on the false assumption that the fetus is not a person.

They assume that choice is always valuable.

Why doesn't Marquis think that his theory entails that contraception is wrong?

Unlike abortion, contraception does not involve killing.

In cases of contraception, there is no identifiable subject of harm.

Sperm and eggs are less sentient than fetuses.

None of the above (Marquis admits that his theory entails that contraception is wrong)

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