Mary Ann Warren
Encyclopedia
Mary Anne Warren was an American
writer and philosophy professor, noted for her writings on the issue of abortion
.
Her essays have sometimes been required readings in academic courses dealing with the abortion debate
and they are frequently cited in major publications like Peter Singer
's The Moral of the Story: An Anthology of Ethics Through Literature and Bernard Gert
's Bioethics: A Systematic Approach She was sometimes described as a feminist
, largely due to her pro-choice
writings.
Warren also wrote on the implications of sex selection
and about animal treatment
. She was a professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University
for many years.
She stated that these at least some of these are necessary, if not sufficient criteria for personhood. She argued that fetuses don't meet any of these criteria, therefore they cannot be persons (and hence abortion is acceptable).
Essays
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer and philosophy professor, noted for her writings on the issue of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
Her essays have sometimes been required readings in academic courses dealing with the abortion debate
Abortion debate
The abortion debate refers to discussion and controversy surrounding the moral and legal status of abortion. The two main groups involved in the abortion debate are the self-described "pro-choice" movement and the "pro-life" movement...
and they are frequently cited in major publications like Peter Singer
Peter Singer
Peter Albert David Singer is an Australian philosopher who is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne...
's The Moral of the Story: An Anthology of Ethics Through Literature and Bernard Gert
Bernard Gert
Bernard Gert is a moral philosopher known primarily for his work in normative ethics, as well as in medical ethics, especially pertaining to psychology. His work is notable for its emphasis on the greater importance to commonsense morality of avoiding causing evil as opposed to promoting good...
's Bioethics: A Systematic Approach She was sometimes described as a feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, largely due to her pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
writings.
Warren also wrote on the implications of sex selection
Sex selection
Sex selection is the attempt to control the sex of the offspring to achieve a desired sex. It can be accomplished in several ways, both pre- and post-implantation of an embryo, as well as at birth...
and about animal treatment
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
. She was a professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
for many years.
Criteria of Personhood
In response to whether fetuses can be said to be persons, Warren suggested the following criteria:- Consciousness (of objects and events external and/or internal to the being), and in particular the capacity to feel pain;
- Reasoning (the developed capacity to solve new and relatively complex problems);
- Self-motivated activity (activity which is relatively independent of either genetic or direct external control);
- The capacity to communicate, by whatever means, messages of an indefinite variety of types, that is, not just with an indefinite number of possible contents, but on indefinitely many possible topics;
- The presence of self-concepts, and self-awareness, either individual or racial, or both.
She stated that these at least some of these are necessary, if not sufficient criteria for personhood. She argued that fetuses don't meet any of these criteria, therefore they cannot be persons (and hence abortion is acceptable).
Selected publications
Books- Warren, Mary Anne, Gendercide: The Implications of Sex Selection; Rowman & Littlefield PublishersRowman & LittlefieldRowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an independent publishing house founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books and journals for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns a book distributor, National Book Network...
(1985) ISBN 978-0847673308 - Warren, Mary Anne, Moral Status - Obligations to Persons and Other Living Things ; Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
(2000) ISBN 978-0198250401
Essays
- Warren, Mary Anne, On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion. Monist 57:1 : 43-61. Reprinted in Mappes and DeGrazia 2001: 456-463, (1973)
- Warren, Mary Anne, Do Potential People Have Moral Rights? In R Sikora and B Barry, eds. Obligations to Future Generations. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press,: 14-30, (1978)
- Warren, Mary Anne, Postscript on Infanticide. Reprinted in Mappes and DeGrazia 2001: 461-463, (1982)
- Warren, Mary Anne, "The Moral Difference Between Infanticide and Abortion: A Response to Robert Card" . Bioethics, Vol. 14, pp. 352-359 (October 2000)
- Warren, Mary Anne, "The Nature of Woman: an encyclopedia and guide to the literature"; EdgePress (1980)