Steven Landsburg has drawn the wrong conclusion about abortion. The correct verdict delivered by the veil of ignorance thought experiment is that abortion is unjust. Landsburg’s argument relies on two “Rawlsian” tools: the “veil of ignorance” thought experiment and the “hypothetical contracts rule.” I show that a straightforward application of these tools leads to the conclusion that most abortions should be prohibited.
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Nicholas Colgrove is an assistant professor at Augusta University. He is working on projects concerning ethical issues that arise at the beginning of life, particularly regarding unintended intrauterine death and emerging reproductive technologies.
