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Laura:

There's a critical discussion of Marquis in Earl Conee's "Metaphysics and
the Morality of Abortion," Mind 108 (October 1999). Also, as I recall, the
Journal of Philosophy published at least two critical responses shortly
after the Marquis piece appeared, one by Norcross in JP 87. I think that
one critical strategy often used against M is a reductio--if Marquis's
argument establishes that embryos face the same kind of grave loss in
losing a future as do   paradigmatic persons, then the same must hold of
the gametes that would, but for contraception (or abstinence?) form the
embryo. But this is absurd, etc... Conee discusses this one at some length.

Best,

Jim

At 09:52 AM 11/6/02 -0500, you wrote:
>Does anybody know of a good response to Marquis's argument against abortion?

James Lindemann Nelson
Professor
Department of Philosophy
503 South Kedzie Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
(517) 353-4614
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