4.1: “Question-Begging” Arguments
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Many common arguments about abortion are what’s called “question-begging,” which means the reason given for the conclusion assumes that conclusion. This means that you wouldn’t accept the reason as a good reason to believe the conclusion unless you already believed that conclusion. This is circular reasoning, and so arguments like this are always bad.
“Against” Abortion
Many common arguments against abortion are question begging. Here are some:
Abortion—killing fetuses to end pregnancies—is wrong because:
- abortion is murder;
- abortion is killing babies or children;
- adoption is a better option than abortion;
- pregnant women just must keep the pregnancy and give birth;
- abortion should not be used as ‘birth control’;
- women who have abortions are irresponsible;
- a good person wouldn’t have an abortion;
- some women who have abortions feel guilty, and all should.
These often-heard claims all assume that abortion is wrong. To explain:
- (1) assumes that killing fetuses is wrong, since “murder” means wrongful killing;
- (2) assumes that fetuses are like babies and children and so are similarly wrong to kill;
- (3) assumes that abortion is a worse or bad option, since it assumes it is wrong;
- (4) assumes that women must not have abortions since it assumes abortions are wrong;
- (5) assumes that abortion is wrong: if abortion is not wrong, it could permissibly be used as a form of “birth control,” even if is not an ideal form of that;
- (6) assumes that women who have abortions are doing what they are not supposed to do, doing wrong, and so are “irresponsible”;
- (7) assumes that abortion is wrong and so good people, who avoid wrongdoing, wouldn’t have one;
- (8) assumes that abortion is wrong and so assumes that some women feel guilty because they have done something wrong: but since people can feel guilty even if they haven’t done anything wrong, guilty feelings aren’t perfect evidence of wrongdoing (just as not feeling guilty doesn’t mean you did something that was permissible).
People would believe these claims only if they already believed abortion is wrong, so these claims should not sway anyone who wants to think critically about the topic.
“For” Abortion
People who believe abortion should be allowed also sometimes give question-begging arguments. Here are a few:
Abortion is not wrong because:
- abortion is a personal choice; couples should be able to make that choice;
- women have a (moral) right to have abortions;
- women have the right to do what they want with their bodies;
- well, if you don’t like abortions, then don’t have one!
- those who oppose abortions just want to control women.
These commonly-given claims likewise assume their conclusions. To explain:
- the idea of a “personal choice” seems to be a choice that’s not wrong to make: e.g., we wouldn’t call a choice to be an ax-murderer a “personal choice” because that’s wrong, whereas what color socks to wear is a “personal choice.” So claims like (1) seem to just assume that abortion is not wrong or that it should be legal;
- when people say that they have a moral right to do something, sometimes they are merely saying that it’s not wrong for them to do it. So (2) amounts to saying that abortion is not wrong because it’s not wrong, which is question-begging. (If it’s explained why women have this right, the argument might cease to be question-begging, however);
- about (3), there are limits to rights, and sometimes we don’t have the legal or moral right to do what’s wrong. If abortion were wrong, then perhaps women wouldn’t have the right to have them, and this claim just assumes abortions are not wrong;
- about (4), consider an analogous slogan, “Don’t like arson? Then don’t burn down any buildings!” This is absurd, because arson is wrong, and we don’t offer slogans like this about actions that are wrong. “Don’t like strawberries? Then don’t eat them!” makes sense since not eating strawberries is not wrong. Slogan (4) assumes that abortion is not wrong;
- about (5), since some wrongdoing should be “controlled,” those who offer (5) might merely assume that abortion is not a type of wrongdoing that should be illegal. They are also focusing on other people’s motives, which is often unwise: people who allegedly wish to “control” women might respond or suspect that abortion advocates are often motivated by a desire to “engage in immorality without consequences!” (Is that true? No, pro-choice advocates argue.) Accusations about motives are fruitless: it’s better to engage the basic questions of whether abortion is wrong or not and why, like we are doing here, instead of speculating about motives.
Question-begging arguments are common, on many issues, not just abortion, and they should be rejected, by everyone, always.