Libertarian perspectives on abortion
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Factions Influences Practices Key issues |
- A fetus does not have a right to be in the womb of any woman, but is there by her permission. This permission may be revoked by the woman at any time, because her womb is part of her body. Permissions are not rights. There is no such thing as the right to live inside the body of another, i.e. there is no right to enslave. Contrary to the opinion of anti-abortion activists (falsely called "pro-lifers" as they are against the right to life of the actual human being involved [the mother]) a woman is not a breeding pig owned by the state (or church). Even if a fetus were developed to the point of surviving as an independent being outside the pregnant woman's womb, the fetus would still not have the right to be inside the woman's womb.[1] (http://www.abortionisprolife.com/faq.htm)
Of course, some libertarian thought goes beyond the standard Pro-Choice/Pro-Life debate. The abortion debate consists of multiple questions, including whether or not abortion should be illegal, at what level of government this should be enforced, whether or not there is a constitutional mandate one way or the other, and whether or not the government should fund abortions. The vast majority of libertarians are agreed on the latter question, at least, believing that government should not fund personal activity, especially activity of such a controversial nature. Harry Browne, the U.S. Libertarian Party candidate for President for 1996 and 2000, believes that abortion is wrong, but there is no federal authority to deal with it. Furthermore, Browne has stated his opposition to Roe v. Wade.
Many other libertarians likewise split from conventional positions. For example, some doubt not the authority or morality of goverment to pass laws against abortion, but the effectiveness of such laws. Abortion laws may turn out to be futile in stopping abortion, as drug laws are allegedly futile in stopping drug use. Others fear that an abortion ban would start a "War on Abortion," parallel to the "War on Drugs" and "War on Terror," which many libertarians view as some of the biggest threats to individual liberty.
Many libertarians feel that the abortion issue does not divide them as fiercely as the American mainstream, since libertarians have so much in common taken as a whole. Other libertarians view one's stance on this issue as absolutely vital, and may not see opposing views as holding true to libertarian values.
External link
- Libertarians for Choice (http://www.pro-choicelibertarians.net) Pro-choice libertarian perspective
- Libertarians for Life (http://www.l4l.org) Pro-life libertarian perspective
- I. Individual Rights and Civil Order (http://www.lp.org/issues/platform/womerigh.html) National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Adopted in Convention, May 2004, Atlanta Georgiaeo:Libertarianismaj vidpunktoj pri abortigo