There are different versions of the bodily rights arguments. These arguments concede to the pro-life position that the unborn human is a person just like a human being outside of the womb. One version of this kind of argument says that women have the right to decide what happens inside of their bodies and no one can use their body without their permission. The woman has the right to determine whether the unborn human can receive nourishment from her body. Advocates of this argument claim that unborn humans do not have the inherent right to use a woman's body for life and nourishment.
They will often use this kind of reasoning:
Suppose that you need a kidney transplant in order to survive, and that your mother is the only person in the world who is a physical match, meaning that she is the only person who can provide you with a kidney and hence preserve your life. Do you have a right to your mother’s kidney? No, you do not have the right to use your mother's kidney. In the same way, unborn humans do not have the right to use their mother's body for survival.
My response to this argument is that the purpose of one’s kidney is different from the purpose of one’s uterus. The kidneys exist for the health and proper functioning of the body in whom they reside. In contrast, each month the uterus gets ready for someone else’s body. Unborn humans belong in their mother’s womb. They are supposed to be inside of their mother’s womb. Unborn humans are not like strangers who break into your house. They are not like people who do not belong in your house.
They will often use this kind of reasoning:
Suppose that you need a kidney transplant in order to survive, and that your mother is the only person in the world who is a physical match, meaning that she is the only person who can provide you with a kidney and hence preserve your life. Do you have a right to your mother’s kidney? No, you do not have the right to use your mother's kidney. In the same way, unborn humans do not have the right to use their mother's body for survival.
My response to this argument is that the purpose of one’s kidney is different from the purpose of one’s uterus. The kidneys exist for the health and proper functioning of the body in whom they reside. In contrast, each month the uterus gets ready for someone else’s body. Unborn humans belong in their mother’s womb. They are supposed to be inside of their mother’s womb. Unborn humans are not like strangers who break into your house. They are not like people who do not belong in your house.
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