Libertarianism, Abortion, and Fetal Self-Ownership (2 of 2)
Conflict on the issue of abortion exists and is escalating, because of one thing: compromise.
Both sides compromise rights. Pro-lifers compromise women’s rights in favor of the fetus. Pro-choicers compromise fetal rights in favor of the woman.
A compromise, even a principled one, begets ambiguity.
The purpose in using property rights to articulate human rights is to make human rights clear and unambiguous. Toward this end, no theory of human rights can be valid if it compromises the rights of half the world’s population and their offspring. It’s my contention that resolving the property rights concerns between women and their offspring is the final hurdle in the centuries old battle in a full, comprehensive, and accurate theory of rights.
I hold that a libertarian view of property rights will resolve this problem, and my research is working toward that end.