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- Xref: sparky soc.men:23073 alt.abortion.inequity:6642
- Newsgroups: soc.men,alt.abortion.inequity
- Path: sparky!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!news.acns.nwu.edu!nucsrl!ddsw1!karl
- From: karl@ddsw1.mcs.com (Karl Denninger)
- Subject: Re: bodily autonomy
- Message-ID: <C18338.Bny@ddsw1.mcs.com>
- Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 21:16:19 GMT
- Distribution: na
- References: <1jhnskINN964@gap.caltech.edu> <C15n6u.A0t@ddsw1.mcs.com> <1jl12jINNl7o@gap.caltech.edu>
- Organization: MCSNet, Chicago, IL
- Lines: 81
-
- In article <1jl12jINNl7o@gap.caltech.edu> peri@cco.caltech.edu (Michal Leah Peri) writes:
- >karl@ddsw1.mcs.com (Karl Denninger) writes:
- >
- >>let's take this "bodily autonomy" thing for a minute, and see where it leads
- >>us....
- >
- >>Would you agree that one's mind, and its output, is under a person's control
- >>as bodily autonomy? That is, that the output of a mind is something which a
- >>person has absolute control over?
- >
- >>Would you agree that the output of one's muscles and other body processes is
- >>also under a person's control as bodily autonomy. That is, the physical
- >>exertion (excretion, etc) of a person is something which a person should
- >>have absolute control over?
- >
- >The mind itself, yes. The body itself, yes. The output, no.
- >This runs into issues of property rights, with which I am largely unfamiliar.
-
- The output comes from the mind and body. I can choose to not exert either
- of them, in which case I have no output for someone to take. Therefore, if
- I own my mind and body, I must own their output.
-
- >>Both mental and physical stress can cause injury (as could pregnancy).
- >>Injury comes in many forms, as you are well aware. Therefore, there is a
- >>clear and present risk of injury from the exertion of either mind or body,
- >>and therefore a person should have absolute control over their bodily output
- >>and the uses to which it is put.
- >
- >>This is the argument which you have made in support of legal abortions; that
- >>a woman has the right to control the use to which her body (which includes
- >>both the physical and mental) is put.
- >
- >>I think we've set out the basis for your argument. Do you agree?
- >
- >Yes.
-
- Good!
-
- >>Now, in order for a person to earn money, he or she must exert either mind
- >>or body. Therefore, in order to earn money, one must <willfully> cede their
- >>control over their body in return for something to eat. However, this is a
- >><willful> transaction.
- >
- >The person must cede control over the output of their mind or body, not
- >of the mind or body itself. The USA does not allow the selling of body
- >parts for profit.
-
- Not true. If you cede control over the output, you have ceded control over
- the item itself. Just how do you think that the muscle turns into money?
- Without being used by conscious choice?
-
- >>Now by just what leap of reasoning do you then conclude that a woman has
- >>the right to bodily autonomy (and thus abortion) but a man does not (since
- >>she can compel him to support a child, which requires that HIS bodily
- >>autonomy is violated)?
- >
- >I don't see how compelling a NCP to support a child violates his/her
- >bodily autonomy.
-
- That's because you decline to look, and refuse to face facts even when in
- your face.
-
- If you force a NCP to support a child, you force him (largely men) to exert
- their bodies or minds against their will. If you doubt this, just ask any
- judge what he'll do if the man involved decides to quit his job! Why, that
- man will be tossed in jail for not supporting his children. But wait! How
- can this be? You support the right of men to control their minds and
- bodies, yes? That is, you support the right of a man to decide not to exert
- (use) either of those two things.
-
- Or do you? I detect hypocrisy and sexism in your position, as I had thought.
-
- You support a sexist standard -- one which allows a woman to decide what
- to do with her body, but does not allow the same (in the reproductive freedom
- area) for men.
-
- I think I have your position straight now. Thanks for playing.
-
- --
- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl)
- Data Line: [+1 312 248-0900]
-