Synopses & Reviews
When, God willing, the abortion controversy is behind us, partisans of the pro-life and pro-choice positions are going to have to live together in this society. That is why, sloganeering and passionate polemics are inevitable, civil conversation is essential. And that is why The Silent Subject is such a gift to all of us at this point in the controversy. (From the foreword by Richard John Neuhaus) The essays in this work constitute a sensitive, public argument for a reconstruction of the confused—yet dominant—popular attitudes toward nascent human life and its value. Unlike most pro-life arguments, it offers no strictly religious or exclusively sectarian warrants for its assertions - instead bearing a more secular cast, speaking to a generalized and pluralistic audience. As a whole, The Silent Subject embraces no specific, particular political ideology. Its contributors have a broad spectrum of professional interests, political perspectives and social philosophies - all of which indicates the fundamentally humanistic and apolitical nature of concern for the unborn and the degree to which they are esteemed. This unusual book is a refreshingly candid and morally compelling analysis of the social forces that superintend our cultural outlook toward unborn human life.
Review
The Silent Subject should help replace heat with light as America continues to debate the most urgent civil rights issue of our generation.George Weigel, president Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C.
Review
(These essays are) interesting and informative, while some are so profoundly moving as to almost overshadow the rest of the book...This book demonstrates that the truth about the nature of abortion is taking its toll on those who would deny that truth; and that falsehood never leaves those who indulge in it unscathed.The Interim
Review
Brings out the lively academic dimension of pro-life America...The book is a rich assortment, and the reader has the sense of dipping into the extended reflections of distinguished philosophers, sociologists, doctors, and lawyers. If you are tired of the image of pro-life folk as mindless zealots, you might discover a new world opening up.Crisis
Review
Written from a pro-life perspective, this anthology will have an appeal to those pro-choicers interested in seeing what the most measured of their critics are saying....For pro-lifers and pro-choicers intent on reasoning rather than haranguing regarding abortion, Stetson's anthology will be a welcome addition.Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political and Legal Philosophy
Review
I believe [the pro-life movement] has by now obtained the victory of opinion so far as evidence is concerned. The next battle is that of duty or obligation--a far tougher one but one to which The Silent Subject makes a strategic contribution.William B. Allen, Ph.D. former Chairman, United States Commission on Civil Rights Dean, James Madison College, Michigan State University
Review
This collection of essays has a psychological effect much like night thoughts, those disturbing images that can come to mind while you lie awake....When it comes to abortion, most of us have our heads in the sand. The worst part is that our sense of moral outrage on the subject has been nearly extinguished....This is a chilling book, which offers...fresh insights, and thus some rare encouragement.National Review
Review
This book goes beyond bumper sticker slogans to provide depth the pro-life movement needs. Refusing to settle for pussycat platitudes, most of the essayists have provided nuanced, scholarly analyses from a broad variety of perspectives. Readers who take the time to excavate this work will come out wiser.Marvin Olasky, Ph.D., Professor of Journalism University of Texas, Austin
About the Author
BRAD STETSON is director of the David Institute, a social research organization.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Richard John Neuhaus
Preface
Introduction by Brad Stetson
Ethical Perspectives
Substances, Property-Things and Human Persons: The Moral Status of Fetuses and Embryos by John A. Mitchell and Scott B. Rae
Ignorance of Fetal Status as a Justification For Abortion by Francis J. Beckwith
Moral Duty to the Unborn and Its Significance by Sidney Callahan
The "Medicalizing" of Abortion Decisions by Thomas Murphy Goodwin
Cultural Perspectives
Feminism and Imaging the Unborn by Camille S. Williams
Sex and Consequences: An Anthropological View by Olivia Vlahos
Personal Perspectives
Motherhood in the 90's: To Have or Have Not by Maria McFadden
Pregnancy Care Centers: Sisterhood is Powerful by Frederica Mathewes-Green
Women Who Abort: Their Reflections on the Unborn by David C. Reardon
Religious Perspectives
When Good Men Do Nothing: Reflections From a Modern-Day Burgermeister by Michael Mckenzie
The Catholic Debate on the Moral Status of the Embryo by Tom Poundstone
Legal Perspectives
The Effective Enforcement of Abortion Law Before Roe v. Wade by Clarke D. Forsythe
Supreme Court Jurisprudence and Prenatal Life by Tom Poundstone
Selected Bibliography
Index