After all, libertarians describe themselves as principled foes of state coercion and passionate defenders of individual liberty. While they may give different weight to principles of individual liberty, self-determination, and so on, libertarians claim to be highly skeptical of government intrusion into our lives. Wikipedia informs us that
most generally agree that sperms, eggs, and fetuses are not persons with rights.
In his 1982 book, “The Ethics of Liberty,” libertarian economist Murray Rothbard wrote that “the proper groundwork for analysis of abortion is in every man’s absolute right of self-ownership. This implies immediately that every woman has the absolute right to her own body, that she has absolute dominion over her body and everything in it. This includes the fetus.”
That’s clear enough. Now is the chance for libertarians to stand up for what they believe,
stated thus since 2008 in the official Libertarian Party platform:
“Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.”
Got it. My decision to give birth is for me to decide, not the state. Very reasonable.
Why Aren’t Libertarians Protesting the Freedom-Busting Texas Abortion Law?
