That's a very finely tuned argument, but I think it requires some delicate distinctions that don't match how the human mind works.
In the first case, put yourself in the mind-space of an abortion opponent contemplating the innocent fetus being torn limb from limb. Or, if that's too much of a stretch, contemplate women giving birth in a back alley and stuffing the baby in a trash can, something that actually happens. Is one's opposition a pure moral condemnation or a visceral revulsion? I can't see it as anything other than both. Morality is the voice that gives expression to the revulsion; a moral objection without revulsion would be bloodless.
For the second case, consider another kind of visceral revulsion. For this I must turn entirely to fictional stereotypes, since I know nothing about its real-life occurrence if any. A man marries a beautiful woman. We may stipulate that he's attracted by her beauty, and would not marry an ugly woman. On his taking his wife to bed, she removes her hair which is a wig, her teeth which he also didn't know were false, her makeup that covered her aging skin, her girdle that made her shapely, etc etc, and now she's ugly.
Is he required to think her beautiful again if she puts it all back on, or after such knowledge, what forgiveness?
(no subject)
Date: 2015-08-15 11:30 pm (UTC)In the first case, put yourself in the mind-space of an abortion opponent contemplating the innocent fetus being torn limb from limb. Or, if that's too much of a stretch, contemplate women giving birth in a back alley and stuffing the baby in a trash can, something that actually happens. Is one's opposition a pure moral condemnation or a visceral revulsion? I can't see it as anything other than both. Morality is the voice that gives expression to the revulsion; a moral objection without revulsion would be bloodless.
For the second case, consider another kind of visceral revulsion. For this I must turn entirely to fictional stereotypes, since I know nothing about its real-life occurrence if any. A man marries a beautiful woman. We may stipulate that he's attracted by her beauty, and would not marry an ugly woman. On his taking his wife to bed, she removes her hair which is a wig, her teeth which he also didn't know were false, her makeup that covered her aging skin, her girdle that made her shapely, etc etc, and now she's ugly.
Is he required to think her beautiful again if she puts it all back on, or after such knowledge, what forgiveness?