Keywords

John Rawls; Political Liberalism; Public Reason; Abortion; Citizenship; Children

Abstract

John Rawls sought to articulate principles for a just democratic society. Those principles must be justified by reasons that could be accepted by all reasonable citizens, regardless of their personal philosophical, religious, or moral commitments—what Rawls refers to as public reason. Basic political concepts, such as citizenship and rights, must also be justified in terms of public reason. Rawls stipulates that citizens enter society at birth, a claim that shapes his answer to whether legal protections for the unborn are justified. I argue that Rawls was not entitled to this stipulation, since it relies on contentious commitments that cannot be justified solely in terms of public reason. For the same reason, no account that identifies a particular point at which the capacity for participation in society over a complete life—the basis of citizenship—first appears can be justified solely in terms of public reason. I conclude that, on a consistent Rawlsian account, the unborn, like children, should be treated as (future) citizens.

Thesis Completion Year

2026

Thesis Completion Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair

Reese, Brian

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

Philosophy

Thesis Discipline

Philosophy

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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