Abortion

Overview

Abortion is a difficult issue upon which reasonable, ethical people can disagree.  Until society can come to consensus about the status of the fetus, libertarians can reasonably be divided on their policy prescriptions.  While libertarians still struggle to define when life begins, we all can agree that no government has a legitimate function to spend public funds either providing or prohibiting abortion.

Opinions

People of good conscience will always differ on this issue.  The only way to stop the debate is to make abortion obsolete.  Because a libertarian society would be wealthier than today’s, it is best equipped to develop the technology for fetal transfer to a willing woman.  No physician will likely perform an abortion with this option available, so it will become obsolete.  The right to life and a woman’s body will both be protected.

Dr. Mary Ruwart

Abortion is anti-libertarian; it is a deadly attack against helpless children. All human offspring are human beings, natural persons with the equal, unalienable right to life from the first moment they exist, whether their existence is caused by natural or artificial fertilization, by cloning, or by any other means. Nobody ever has a right under justice to kill any innocent human being.

Doris Gordon, Libertarians for Life

I believe that abortion is an act of aggression that is incompatible with libertarianism, as I believe a fetus should be recognized as a full human being with natural rights.

Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX)

Roe v. Wade is controversial jurisprudence, but the principle is sound – a human being only exists only once the cerebral cortex has emerged in the human fetus; prior to this only a potential human being exists, and killing it, while possibly objectionable, is not homicide.

Tibor Machan, Chapman University

The Federal government has no role whatsoever, legally or financially.

David L. Littmann, Mackinac Center for Public Policy

All human life should be safe from the invasive harm of others, including both mother and child.  No government funding should exist one way or another.

David Theroux, The Independent Institute

Abortion is a critical life and death choice.  Whether government should intervene to influence that choice is dependent on the legal status of the fetus.  We acknowledge that there can be honest and ethical differences of opinion on that status, the rights of women, and the proper role of government. 

Dave Nalle, Republic Liberty Caucus

Reverse Roe and leave abortion policy to states.  At the state level, keep abortion legal.

Jeffrey Miron, Harvard University

Absolutely no initiation of force (e.g., government funding) that requires one person to pay for another person's abortion.

Lawrence W. Reed, Foundation for Economic Education