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Summary
This article examines Ronald Dworkin's views on abortion rights, arguing his religious basis for abortion access has radical consequences. It also critiques the constitutional standard in Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Area of Science:
- Legal Philosophy
- Constitutional Law
- Bioethics
Background:
- Examines Ronald Dworkin's recent scholarship on abortion rights, specifically his articles and book.
- Analyzes the Supreme Court's 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed Roe v. Wade while upholding abortion restrictions.
- Highlights the central role of interpreting the concept of sacred human life in abortion debates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To scrutinize Dworkin's novel argument that abortion rights are rooted in the religious notion of sacred human life.
- To probe the radical consequences of Dworkin's proposed constitutional basis for abortion rights.
- To identify and explain a flaw in the constitutional test for abortion regulations introduced in Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Main Methods:
- Critical analysis of Ronald Dworkin's legal and philosophical arguments concerning abortion.
- Close examination of the majority opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey and its constitutional standard.
- Comparative legal reasoning to connect Dworkin's theories with the Casey decision's implications.
Main Results:
- Argues that Dworkin's framework, while seeking a textual home for abortion rights in the First Amendment's religion clauses, leads to more radical implications than he acknowledges.
- Identifies a significant flaw in the constitutional standard established by Planned Parenthood v. Casey for evaluating abortion regulations.
- Suggests a connection between the flaw in Casey's standard and Dworkin's hesitation to fully develop his own argument.
Conclusions:
- Dworkin's attempt to ground abortion rights in the concept of sacred life has unforeseen and potentially destabilizing consequences for abortion jurisprudence.
- The constitutional test in Planned Parenthood v. Casey is constitutionally flawed, necessitating a re-evaluation of abortion regulations.
- Further legal and philosophical inquiry is needed to reconcile the concepts of religious value, constitutional rights, and abortion access.