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3 Libertarian Papers 1 (2011)
Response to Wisniewski on Abortion, Round Two

handle is hein.journals/libpa3 and id is 73 raw text is: VOL. 3, ART. No. 4 (2011) RESPONSE TO WISNIEWSKI ON ABORTION, ROUND TWO WALTER E. BLOCK* Introduction I HAVE WRITTEN MORE THAN SEVERAL TIMES in behalf of the evictionism theory of abortion over the last five decades.' True confession here: I have thought, on more than one occasion, that this perspective would one day come to sweep away the two alternative mainstream views on this question, pro life and pro choice. Not only has this not occurred, not only have there been no signs whatsoever that any such breakthrough was in the offing, but, these publications of mine have all but been ignored.2 Happily for the prospects of spreading what I at least consider as this intellectual breakthrough, or, at least, keeping it alive in the literature, Wisniewski (2010A), and now Wisniewski (2010B), the subject of this present rejoinder, has stepped up to the plate in criticism of it. My reply to him allows me to further elaborate on the evictionist thesis, and once again to more deeply plumb its depths. I am also grateful to this author for the elegant, genteel manner he utilizes in his criticism of my perspective on this issue. Further, I appreciate the compliments he makes about my views on this matter, despite the fact that he cannot embrace them. To briefly review, my version of the evictionist hypothesis stipulates that human life begins at the fertilized egg stage, not nine months later, at birth.3 However, the placenta, upon which it will reside for this duration of *Walter E. Block (www.WalterBlock.com; wblock(a)oyno.edu) is Harold E. Wirth Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair and Prof. of Economics, College of Business, Loyola University New Orleans and a Senior Fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. CITE THIS ARTICLE AS: Walter E. Block, Response to Wisniewski on Abortion, Round Two, Libertarian Papers 3, 4 (2011). ONLINE AT: libertarianpapers.org. THIS ARTICLE IS subject to a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License (creadvecommons.org/licenses). 1 Block, 1977, 1978, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2010A, 2010B, 2010C, forthcoming; Block and Whitehead, 2005 2 Exceptions include Dyke, 2009; Wisniewski, 2010A, 2010B. 3 Jewish joke: When is the fetus viable? When it graduates from medical school. 1 LIBERTARIAN PAPERS