Technology and Choice: George Grant’s Disparate Ethical and Legal Positions on Abortion

Abstract

Although the victory of the Liberals under Paul Martin in the most recent federal election on a platform that included protecting the access of women to abortion indicates that many Canadians remain committed to a pro-choice position, the controversy surrounding the issue of abortion suggests that it remains a live political question. Those who would look to the work of the influential Canadian political thinker George Grant for insight, and to the main commentators on his position, might come to the conclusion that his work fits easily into the pro-life camp. The author argues that Grant’s views are more ambiguous than his commentators on this issue suggest. Grant’s views on abortion are grounded in a radical understanding of technology, and this understanding prevents Grant from speaking unambiguously about the question of the proper legal status of abortion. Instead, his understanding of technology requires adopting a perspective on the issue that would have us reject the polarized political positions of the pro-life and prochoice movements.