ALS, one page both sides, 7.25 x 10.75, personal letterhead, September 28, 1980. Extraordinary letter on his views on the morality of abortion. In part: “I am not a Catholic—if anything I am an agnostic with atheistic leanings—so I certainly do not regard a human fetus as being sufficiently alive that destroying it would rank with taking the life of a mature human being. In addition such a fetus can have no knowledge that its life was taken and as I do not believe it has a soul (in the sense that the soul is something that survives after death) I can see no reason…why it should not be destroyed. However there is another factor, the fetus hardly knows what is going on, but its parents do. So while it is foolish to worry about the feelings of the fetus or its soul (what sort of an afterlife would it have anyway, if there were a life after death) it is not unreasonable to consider the parents' feelings. This presents no problem if the parents agree but, if they differ, clearly some compromise must be sought. This will depend not only on the circumstances (will the baby be welcome at this time, etc) but also on the beliefs of the people concerned. So I feel you did the right thing in respecting your wife's feelings but you may well wish to make her change her views (which I personally regard as irrational) in case the problem arises again.” Light scattered creases and a bit of toning and soiling, otherwise fine condition.
The 1973 Supreme Court decision in the landmark Roe v. Wade case made abortion legal within the United States, but the controversial debate over the morality and legality of the procedure rages on to this day. Crick was a particularly vocal advocate on the 'pro-choice' side of the argument, and in this letter he concisely explains his position by citing his religious and social beliefs. While his views were certainly informed by his knowledge of genetics, his thoughts on the "soul" are especially interesting—after his discovery of DNA, Crick's scientific interest turned toward theoretical neuroscience. In 1966 he had published his first work in this area, Of Molecules and Men, in which he explored the relationship between science and religion, proposing that it would become possible for a computer to be programmed so as to have a soul. He continued this type of research for the rest of his life, and in 1993 released his last book, The Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul, in which he continued to examine the nature of consciousness. In touching upon all of these aspects of a deeply controversial subject, this is a positively exceptional letter. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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