As a political philosophy, libertarianism stresses concepts such as self-ownership, voluntary consent, and non-agression. In many areas of human activity, the application of such ideas seems relatively straightforward. In others, reaching clarity is far more difficult.

On Tuesday, May 21, from 2pm to 3pm in Washington, D.C., Reason hosted a discussion tackling one of the most controversial and debated issues of the day: abortion. Among self-identified libertarians, there's a wide variety of positions, ranging from support for all forms of abortions to the prohibition of the same.

The participants include:

Katherine Mangu-Ward, Reason magazine's managing editor  
Mollie Hemingway, editor of Ricochet and a contributor to Christianity Today  
Ronald Bailey, Reason's science correspondent  

The topics discussed:

When does human life - and when do rights - begin?  
What's the role of science - and religion - in setting abortion policy?  
Is there a role for the state in prohibiting, regulating, and providing abortion?  

A fast-paced 30-minute discussion was followed by audience Q&A.

About 45 minutes.

Hosted by Nick Gillespie and produced by Joshua Swain.