One Proof
• 1. There is no point in a fetus’s development where we identify it becoming a person.
• C: Therefore, it is always a person; from conception
Another
• 1. Persons have a right to life.
• 2. Women have the right to do whatever they want to do with their body.
• 3. Right 1 > Right 2
• C: Abortion ought not to be allowed
I got these in my philosophy class. I wish these didn't make sense to me. Any good rebutals?
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6 comments:
Hi Jarrod- The reason that a fetus is not identified as a person in utero is because the fetus is totally dependent on the mother for its life support. No machine or other person can take the responsibilty for keeping the fetus alive. The fetus is not due the rights of a person until it is born and capable of living outside of the womb.
What about someone who is extremely mentally retarded or completely helpless. Do we have a right to deny them life? They are as helpless as a fetus. Are they human?
Can anyone else help me disprove these proofs? I feel dirty.
hey jarrod, i just wanted to let you know that i'm not pissed off at your post. i agree with it. if we consider ourselves humans from the moment of conception, then we have the right to live from that moment onward.
instead, i ask...how can we not say that a fetus is a human? how can we say that we, ourselves, were once "unhuman"...the logic doesn't make sense.
believe me, i've done countless papers, speeches, etc. over this topic. i'd love to talk w/ you if you want...
~mitzi
No problem:
(One proof) I deny your premise. I identify the fetus -> person conversion as the birth event.
(Other proof) Since a fetus is not a person, it does not necessarily have a right to life invalidating that premise.
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I'm not willing to go so far as to say that fetus's don't have rights and I think the most correct thing is to say that fetus's are acquire rights on a gradient until birth at which point they have acquired them all. I won't say abortion under all (or even any) circumstances is right, but I do not think the arguments you posted are effective. They're far too dependent on the definition of a person.
Just my thoughts. =)
There is no point in a fetus’s development where we identify it becoming a person.
• C: Therefore, it is always a person; from conception
It would be equally "logical" to assume that the fetus is *never* a person.
In the second of your examples, your premises are flawed and emotionally fraught, which invalidates your assumptive conclusion.
Please refrain from assigning logical clarity to your feelings of moral righteousness. It doesn't help.
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