When does Personhood Begin and Where do we Draw the Line?

The issue of abortion has always been a controversial one for citizens of the United States. Abortion is the practice of terminating a pregnancy after the embryo has been planted in the uterus (Abortion). An individual’s stance on this controversial issue categorizes them into one of two very different groups. An individual who feels that a woman should not have an abortion- due to moral or religious views- is said to be “pro-life”. Coincidently, those who feel that a woman should have the right to choose abortion are said to be “pro-choice”. “Pro-life” supporters point to the practice of abortion as an immoral one. Supporters state abortion is immoral because it takes away the rights of the unborn fetus, since activists consider human

One of the most prominent issues in America is abortion. Abortion was legalized in America in 1973 as a result of the Roe v. Wade court decision. According to Guttmacher Institute, a 2011 statistic stated that since the 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade, 56,405,766 abortions have been performed. The argument that most people make, including Catholics, is the question, “When does human life begin?” This question has divided America into two separate sides is still present today. Not only can scientific and religious evidence support claims that human life begins at conception, I can argue that human life can be defined through its natural beginning. During the March for Life, I saw countless genocide photos from abortions. It proved to me after seeing tiny hands and feet being compared to a quarter that a life is a life, and it should be treated with respect at any stage of development. The world needs to understand the uniqueness and sacredness of human

In contemporary America it can be argued that nothing is more contentious and controversial of an issue than abortion. From the vehement pro-life movement to the impassioned pro-choice coalition, this policy issue is one that has become increasingly important in our society. This debate has raised important questions regarding the value of human life, at what stage of development does a fetus have it’s constitutionally ensured rights take hold over that of the mother and at what stage can a state start regulating abortions.

Out of all modern social controversies, perhaps the most heated controversy is that of abortion. In today’s society you are either a Pro-life or a Pro-choice, there is not a middle ground. Pro-life are individuals who believe abortion is immoral and should be stop for the wellbeing of women and unborn babies. In contrast, the Pro-choice individuals do not necessarily promote abortion, they just believe women should be the ones to make decisions over their bodies and health. Although the two main sides of the abortion debate have concerns for human life, pro-life activists worries more about the fetus and morals, a clear difference from the pro-choice that worries more for the women and their rights. Based on the points I explored, the pro-choice arguments are stronger than pro-life arguments. Most of both groups arguments comes from peer-reviewed researches from well-known sources to support each individual concept. Effects on women,socio-politics, and fetus are some of the main point of conflicts between the pro-life and pro-choice advocates.

One of the most debated arguments in discussing abortion is the question of when life begins. It is an argument that is not entirely clear even through science as some people believe life begins at conception, fertilization of the egg, development of the fetus, or birth of a child. Determined separately by each state, the gestational limits set the number of weeks at which an abortion is no longer legal as the fetus would be viable outside of the womb. For most states in the US this is an average between twenty to twenty four weeks. Determined by the famous 1973 case of Roe vs. Wade, Justice Harry Blackmun concluded that the word “person” as used in the Fourteenth Amendment did not include the unborn, thus making abortion legal. This case is still relevant as abortion is still legal today within certain gestational limits which attempt to determine when life begins and when a fetus can begin to feel. Some argue that the states “held unborn children to be persons under the property, tort, and criminal law of the several states at the time Roe was decided,” and because of this, “the text of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment compels federal protection of unborn persons” (RODEN). Those who are in opposition to abortion have a goal to set gestational limits sooner than those in place now and to one day eliminate the option of abortion entirely. Organizations such as Planned Parenthood which offer access to abortion in addition to birth control and other

Opposers of abortion argue that since a fetus is alive, they should also be given the ability to live and create a life for themselves. They also argue that the harm inflicted results in the murder of a person’s life, which would then bring unhappiness to several individuals debunking the idea that happiness and morality for society is found in individualism. Yet, Planned Parenthood and activists that support the mother's reproductive rights do not all believe a fetus is alive, and that a mother, whose life is affected by this baby, should be the final decider on whether to keep it or

Abortion: the controversy-packed topic that can provoke the most vicious altercations between the two opposing sides. The views of abortion divide into two main categories: pro-choice and pro-life. These groups can go at eachother’s throats with no end, constantly throwing new arguments at each other. Many people feel very strongly one way on the topic, and are some individuals too stubborn to consider anything other opinion. The two opposite views seem to boil down to many as either the undeveloped fetus is innocent or the mother has the right to chose what to do with her own body.

However, the question frequently comes about regarding at which point of fetal development can the fetus be given “personhood.” The standard pro-life argument asserts the claim that life is present from the point of conception; a fetus possess similar physical characteristics to that of an infant such as a genetic codes that are necessary and sufficient conditions for being human, making the claims of abortion morally akin to murder. Mary Anne Warren and Judith Jarvis Thomson provide a pro-abortion argument, asserting that abortions do not take

Much of the ethical debate stemming from this topic lies with the issue of personhood. Personhood is a concept that defines what is it is that makes a person a “person”. There is no established criteria for this concept and it can vary depending on one’s belief. Patil, Dode & Ahirrao (2014), argue that the concept of personhood is the bridge that connects the fetus with the right to life. If one considers the fetus a person then ethically abortion is wrong. If the fetus is not a person then abortion is ethically acceptable. The issue on personhood mirrors the subjectivity of abortion debate.

Abortion is further viewed as a malicious act even when science becomes involved. Supporters of abortion attempt to justify their ideas by using the nature of preborn life. Pro-choice activists try to claim that we don’t know when life begins, when in reality, embryology textbooks and even other pro-choice advocates admit that human life begins when the egg and sperm unite. The promoters of abortion then go on to try and say that even though biological life begins at conception, we don’t know when personhood begins. This claim of personal identity is debunked when it is pointed out that the extremity at which rights of personhood should be granted is not something we know or don’t know, but it is something we decide. We as humans are the deciding factor in which we want to believe something should have rights. A human is created with a unique genetic identification that remains unchanged throughout his or her entire life once the egg becomes fertilized by the sperm. The being that is created by fertilization is now it’s own person and that new individual has a foundational right to life, which must be protected by the government, making abortion

The public debate over abortion in the United States has intensified since the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade. Advocates on each side of the debate often hint that we must select between two stark options: “Pro-life” and “Pro-choice.” Strong pro-life advocates claim that abortion is immoral (except perhaps in a few cases) because the fetus is a human being from the

Among all the issues that have been fought for or against in the United States, abortion may be one of the most popular issues that Americans are passionate about. Abortion is defined as the removal of the embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy. Thousands of abortions take place every single day, and yet public opinion remains at a standstill as to whether or not abortion is ethical. Everyone holds different opinions on abortion. The proponents believe that it is the women’s private right to determine the future of the baby in her body. On the other hand, the opponents think a woman does not have the right to decide whether the person that she gives birth should live or die. They believe that life begins at conception. In fact, a person’s stance on the issue is often determined by how he views the fetus: a part of the mother’s body or as a human being. I am an opponent, and I believe abortion is murder. Also, abortion should not be legal because it harms women’s health, affects intimate relationship, and women do not have the right to decide the baby’s right to live or die.

When faced with the choice of life or death, most people would choose to live. In fact, most would not want someone else making that decision for them. They would claim that as a living and independent entity it is solely their choice as to whether they continue to live or not. While this concept may seem fairly straightforward, there seems to be some great debate when it is applied to abortion. For many, they will maintain that the fetus has the right to life no matter the situation. There are some who will argue that abortion is morally permissible in specific circumstances and there are even those that will claim that abortion is always permissible. Why is there such a great divide? A major factor that plays a part in this is whether abortion involves more than one life. Because determining the beginning point of life is such a complex and emotional debate, there will be the same allowance in this paper as there was in Judith Jarvis Thomson’s “A Defense of Abortion”. As she eloquently put it “I propose then, that we grant that the fetus is a person from the moment of conception” (p. 721). This will allow for a look into the moral debate of abortion from a more grounded stage. As discussed early in Thomson’s paper, most of the debate on abortion rests on whether the fetus is alive or not. Whereas the focus should be on the many other aspects of pregnancies that may lead to a mother wanting an abortion.

“A living human person begins to exist at the moment of conception, even though only as a cell.” The road to human life may begin at conception, but to call abortion murder is ludicrous and a large exaggeration. Murder is described as the killing of a human being, and an unborn fetus should not be considered a living human being. A fetus is a group of cells that are completely dependent on its mother that cannot live on its own, therefore it should not be considered a human. One of the most popular arguments on the topic of abortion was the supreme court case Roe V. Wade. This case was about a pregnant single women (Roe) challenging the constitutionality of Texas abortion laws. The winning argument in the case Roe v. Wade, states that the “word ‘person’ as used in the Fourteenth Amendment does not include the unborn,” putting this argument to

Abortion has always been an incredibly controversial topic. It has been one of the most widely discussed issues in the American culture for decades. Abortion is a discussion of human interaction, in which emotions, ethics, and law all come together. In many cases, people on both sides of the argument have valid points and take moral positions. A pro-choice position would assert that the decision to terminate a pregnancy lies the mother and that the government has no right to interfere or step in and make that decision. On the other hand, the position of pro-life advocates argue that life begins at the moment of conception. They believe that because the embryo or fetus is a human life and that one has no moral right to abort it. This theory argues that this human has no power or say in the matter and is rendered helpless from advocating for itself. Although abortion is a morally and emotionally charged issues, it is ultimately protected under the 14th amendment. The most common reasons for abortion include but are not limited to, teen pregnancy, rape, and health issues.