Summary
In summary, Premise 1 is sound.
The permissibility of abortion, therefore, boils down to one question only: are unborn humans persons?
There is currently much controversy surrounding this question, and no mathematical proof can settle the debate. This should not cause us to despair, however, since there are many historical1 examples in which the personhood of a category of humans was once in question but no longer is.
Furthermore, the mere fact
that there is confusion does
not imply that this is a
“religious”2 question.
Rather, it
is a facet of the exact same
question as whether newborns
or teenagers or adults are
persons—namely, what is a
person?
If society cannot dictate whether fetuses count as persons because it would be invading the realm of “personal conscience,” then there is no reason it should be able to dictate whether any other group of humans constitute persons, and the social protection of human rights would go out the window.
Therefore, we should not assume a priori that this is a question which cannot be satisfactorily resolved. Answering the question is, in fact, the subject of the next section.
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Discussion Tip
Use caution when making sensitive historical analogies, despite the fact that, when understood properly, they are often very compelling. ↩
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Discussion Tip
Seek to avoid statements or actions that might reinforce the toxic notion that abortion is primarily a matter of “religious” doctrine/opinion. ↩