Is A Fetus A Person?

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Abortion is a decision every person should decide for themselves. The major arguments against abortion are how a fetus is a person; a fetus has rights; and it is morally impermissible to take a life. Many consider abortion to be equivalent to murder. However, a fetus is not a person. There are important traits one most hold to be a person, 1) self-awareness, one must be able to make decisions regarding themselves 2) being able to converse with others and hold a relationship 3) consciousness, one must be able to make rational decisions and have thought (Warren). On important aspect of being person is the ability to be aware of its surroundings and decision making. Being a pregnant is not a situation everyone gets to experience and the decision to abort a pregnancy should be left up to the women. A woman has a right to her body and should be able to make decisions concerning herself with no outside judgment.

When deciding if abortion is morally permissible the strongest argument is that fetuses are innocent beings and killing an innocent being is morally impermissible. Any being descending from a human makes it a human, and therefore a fetus is human. As a society we see murder to be immoral especially of an innocent person. Pro-life supporters argue that abortion is equivalent murder because life starts at conception, making a fetus a living person. Supporters believe a fetus has a right to live and wants to live. Abortion goes against the fetus’ right to live and it’s potential to become a member of society. It is the mother’s duty as a parent to provide for the child the best way possible, and that does not involve abortion.

However, a fetus does not hold the necessary characteristics to being a person. The first of that is ...

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...as right for her to have a child.

There will never be a universal answer to whether a fetus is a person or not. Going by the traits that make a person, a fetus is not considered a person. It is not living, it cannot make rational thought and it cannot communicate with others. Therefore, the decision to have an abortion is permissible and does not infringe on any persons right. A woman has a right to body and has the choice to have an abortion if she feels necessary. The argument to whether abortion is permissible relies on one’s beliefs to what makes a person. If one believes life starts at conception, then they would perceive abortion as being morally wrong. Those that follow specific traits that make a person, find abortion permissible. The issue is determined not by one view, but many. That is why there will never be any one answer to the morality of abortion.

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