Abortion

[Myrddraal]

So is a piece of skin cells you rub off from yourself every time you scratch yourself.

What TuffStuff said, that argument is empty.

The problem with this debate is that it always get's polarised. I believe that Frag was appaled by how late the abortion was. At what point does it 'become' human. At what point is it just a bunch of tissue.

The heart begins to beat on the 23rd day after conception right? Wikipedia tells me: a six-week-old human embryo can arch its back and neck. By seven weeks, movement in the arms and legs can be detected by ultrasound. In these early movements, the limbs move together; they begin to move independently by the ninth week as the controlling neurons in the spinal cord develop. At week 11, the fetus can open its mouth and suck its fingers; at week 12, it begins to swallow amniotic fluid.

What characteristics define humanity?

What is the difference between a man in a coma (who is predicted to come out of his coma in 9 months), and a baby (who is predicted to be born in 9 months).


Frankly I find it hard to see a real difference, and those who dare to define a date on which a clump of cells becomes a human are treading dangerous territory.

[Rodion Romanovich]

What TuffStuff said, that argument is empty.

The problem with this debate is that it always get's polarised. I believe that Frag was appaled by how late the abortion was. At what point does it 'become' human. At what point is it just a bunch of tissue.

I don't think we should wait with abortions to the time when the fetus becomes suffiently human, but rather to when it becomes sufficiently alive. And it does become alive at about the time when it becomes capable of thinking and comprehens pain and fear. Seing as the nervous system is developed quite late, it should be no problem doing abortions before then.

by the ninth week as the controlling neurons in the spinal cord develop

That seems like a reasonable maximum date.

What characteristics define humanity?

That is a philosophical question which is a whole topic of itself, which I btw think isn't needed here since it was the notion of being "sufficiently alive" that I chose, not of "sufficiently human".

[Ironside]

What characteristics define humanity?

What is the difference between a man in a coma (who is predicted to come out of his coma in 9 months), and a baby (who is predicted to be born in 9 months).


Frankly I find it hard to see a real difference, and those who dare to define a date on which a clump of cells becomes a human are treading dangerous territory.

It always get wierd and contradictual.

Living, having working organs, brain activity and unique genetical profile isn't foolproof enough to be human.

Conception is also wierd, as you're giving rights based on that the cells will probably eventually growing into what we all agree to be human, but at the same time you're limiting those rights quite severely when it comes to saving them in very early age (the older they're the more rights they seem to get on this), letting it go more or less naturally (notice that the same lack of medical care for any other age would be considered apalling).

Ser Clergance and Fragony is showing on one example of this. There's much more...