Fetal Personhood and Abortion: A Comparative Analysis of Warren, George, and Lee
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Fetal Personhood and Abortion: A Comparative Analysis
Mary Anne Warren's Criteria for Personhood
Mary Anne Warren would likely argue that a six-week-old fetus does not meet the criteria for personhood. She outlines five conditions necessary for an entity to be considered a person:
- Consciousness and the capacity to feel pain.
- Reasoning ability.
- Capacity for self-motivated activity.
- Ability to communicate.
- Self-awareness and self-concepts.
According to Warren, if a fetus does not fulfill all five conditions, it cannot be considered a person. Therefore, she would likely support the permissibility of abortion in this case.
George and Lee's Argument for Fetal Moral Status
In contrast, George and Lee would argue that abortion is morally wrong because it involves the killing of a human being with moral status. They base their argument on the premise that a human embryo:
- Contains blood cells from both parents.
- Possesses a human genetic makeup.
- Is a complete, albeit immature, organism.
They contend that personhood is not an accidental attribute but an inherent quality of a human being from the moment of conception. George and Lee's "no-persons argument" challenges Warren's position by asserting that a human being's moral status is not contingent upon their current stage of development or the gradual acquisition of specific qualities.
Analysis and Personal Opinion
George and Lee's argument is more convincing because it is grounded in scientific evidence about fetal development. While Warren's criteria for personhood are thought-provoking, they seem arbitrary and fail to acknowledge the biological reality of a developing human being. The fetus's identity as a human being should not depend on its current capabilities but on its inherent nature as a living organism with the potential for growth and development. Therefore, abortion, especially when the fetus is considered a human being, raises significant ethical concerns.