How is the moral status of the fetus best determined? The necessary conditions that .
determine when the living thing becomes a person, with moral status, are based.
on scientific and individual beliefs.
I will defend my claim by presenting psychological criteria, biological criteria and .
relational criteria.
I will begin with an example from Judith Thompson a philosophy professor. The.
Story best demonstrates that, the moral status of the fetus is based on individual belief.
The story goes like this " A terrified fourteen-year-old high-school girl whose .
pregnancy has been caused by rape has already suffered one severe trauma. If she is now .
required, over her protests, to carry the child to full term despite her fear, anguish, deep .
depression, and fancied public mortification, the harmful ramifications may be hundred .
fold". .
.
It is the woman's individual belief that it does not matter to her what the moral .
status of the fetus may be. She wants the pregnancy terminated. This would be a.
useful moral exercise if all individuals could put themselves in her place. .
Next, biological criteria may be based on scientific methods that were used.
several hundred years ago. Our perception of the scientific methods used to determine.
when a fetus become a person may differ. Such as Catholics may say the fetus.
becomes a person with full moral status at the time of conception. Scientist's.
may say it is 8 days after conception because of cell division. Doctor's may say.
20 days because that is when the can see the heart beating. .
All of these examples demonstrate differing interpretations of scientific methods.
used to determine when a fetus becomes a person with moral status. The examples .
also demonstrate that the moral status of a fetus is based on unsound biological .
criteria and individual beliefs.
Finally, a fetus may not be considered a person with moral status, when considering.
