It is common knowledge that the issue of abortion has been the subject of conversation and controversy for many decades. The reason for this is because the percentage of people who accept abortion as a "normal" procedure is about equal to the percentage of those who think of abortion as a crime. Through recent history, drastic measures have been taken to limit the availability of an easy abortion procedure. But at the same while, many people have fought for their own right to choose what to do with their unborn child. The debate focuses on two very important and distinct issues: (1) whether a human fetus has a right to life, and, (2) whether the rights of the mother ever override the fetus's right. .
These issues are usually discussed independently of each other. Discussion of the first issue, regarding a fetus's right to live, is usually based on the concept of moral personhood. A being is a morally significant person when it has rights, and we are under moral obligation to that individual. Some religious philosophers suggest that we are morally significant persons at the moment of conception (when the sperm meets the egg). .
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In regards to the second issue, many philosophers propose a more general standard, such as when a being is self-aware or rational. These measures are not shown until an infant is about one or two years old. This view of personhood has important effects on the morality of abortion. If personhood is given to a being at the moment of conception, then aborting a fetus is immoral. On the other hand, if we select a reason such as self-awareness, then aborting a fetus is not immoral. The challenge is in providing reasons in support of one reason over another. .
But even if we all could agree on a stage of personhood, such as the moment of conception for example, the abortion debate would not be over. After that point, questions arise about whether the mother's right of self decision overrides the rights of the fetus.
