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PCE: Abortion
Bridget Propst
School of Nursing, Liberty University
PHIL 380: Biomedical Ethics
Dr. Foreman
October 24, 2021
1. A statement on the moral status of the unborn: person, organism, or
unknown. Include your overall view of fetal development in relation
to the moral status of the unborn. Your discussion should take into
account the defense of personhood offered by Dr Foreman in class.
2. What does it mean to be human person? What are the necessary
conditions that makes one a person?
3. Your general view on the moral permissibility of abortion.
4. Any justifiable exceptions to item 3 above, with reasons for
exceptions.
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Moral Status of the Unborn
Moral status as we discuss in class is the obligation to treat another being in a morally
appropriate way. I believe that the unborn achieve the status of personhood they day of
conception. A person in our course is described as a psychological/philosophical concept; a
person is a living being that has the inherent essential capacity for rational thought, emotional
expression, willful direction, and moral reflection concerning him/herself and the world around
him/her. As I stated above conception is when I believe there is a declaration of personhood for
the unborn. When the union of male sperm and the egg of a female becomes a zygote.
Throughout time the same being which began at conception as a zygote continues through birth,
childhood, adolescence, and adulthood there are no absolute radical break. Through what we
discuss in this course the three continuums that evidence personhood from conception is support
the approach of mortal status of the unborn as personhood. The continuum of identity keeps the
same identity throughout lifetime which supports the claim of, “you are the same as the zygote at
conception as you are in adulthood, adolescene, or childhood.” The continuum of essential
structure also bounces off that idea with saying to function as a person is presented at the
moment of conception and develops in various forms until death.
Meaning to be a Human
What it means to be a human person is a psychological/philosophical concept a person is
a living being that has the inherent essential capacity for rational thought, emotional expression,
willful direction, and moral reflection concerning him/herself and the world around him/her. To
be a human being you must have basic inherent capacity which breaking down the word “basic”
means it has bases for all other capacities. “Inherent” meaning a capacity a thing possesses by
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nature of the kind of thing it is. Finally, “Capacity” which is the natural ability to function a
certain way that may or may not ever be actualized. I fully believe that a human person we must
have the basic inherent capacity meaning the capability that exits by nature of the kind of thing
“person.”
Moral Permissibility of Abortion
My stance on abortion is that it should not be allowed. I believe that the unborn is a
human person the day that zygote is form at conception. Though in today’s world this is not a
normal view upon this topic and is constantly argued and debated across the United States in
every single state. I chose this to believe and stand by due to science. Throughout many articles I
have read throughout my lifetime many doctors and scientist believe that the unborn is just not
an organism but a human person, a fetus living and developing like it develops throughout their
whole entire life. As a woman who loves science, finding the science in what I believe helps me
provide support to my stance and belief in what I stand for. Now if the unborn is a person in the
womb as science has stated, and we live by the moral law that we shall not kill, that killing is
illegal, then abortion should not be occurring throughout our world. Since the unborn is a person,
they should be receiving the same rights as we do.
Justifiable Exceptions
Though claiming that all abortion should be illegal may seem quite crucial to other eyes.
Terrible occurrence such as rape are taking in consideration of allowing abortions to occur or not.
The situation is absolutely horrifying but we must think of the pain, agony, and situation they
would be put through if they had an abortion. I believe there should not be any justifiable
exception for abortions to occur as it is killing a human person.
