abortion

I N T R O D U C T I O N

abortion

introduction

introduction

introduction

introduction

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introduction

definitions

The fetus is the unborn entity at any stage of development.

An abortion is the intentional destruction of a fetus.Something is a human in the genetic sense if and only if

(iff) it is a homo sapien.Something is a human in the moral sense iff it is the sort

of thing that has rights, like the right to life.X has a prima facie right to Y iff it would be wrong for

someone to take Y from X, all else being equal (i.e., there is some moral reason not to take X from Y).

the central argument

1. The fetus is a human in the moral sense.2. If (1), the fetus has a prima facie right to life.3. If the fetus has a prima facie right to life, abortion is

prima facie wrong.4. [So] Abortion is prima facie wrong.

definitions

To analyze a concept is to provide a list of necessary and sufficient conditions for that concept to apply.

Something is a if and only if .Something is a square iff .Something is God iff . Something is a person iff .

the species criterion

The Species Criterion: Something is a person iff it is a homo sapien.