"Personhood is not achieved at conception, and that is beyond the ability of biology to determine the point at which it is established"
Within the debate of life, scientist argue that life does not begin during conception, but instead after birth and when one enters personhood. While there is a grey area between when a person enters personhood, it is agreed that this must occur outside of the mothers womb. In Patricia Donovan's article When does Personhood Begin? discusses the concept of when personhood is established within the scientific world. Interestingly, Donovan states, "A person is in part biological and in part something else...Biological criteria are not enough to define personhood. If one were to adhere to the concept that life began at conception, it is then implied that life is contained in DNA, leaving out multiple factors in the developmental stages. This concept is stating that a person is born as who they will become, and we must then acknowledge the zygote, embryo, and fetus as a fully conscious being.
On the contrary, biologist do not believe that conception alone creates a person. Donovan's article states, |
"Personhood is not achieved at conception, and that is beyond the ability of biology to determine the point at which it is established (Donovan 41)." The article then goes on to point out, "While the a new genetic entity come into being when the egg is fertilized, this new entity is a single cell, which ordinarily is not perceived as a person (Donovan 41)". With this information we must question why a single-cell organism is considered a person at conception despite the fact it has not been born? This argument then goes against the concept that immediately after conception life has begun, and should be protected under law. In the Irish Times a widower explained his unfortunate experience with his late pregnant wife, and how medical attention, and the right to life of a fetus, resulted in the death of both.
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In the region the couple were residing, the couple were denied voluntary abortion because "This is a Catholic country and this is the law" (Holland 1), the couple could not legally terminate the pregnancy until the fetal heartbeat ceased. The fetus was monitored extensively, while the article states, "Her vital signs were inadequately monitored" (Holland 1), leading to the mothers death. To protect a being that is not yet born into the world, especially since it is reliant on the woman. The journal publication Scientific American further solidifies the concept of life beginning after birth by stating" Delivery by natural means cause the brain to abruptly wake up...a massive surge of norepinephrine, as well as release from anesthesia and sedation that occurs when the fetus disconnects from the maternal placenta, arouses the baby so that it can deal with its new circumstances. It draws its first breath, wakes up and begins to experience life (Koch 2)." By placing life with conception we negate the experience of life that plays a huge role in coming into personhood.
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