Fetuses have no rights and hence it is alright to kill them

Discussion in 'Ethics, Morality, & Justice' started by S.A.M., Jul 22, 2009.

  1. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    In the thread on vegetarianism, Nasor makes a point:

    Does this mean that if fetuses had rights, it would not be alright to kill them?

    Do fetuses have rights? Do we acknowledge that they have rights when we investigate how to prevent them from harm?
     
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  3. Michael 歌舞伎 Valued Senior Member

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    Depends on the age. First trimester embryos do not, second trimester fetuses do not but third trimester fetuses do have rights. It's somewhat related to neural development.
     
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  5. Mrs.Lucysnow Valued Senior Member

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    Who would give the fetus these rights? As long as a woman has control over her body a fetus has no rights above that of the host. If a pregnant woman decides to drink, smoke and take drugs during early gestation then the fetus has no right to healthy development. The woman and the fetus are one, the fetus has no rights save that which the woman safe guards for it.
     
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  7. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Then is it wrong to make third trimester abortions illegal?
     
  8. Mrs.Lucysnow Valued Senior Member

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    "According to the Centers for Disease control, 1.3 percent of all abortions -- nearly 9,000 a year -- are done after 21 weeks into the pregnancy."

    "The CDC, in its most recent statistics, finds 2,956 late-term abortions done in New York, 1,094 in Georgia, and 950 in New Jersey. With the state of California not reporting its figures, the national numbers are likely much higher."

    http://www.lifenews.com/nat5128.html

    It happens but its rare. Most women do not opt for an abortion so late.
     
  9. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Any statistics on how many abortions are performed worldwide in a year?
     
  10. Mrs.Lucysnow Valued Senior Member

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    No not at hand but why do you need worldwide abortion stats?
     
  11. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    It would be interesting to see how they compare with post partum deaths, for one

    I started a poll here, for sciforumers

    http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=94810

    To clarify I am interested in the correlation between the perception of rights to the perception of harm done or permitted.
     
  12. Mrs.Lucysnow Valued Senior Member

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    You won't learn very much from that poll, there are not very many women on this site to begin with, what does this have to do with the OP? Or abortion stats worldwide? The right of a fetus is secondary to the right of the host.
     
  13. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Yeah I hear ya. I'm just wondering how that perception affects the choices made for aborting one.
     
  14. Mrs.Lucysnow Valued Senior Member

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    How that perception affects the choices made for aborting one? :bugeye:

    Re-phrase please? I don't understand what you mean.
     
  15. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Based on what Naosr said in the vegtarian thread:

    Does the perception that a fetus should not be mistreated affect the choices to undergo an abortion?
     
  16. Mrs.Lucysnow Valued Senior Member

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    But women who go to get an abortion couldn't care less how the fetus is treated, they care about if its safe for them. I mean women don't go into abortion clinics and ask 'Will it hurt the baby?':shrug:

    You know? Women only care about that when they want a child.
     
  17. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Is that right? I have no idea. If the women were to discover [for example] that it hurts the child, they would not care?
     
  18. Mrs.Lucysnow Valued Senior Member

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    HAHAHA! Sorry Sam.

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    I shouldn't really laugh. Sam when women go in for an abortion they tell them what is going to happen, They know that they use a suction to extract the fetus, they know it will kill the fetus. At two or three months it doesn't really matter what the fetus feels. And even if it 'feels something' that wouldn't change the very very real reasons why a woman would have walked in for the abortion to begin with. You don't really believe women walk into these clinics and walk out not understanding what they are doing do you?
     
  19. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Not really, perhaps I should visit an abortion clinic.
     
  20. Mrs.Lucysnow Valued Senior Member

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    Visit an abortion clinic? :bugeye: Why you think you can go in there and interview the women while they are in the waiting room? Or are there other issues going on with you that I am unaware of?

    All that for a thread?
     
  21. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Yup, pretty sure I can get one of my ex-employers to ring me up a survey.



    You think its a bit too much to actually go out and do research if you're interested in an issue? I do it all the time. Nothing like going straight to the source for clarification.

    oops gotta go do a furniture survey right now.

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  22. Mrs.Lucysnow Valued Senior Member

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    No I just thought you were interested in discussing the OP based on Nasor's post.
     
  23. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    What if in the third trimester they found out the the fetus was severely brain damaged and would not make it in the world if it was to be born. What if an accident occurred deforming the fetus during the third trimester and rendered it with severe medical problems that wouldn't allow it to live after it was born. There are many things that COULD happen during the third trimester that COULD make it necessary to have an abortion so by making it totally illegal you would be preventing doctors from aborting a fetus that was not going to live or could endanger the mother.
     

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