| Gela has incorporated my general views on this matter. The issue of the abortion debate is not what constitutes a "life", as plants are alive, and yet are never given moral consideration at least in a rightist viewpoint such as abortion.
Then we may ask, what is a right? Basically rights are derived from an inidividual's desires or "interests". For example, If a child has an interest in living we can say that they have a "right" to not be murdered through moral imperitives.
Then, interests are formed through the existence of a conciousness, while a conciousness is formed through the existence of a nervous system. Therefore, since the early-term fetuses that are frequently aborted do not have a central nervous system, there is no reason to believe we are violating their rights.
The issue typically tends to revolve more around what constitutes as a HUMAN life, which is far more subjective and elitist in my view, the latter meaning that it suggests that human life is important above all else. |