This is what I mean when I say that “is a fetus a person?” is a disguised query. The real question at issue is “should abortion be allowed?”
Ah, I see! Yes, I agree completely.
ETA: And most people in abortion debates don’t seem to realize this. There are also the questions of whether it should be legal even if it’s unethical (to avoid unsafe abortions that kill the mother), and whether abortion law should be decided at the state or federal level, which also get confused with the other questions. You can oppose Roe on federalism grounds even if you support abortion.
:”Is a fetus a person?” isn’t just about abortion, but about other rights for fetuses as well. If a fetus is a person, is the woman carrying it legally obligated to not endanger it?
I still think that’s a disguised query. Whether a fetus is a person is a separate question from whether a woman is obligated to not endanger it. For instance, protected species of animals are not people, but we are legally obligated to not endanger them in certain ways. Convicted murderers on death row, enemy soldiers at war, and people trying to kill you are considered people, but in some situations involving such people, there is no legal obligation to not endanger them.
I can consistently think a fetus is a person, but that there should be no requirement to not endanger it, and vice versa.
Ah, I see! Yes, I agree completely.
ETA: And most people in abortion debates don’t seem to realize this. There are also the questions of whether it should be legal even if it’s unethical (to avoid unsafe abortions that kill the mother), and whether abortion law should be decided at the state or federal level, which also get confused with the other questions. You can oppose Roe on federalism grounds even if you support abortion.
:”Is a fetus a person?” isn’t just about abortion, but about other rights for fetuses as well. If a fetus is a person, is the woman carrying it legally obligated to not endanger it?
I still think that’s a disguised query. Whether a fetus is a person is a separate question from whether a woman is obligated to not endanger it. For instance, protected species of animals are not people, but we are legally obligated to not endanger them in certain ways. Convicted murderers on death row, enemy soldiers at war, and people trying to kill you are considered people, but in some situations involving such people, there is no legal obligation to not endanger them.
I can consistently think a fetus is a person, but that there should be no requirement to not endanger it, and vice versa.