z (02/21/83)
I have a simple question: Assuming conception is T=0, at what time (Tc) for time critical does the fetus become a person? Obviously it is a person at birth thus Tc<~9 months. I would like to hear opinions of mothers and near-mothers. //Z\\ Jim Ziobro
perelgut (02/22/83)
Looking for a specific value of "c" to fit the Tc concept is a simplistic approach to a complex moral problem. You cannot categorically state a fixed value for "c" any more than you can set a particular age of majority. At best you can adopt an approach which approximates the mean. Regardless, granted a fixed value for c, you may not be justifying abortion before that date since the question is not one of legal deadlines, but one of moral values. Thus it is up to each individual to determine for (him/her)self when an abortion is moral. The second issue ignored in looking for "c" is the issue of societies obligations to support/reject abortion. Should society make all abortions after "c" illegal, or just not pay for them under health-care plans? What about paying for abortions before "c". What about paying for or legislating against abortions at any time? Looking for "c" just distracts from a very difficult moral issue and threatens to once again embroil the network in a futile search for an answer to an unanswerable question! --- Stephen Perelgut ---