Abstract
When does a human being begin to exist? We argue that it is possible, through a combination of biological fact and philosophical analysis, to provide a definitive answer to this question. We lay down a set of conditions for being a human being, and we determine when, in the course of normal fetal development, these conditions are first satisfied. Issues dealt with along the way include: modes of substance-formation, twinning, the nature of the intra-uterine environment, and the nature of the relation between fetus and mother (connection, parthood, dependence).
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 45-78 |
| Number of pages | 34 |
| Journal | Journal of Medicine and Philosophy |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 1 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Embryo
- Fetal development
- Fetus
- Foster
- Ontology
- Substance
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Issues, ethics and legal aspects
- Philosophy
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Cite this
Smith, B., & Brogaard, B. (2003). Sixteen days. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 28(1), 45-78. https://doi.org/10.1076/jmep.28.1.45.14172