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) |
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Pages (from-to) | 45-78 |
Number of pages | 34 |
Journal | Journal of Medicine and Philosophy |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2003 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Embryo
- Fetal development
- Fetus
- Foster
- Ontology
- Substance
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Issues, ethics and legal aspects
- Philosophy