Moral Agency and the Fetus

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An argument that birth is the point at which human genetic material acquires moral status

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Moral Agency and the Fetus: : 

Moral Agency and the Fetus: Does the Latter Have the Former? If So, How So? If Not, Why Not?

Do Fetuses Have Moral Agency? : 

Do Fetuses Have Moral Agency? Fetus? Have? Moral Agency? A fetus is unborn, yet developing human genetic material! A fetus begins at the very first mitotic divide. A fetus ends fetus-hood upon womb-independent survivability or death. Requirements “Obligability,” Culpability. Attributes Autonomy, Protection. A fetus will qualify as a moral agent only if it is both morally obligable and culpable for its actions.

A Fetus’s Obligability : 

A Fetus’s Obligability TWO REQUISITES A fetus must be able to receive moral instructions for action and to act on those instructions. A fetus must be able to issue moral instructions and thereby enable others to act on its instructions.

Fetuses… : 

That’s what the geneticist’s dilemma is! Fetuses… …can be given instructions to follow. …can give instructions for action from others. Those instructions are not moral, either. Such instructions are not moral!

Fetuses are Not Obligable! : 

Fetuses are Not Obligable! The problem is much worse than just the inability to take and make moral instructions. Fetuses lack even the means for acquiring necessary tools for moral consciousness. Language acquisition, for conceptual distinctions of right and wrong, Behavioral discipline, for reinforcement of behaviors that one considers moral, and Environmental awareness, for situational evaluation.

Nothing that is Not Obligable Can Be Culpable! : 

Nothing that is Not Obligable Can Be Culpable! Just as we cannot assign obligations to the myriad of other inanimate things or lower creatures, we cannot make fetuses culpable for their actions. Blame Free!

What about Babies? : 

What about Babies? Components of Moral Learning: Language learning, Behavioral discipline, Environmental awareness. A Baby in Moral Reflection Babies are anatomically equipped! Fetuses? Not so equipped.

Works Cited: : 

Works Cited: Hoedemaekers, Rogeer. "Embryos Deserve the Moral Status of Persons." Opposing Viewpoints: Reproductive Technologies. Ed. Clay Farris Naff. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Rio Salado Community College. 25 Dec. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com.ezp1r.riosalado.edu/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010454211&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=mccweb_riosalado&version=1.0>. Sandel, Michael J.. "Embryos Do Not Deserve the Moral Status of Persons." Opposing Viewpoints: Reproductive Technologies. Ed. Clay Farris Naff. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Rio Salado Community College. 25 Dec. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com.ezp1r.riosalado.edu/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010454212&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=mccweb_riosalado&version=1.0>.