The following four examples illustrate what the resulting arguments might look l

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The following four examples illustrate what the resulting arguments might look like when applying these questions to various stages of fetal development: Conception or Fertilization Brain Develo Quickening Viability viability is passible at approximately the fifth month of If the being that is born at the end The human brain is the locus ofUsually, the pregnant woman can of a pregnancy is a human being csciousness, language, and or person, and if there is no substantial change in its constitution from its initial form then it is the same being all the cssation of brain function is now movement before this stage, one way through the stages of development. Otherwise, we would be implying that different unction should serve as the beings are succeeding one anather beginning of a person's life. It is from a new level of brain during this process. feel the fetus kick or move in communication, and it is what makes us crucially different from etal development. While other animals. Moreover, the approximately the fourth month of fetal development and means that the fetus is at least potentially capable of existing apart from the mother. Its organs and organ systems are sufficiently developed that it may have the capacity to unction on its own. It is the patential for life independent of the mother that forms the basis of a new moral status once the point contemporary science can detect used as the deberminant of death. Therefore, the beginning of brain might still facus on quickening as the start of self-initiated movement in the fetus, arising possible to detect brain activity between the sixth and eighth weeks of fetal development, which makes that point the significant time period for the purpose of the abortion debate. development. This would constitute a reason for identifying quickening as the beginning of aof viability is reached. new moral status or right to life because the fetus would now be moving about on its own. Common Criticisms of Method I Arguments Answer the following questions about some criticisms of the arguments invaking these stages of fetal development: Conception or fertilization: Critics of the position that the time of conception is morally significant may cite the fact that oells at this early stage are totipotent. What does this mean? O Different types of cells, such as heart oells or skin cells, are differentiated from one another O The cells may become any type of cells; there is no structure or cellular differentiation. O The process of cellular mitosis has yet to begin. O Cells at this early stage are lacking in genetic material (DNA). Brain development: what might critics of the aforementioned brain-developmentargument point out about brain development? O A fetus's brain activity develops at the exact point of its viability, when the fetus can live outside the mother's womb. Brain activity develops gradually, such that you cannot identify any single point during fetal development that presents an entirely unique or qualitative change in brain activity O Brain activity is like a light switch; the fetus changes from having no brain activity whatsoever to fully-developed mental activity, nearly O Brain activity begins only after the time of birth. Quickening: Quickening points to the fetus's movement, but nonhuman animals move, too. Yet animal-rights activists rarely tie their arguments to the ability to move. To what feature do they usualy point? O Sentience-the ability to feel pleasure and pain. O Intelligence-the ability to think and reason abstractly O Adaptiveness-the ability to adapt to one's environment O Emativeness-the ability to sense complex emotions such as jealously or regret Viability: Critics of the viability criterion point out that even if the fetus is delivered at the paint of viability: O The fetus is fully developed and no longer requires medical care. O The fetus would still be dependent on athers for its survival. O The fetus has the mental and physical capadity for complete self-determination. O The fetus would be fully autonom ous and independent from that point onward.

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The following four examples illustrate what the resulting arguments might look l

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