Decease… Death… Die…

1. Even if we agree that the fetus is a human creature, it is impossible not to see the difference between fetus and a human being, person. What is this difference in? This difference is recognized even in relation to plants: difference between seed, sprout and adult plant. Even in case with the plant it is recognized, that acorn and oak – are not the same. Plants’ pollen is scattered around the world, it is flying in the air; millions of grains of roe are dispersed in the water, millions of seeds are falling into the soil, but not all of them will become adult plants.

2. Even the defenders of the fetus’ rights for life (antagonists of abortion) consider that this creature exactly needs mother biologically and socially because it itself is not independent, it is not autonomous, it cannot develop outside mother’s body but it must exist inside mother for nine months. It means that before his birth it is still not independent and the act of birth defines exactly the moment when the “creature” becomes autonomous. That’s why the birth is the beginning of the human being’s life.

These two arguments especially important to take into account in two cases. First of all, in case of pregnancy which occurred as the result of rape – the “pollen” accidentally flied inside the mother. But also when the pregnancy was not consciously wanted. When spouses don’t want to have children and take measures of protection but these measures due to some reasons occur not effective.

Let’s suppose such a case and use allegory. I open a window in my room to air the place. But dove is flying into the room. Can I say that if he flied into my room then he has a right to live here in this room? And if with this there were special lattices to avoid birds’ flying in the room, but one lattice from the thousand (this happens sometimes) appeared defective and the dove flied into the room….We can hardly say that this dove has a right to live here, in my room because he “has a right for life”.

So, when, in what moment, in what point of the pregnancy process the fetus becomes a human creature with all intrinsic to human rights? In the moment of conception? In the first third, a second or a third stage of pregnancy? In the moment of birth? And here we are discussing not medical but ethical question, a question about the moral status of the human fetus. Depending on the solution of this question, there can be make the decision about the pros and cons abortions.

So, let’s act on the premise that the moral status of the fetus must be even partly tied with the stage of his development (and not with some other criteria, for example, social utility). And, at last, there must be formed the criterion of determination of the moral status of fetus, though this criterion must be so general not to contradict other moral criteria, and so wide that it could be applied to other living beings and not only to fetus and human’s embryo. This criterion must unite the moral status of these creatures with some their natural qualities and must be morally essential.

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