| If that were the definitive characterization, you would be right. Of course, we do not require self- awareness, in your definition, to concede that a being is human. Hence, the ban on infanticide. From the time of conception, there is a unique, living being at various stages of development and dependency. It is human in virtue of its genetic program. Thus, it is a human being. In any event, even if one were to say that it was "potential human life", there would be reason to uphold the sanctity of human life by making it more difficult to have an abortion, or by penalizing it, albeit to a much lesser extent. We do not treat even "potential" human beings cavalierly...... |
