When Does Human Life Begin? (good)
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When Does Human Life Begin?
The question of when a human life begins is a profoundly intricate one, with widespread implications, ranging from abortion rights to stem cell research and beyond. A key point in the debate rests on the way in which we choose to define the concepts of humanity, life and human life. What does it mean to be alive? What does it mean to be human? Is a zygote or an embryo alive? Is a zygote or an embryo a human being? These are intricate philosophical questions that often incite intense debate, for their answers are used as evidence in the answers to questions about the moral status of a zygote, embryo or fetus.
The question of when human life begins has been pondered throughout history and in a multitude of cultural contexts. The "answer" is fluid, in that it has been changing throughout history, because any answer about when human life begins is deeply integrated with the beliefs, values and social constructs of the community or individual that drew the conclusion. Throughout history there have been several "answers" to the question of when human life begins, but the only consistency among the answers is that they are always changing as social contexts change, religious morals fluctuate, or new knowledge about the process of embryo development is obtained.
A particularly interesting aspect regarding the question of when human life begins is how the answer to the question is obtained. As the criteria and social contexts change, what methodology or fundamental principles did people use to answer this complicated and convoluted question? Historically, the answer has been coupled with the issue of abortion. As people tried to determine what stage abortion was acceptable, they often confronted the question as to when abortion should be considered destruction of a human life. While abortion is also a complicated issue with many confounding political, social and cultural factors, historically one of the fundamental determinants of the moral consequences of abortion, stemmed from what stage people viewed the embryo as a human being. The moral acceptance of abortion extended from the question as to whether abortion was the destruction of tissue, or whether it was an act of homicide. An analysis of the historical controversy over abortion issues can lead to an understanding of how communities and individuals throughout history were able to address the question of when human life begins.
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