Ms. Glasgow wrote a very interesting article concerning the brain development of a fetus and postulated that to kill a fetus with a developed brain is killing a human. Though insightful, I find one major problem with the argument: How accurately can we measure the thought process of a fetus? If fetal cognitive thought is to be the basis for future legislation against abortion after such time as this feat is possible, what is the standard? Are we to use statistics to determine the average amount of time fetal thought requires, thereby only killing half the potential fully developed human beings? Or should we have it be on a case-by-case basis, where a doctor subjectively determines thought from recorded data? Do you see the problem here?
The fact is, as beings possessing imperfect knowledge, we can never really know the moment at which cognitive thought takes place for a fetus. To try and determine this would be an exercise in futility. If the “right to live” is the matter at stake for human beings, I think it is fair to say that if the woman is going to die by carrying the unborn, she should have the right to live if she so chooses. If her life is not in danger then the fetus’ life should take precedence. Should she be unable to care for the child, there are options available. “Inconvenience” should never be just cause for disposing of human life, even at its earliest onset and “science” as it is can hardly be the standard.
Ryan Hunter
Mechanical engineering senior