Fetal Humanity and Brain Function Essay Example

this timeframe is ethically unsound, except under rare circumstances, due to concerns about human rights. Brody's objection towards abortion originates from his conviction that fetal growth is pivotal in deciding when an embryo should be deemed as having the right to live. In substantiating his opinion, Brody references Ramsey's ideas on brain-death and mortality.

As the fetus develops, it forms vital organs such as the heart, brain, and lungs. Once any of these organs start working, the fetus should be recognized as a human being entitled to life. Brody's belief that the loss of a crucial characteristic would lead to death should also be acknowledged.

According to Brody, the Brain-Death theory links human property with a functioning brain, resulting in a mistaken belief. Although the theory asserts that an individual exists as long as their brain function has not permanently stopped, stopping of brain function does not mean death. Consequently, even if the premises are accurate, the inference drawn from this theory is false. Furthermore, Brody disputed the idea that attributes such as movement, perceptibility to others, and viability are pivotal properties of humanity. His comparisons illustrated that these assertions are not mandatory for being human.

According to Brody, all essential human properties are acquired through brain operation, suggesting that the possession of a functioning brain is the main requirement for being human. The developing fetal brain can only support spontaneous motion in the third month after conception, and Brody concluded that the fetus becomes a human being between the end of the sixth and twelfth week of development. However, this conclusion seems inconsistent with the claim that the possession of a functioning brain is the only essential

property for humanity.

Baruch Brody espoused Ramsey's theory of death, which asserts that a human being ceases to exist when the essential properties of humanity--the brain, heart, and lungs--irreparably cease to function. This argument is compelling because it establishes that the loss of the essential properties equates to death. Conversely, the assertion that a fetus becomes a human once it possesses any one of these properties is nebulous and lacks validity. As the heart is a critical organ required for survival, it follows that the fetus only attains humanity once it develops a heart. Moreover, the fetal heart invariably develops before its brain and lungs in all instances.

Essentially, the theory of essentialism refutes the idea that a fetus becomes human based on one property alone. If a fetus lacks a functioning heart, it cannot survive even if other organs develop first. Thus, it is determined that a fetus becomes human once it acquires the essential property of a working heart, which typically occurs around two weeks after conception but can vary up to twelve weeks. This conclusion allows for flexibility in acknowledging when personhood begins without making false assumptions. In light of this reasoning, Brody concludes that any point beyond this development marks when the fetus should be considered human and afforded the right to life.

Brody's argument demonstrates that, barring certain exceptional situations, abortion is ethically unacceptable since a fetus is deemed a human and entitled to the right to life. Accordingly, the act of intentionally ending a human life is considered immoral. However, Brody's position lacks some theological premises.

The lack of an explicit definition for "unusual circumstances" means that abortion is morally

impermissible in any case, as killing a life is immoral and Brody has shown that fetuses have a right to life.