Abortion is immoral

1. Pro life arguments are morally soundThe argument that a fetus is brain dead is, in my opinion, quite wrong. Definition of brain dead [1] "Having irreversible loss of brain function as indicated by a persistent flat electroencephalogram." The key phrase here, is "having irreversible loss of brain function". In the case of a fetus, it is the exact opposite. They are in fact developing functionality of the brain, by as early as the [2] 6th week of gestation, a heart beat can be detected, and by the [3] 20th week of gestation, they can feel pain. My point is that a brain dead individual has completely lost the use of his brain, while the brain of a fetus is developing, and it is shown that the fetus has human emotions (such as pain) inside the womb. It is also wrong to say that, just because a fetus doesn't place a value on it's life, it is morally permissible to kill it. By that logic, humans can be killed at any point in childhood, because there is no age at which a human really appreciates the value of life. Some may see it before others. I really didn't start to "value" life until I was 12-13. Does that mean it would have been ok for my Mother to have aborted me, at say, 10 years of age, because I really didn't know the value of my life? Of course not. There are even some adults who don't see the value of life. Fetuses don't have desires because they haven't developed enough yet. But as soon as they are born, they have the desire to be warm, fed, and taken care of. Which leads me to my next point: 2. When does a fetus become a baby?Simply stating that a fetus is human when it is born is not enough. Fetuses can be born and survive outside the womb before 40 weeks gestation. So when a fetus becomes a baby needs to be established. One such case of a premature birth, is the case of Amillia Taylor, who was born at just under 22 weeks gestation [4]. She is still alive and doing well [5]. In her case, it is proven possible for a baby to survive at just 22 weeks gestation, when they can be aborted up until week 21. So, that being said, we can assume that at 22 weeks, a fetus has the capabilities to possibly survive outside of the womb, and can be considered human. It has the capabilities to think, and to feel, and to live. However, nature intended for it to stay in the womb for 40 weeks. This doesn't make it any less human. 3. What makes a human, human?Paraphrasing part of your argument, you say that, to be human, one must have: 1) consciousness, 2) the capacity to reason, 3) self-motivated activity, 4) the capacity to communicate messages, and 5) the presence of self-concepts.For starters, humans don't all develop a consciousness at the same age. Some may get it older than others, however, it is safe to say that a 2-3 year old, doesn't have a conscience. Even at 4-5, they may not have developed it. So to say that a human must have a conscience to be human, is wrong. Otherwise, by that logic, it would be morally permissible to kill anyone under the age of 5. 2nd, the capacity to reason. Once again, most children cannot reason well before the age of 4-5. It doesn't make them any less human than you or I. Just less developed than us.3rd, self motivated activity. What this means exactly, is debatable. You can say that a self motivated activity would be crying, so your mother will feed you. Going back to Amillia Taylor, babies can possibly survive outside the womb at 21-22 weeks gestation. She had to let her Mother know in some way that she needed something, such as food, or a dry diaper. So you can say that a 21 week gestation fetus that is being aborted, can possibly survive outside the womb, and is human, because it has the capability to act in a self motivating way.4th, the capacity to communicate. That one is similar to our 3rd point.And finally, 5th, the presence of self concepts. As before, a young child lacks this, like many things, such as reason and logic. That doesn't make it any less human. Paraphrasing wikipedia's definition [6] Self concept "is a multi-dimensional construct that refers to an individual's perception of "self" in relation to any number of characteristics, such as academics (and non academics), gender roles and sexuality, racial identity, and many others." Again, to say that a 4-5 year old, and even a child older than that, has the presence of self concepts would be wrong, and by your logic, it would be morally permissible to kill it.Conclusion Fetuses are not unconscious blobs of cells. After 6 weeks or so, they have developed very much, and by around 20-22 weeks, they show almost all signs of a human baby. To say that it is morally permissible to kill it, because of it's mental underdevelopment is very wrong, and very immoral. It would permit the killings of little children, and even those deemed "mentally unfit" to live. Sources[1] http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu... [2] http://www.livestrong.com...[3] http://www.abortionfacts.com... [4] http://www.dailymail.co.uk...[5] http://www.growingyourbaby.com...[6] http://en.wikipedia.org...