Abortion Before a Fetus Has a Functioning Brain is Not Wrong

The proposition on offer is that abortion before a fetus' brain is functioning is not wrong. There are at least two considerations that support this position. First, it is commonly held that a person's personality is contained in the brain. For example, nobody seriously thinks that one somehow would retain their personality if their brain were removed or somehow wiped clean. Furthermore, if one considered a situation with two people (Jeff and Clara) and a transplant surgery that moved Jeff's brain to Clara's body, nobody seriously believes that Clara's body retains Clara's personality. Indeed, it is obvious that the situation would be that Jeff's personality has moved to Clara's body. In fact, it would be more accurate to refer to the entity that inhabits Clara's body as "Jeff" and to consider that person to BE Jeff, but simply in a different "container." Similarly, if Jeff's brain and conscious were somehow recorded into a computer where he retained communicative capabilities, we would consider the computer to be Jeff. Thus, it becomes obvious that the contents of a person's personhood are dependent on a functioning brain. The notion that a fetus may be "part of a person" is a silly idea. One cannot be "part of a person" any more than one can be "partially legally married." One is either a person, or not a person. Since a brain is a necessary prerequisite for personhood, it must be the case that entities without functioning brains cannot be people. Second, medical death occurs when electrical activity in the brain ceases. A corollary of this would indicate that medical life occurs when electrical activity in the brain STARTS. Thus, an entity without electrical activity in the brain is not alive. **************************************** My opponent will no doubt make an argument that it is wrong to kill something that has the potential to be a person, or the potential to be alive. There are two simple counterarguments to this. First, consider an advanced computer. The designers of the computer know for a fact that when they turn it on, it will be intelligent and develop a personality, just like a person. It will be conscious, self-aware, etc... It is in no way wrong to disassemble this computer before it is activated. I cannot think of any reason why it would be wrong to disassemble a non-person that has never been a person. Second, consider a Frankenstein-like entity on a table, constructed from the material from dead people. Supposing he could be brought to life (LIIIIVE!!!), he would be a person, self-aware, intelligent, etc... Even if it was inevitable or highly likely that he would be brought to life (suppose there is an automated process that will bring him to life in 20 mins), it would be in no way wrong to stop this process from happening, or to even disassemble this entity back into its original components. Likewise, I can think of no reason that preventing potential life is wrong, given that the entity has never been alive. ****************************************** As one can see, my opponent will be hard pressed to show that abortion before a fetus has a functioning brain is wrong. I stand by the proposition that there is nothing wrong with abortion before a fetus has a functioning brain. AFFIRMED.