It's often claimed that a fetus doesn't obtain personhood until it becomes sentient and that therefore having an abortion before this point doesn't violate their right to life. I aim to show this view to be false as follows;
1. A sufficient condition for one's right to life to have been violated is that that person was caused to die without their consent.
2. Everyone eventually dies.
3. Procreation causes people to exist.
4. By 2 and 3, procreation causes people to die.
5. Procreation is performed without consent of those who are brought into existence.
6. By 4 and 5, procreation causes people to die without their consent.
7. By 1 and 6, procreation violates the right to life.
8. Pre-sentient fetuses lack the right to life (pro-choice axiom).
9. By 7 and 8, continuing a pregnancy beyond the pre-sentient phase would violate the right to life.
10. By 7 and 9, not having an abortion violates the right to life.
Thus, there is only one option in which the right to life isn't violated which refutes this version pro-choice. The pro-life stance doesn't suffer from the same flaw because their assumptions entail that an abortion at any point during a pregnancy violates the right to life.
1. A sufficient condition for one's right to life to have been violated is that that person was caused to die without their consent.
2. Everyone eventually dies.
3. Procreation causes people to exist.
4. By 2 and 3, procreation causes people to die.
5. Procreation is performed without consent of those who are brought into existence.
6. By 4 and 5, procreation causes people to die without their consent.
7. By 1 and 6, procreation violates the right to life.
8. Pre-sentient fetuses lack the right to life (pro-choice axiom).
9. By 7 and 8, continuing a pregnancy beyond the pre-sentient phase would violate the right to life.
10. By 7 and 9, not having an abortion violates the right to life.
Thus, there is only one option in which the right to life isn't violated which refutes this version pro-choice. The pro-life stance doesn't suffer from the same flaw because their assumptions entail that an abortion at any point during a pregnancy violates the right to life.
