Purchase Solution

Bioethics and Personhood

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

Francis Beckwith writes, "After all, if human persons ought not to be either subjects of research or killed without justification, and if the fetus from conception is a human person, then embryo experimentation, abortion, and cloning are prima facie morally wrong."("Abortion, Bioethics, and Personhood" http://cbhd.org/content/abortion-bioethics-and-personhood-philosophical-reflection)

Do you agree with his assertion that the question of personhood is paramount in these issues? Explain.

After reviewing the readings for this topic, what do you think are the strongest arguments for and against the right to abortion? Explain. Do the same principles apply to euthanasia? Explain

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

The solution provides information, assistance and advise in tackling the task (see above) on the topic of bioethics, abortion and euthanasia. Resources are listed for further exploration of the topic.

Solution Preview

Bioethics: Abortion, Euthanasia

According to Francis Beckwith, an American philosopher and Christian apologist argues that (2000), "After all, if human persons ought not to be either subjects of research or killed without justification, and if the foetus from conception is a human person, then embryo experimentation, abortion, and cloning are prima facie morally wrong." In this statement, Beckwith makes the assumption that all foetuses are a human person after conception. The issue of 'killing a human being' in terms of abortion of a foetus is subject to debate. Anjorin (n.d.) writes that to be considered a 'person', a being must have the capacity to reason, is self-aware, has consciousness and is able to feel pain, is self-motivated to act and can communicate messages and discourse in varied capacities. Philosopher Ann Warren (King, n.d.) takes this view too, furthering the argument the moral community is not of human beings (genetics) but of ...

Solution provided by:
Xenia Rochelle Jones, MA, PhD (IP)
Education
  • MPhil/PhD (IP), Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • MA, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • Certificate, Geva Ulpan (via Universita Tel Aviv)
  • BA, University of the Philippines
Recent Feedback
  • "Thank you!:)"
  • "Excellent, thank you!:)"
  • "Thank you for your timely help. I have submitted another posting (656038) and assigned it directly to you. Please help."
  • "Thank you so much for your timely help. Much appreciated."
  • "Thanks so much for your support."
Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Theories of Work Motivation

This quiz tests the student's understanding of the major theories of work motivation from an organizational behavior perspective.

How can you tell if your loved one is suicidal?

This is a small quiz to help determine if a loved one is suicidal and what steps should be taken to help stop suicide.

Positive Psychology

A quiz related to the introductory concepts of positive psychology.

Psychoanalysis and Sigmund Freud

This quiz explores the personality theory of psychoanalysis, in particular reference to how Freud conceptualized of this theory.

Role of Memory in Learning

This quiz addresses the role of memory in the learning process. The quiz differentiates between the different types of memory that facilitate learning.

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • Medical Law, Ethics, And Bioethics, Defined

    424513 Defining Medical Law, Ethics, and Bioethics In your own words, define medical law, ethics, and bioethics. In your definitions, discuss the importance of each in the medical environment.

  • Medical law, Ethics and Bioethics

    416943 Medical Law, Ethics and Bioethics Please help answer the following question. What are the examples of medical law, ethics and bioethics? See the attached file.

  • What is medical law,ethics, and bioethics?

    The solution discusses what is medical law, ethics and bioethics.

  • The Difference Between Ethics and Bioethics

    325925 How are ethics different from bioethics? How are ethics and feelings different? Need help in identifying the differences between ethics and bioethics and how ethics and feelings differ.

  • Split Brain Patients

    One similarity is that both conjoined twins and a split-brain person share a single body. In addition, as Schecter (2012) suggests in her description of unified agency, each is an agent with one mind, and of one personhood.

  • Healthcare Information Resources

    This site provided me with a great deal of information on the ramifications of bioethics, and how bioethics is to be acknowledged and practiced by all health care practitioners, in addition to the availability of academic and practical resources that

  • Bioethics: Autonomy and Informed Consent

    It also examines in some detail the statement "many writers in bioethics believe that all intentional suppression of pertinent information violates a patient's autonomy rights and violates the fundamental duties of the health professional."

  • Bioethics Discussion: Abortion

    Dear Student, Hi and thank you for using Brainmass. The solution below should get you started. In this particular task, you are asking for help in putting together a discussion on bioethics.

  • Kantian Personhood

    This solution explains Kant's moral reasoning process and dissects it in brief as regards to "personhood" and its logically problematic definition.

View More Related Solutions