Is a fetus human?

[QuestioningMind]

Hi all! I'm just wondering what the general consensus of this forum is about whether or not a fetus is a human being. If your answer is no, please leave a reason or two as to why you answered the way you did. I'm especially interested in the explanations for why a fetus isn't human.

If you believe a fetus isn't human because the brain and other organs aren't fully developed, do you at least believe it is human after birth? So the day prior to birth was it not human?

The word fetus (plural fetuses) is from the Latin fētus (“offspring”, “bringing forth”, “hatching of young”).

Please vote. Thanks!

A fetus developing within a human being is a human fetus. A fetus developing within a goat is a goat fetus, etc. In my opinion the more pertinent question would be when does a human fetus attain the status of an individual human being and become deserving of individual rights. That happens when the developing fetus is no longer dependent upon the biological functions of another. Up until that point it only has the potential to become an individual human being.

 

[Curious George]

My point is that a skin cell cannot (naturally) grow into a human.

The act of creation is sacred. Creating art, music, architecture; it's all sacred (though many modern examples of art are quite debatable).

Creating life is the most sacred form of creation. To terminate that form of creation is a desecration of the sacred.

"Every act of creation is first an act of destruction" Picasso

Perhaps you are viewing what is a circle as a line?

 

[Maponos]

"Every act of creation is first an act of destruction" Picasso

Perhaps you are viewing what is a circle as a line?

No, the circle is the cycle. Everything must come to an end. It's creation that keeps the cycle going.

 

[Curious George]

No, the circle is the cycle. Everything must come to an end. It's creation that keeps the cycle going.

Perhaps you don't understand or wish not to understand his perspective.

 

[Falvlun]

I don't think this question can be answered until we define what a human is, and that is a question that has been debated for thousands of years. So good luck on pinning that one down.

Figured human is simply the scientific designation of the particular species.

Personhood is a bit more philosophical and tricky.

 

[Jeremiahcp]

Figured human is simply the scientific designation of the particular species.

Personhood is a bit more philosophical and tricky.

Already a question of semantics, and we all know how those go.

 

[gnomon]

What a stupid thread.

Others should regret not making this simple observation earlier.

 

[ClearPath]

A fetus doesn't have rights; the birth mother can make almost any decision she pleases.
The fetus is still a human, however it isn't a person yet until it is born.