When does a person become a person?

When does a person become a person? 

Everyone would agree that adult humans are persons. However, there is much uncertainty (and disagreement!) about when a person becomes a person. Some people argue that the moment an egg is fertilised it is a person, whereas others argue that a baby is not a person until it has been born. Other people argue that at some point between conception and birth, a foetus becomes a person (for example, when a foetus has its first heartbeat at about 22 days old). 

Visit these links to learn more about the different points at which it can be argued a foetus becomes a person:  

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/child/alive_1.shtml (scroll down to the section on ‘The stages of foetal development’) 
• http://embryo-ethics.smd.qmul.ac.uk/home/personhood-presentation/ (a bit scientific and in-depth in parts, but has some interesting information) 

Some things to think about… 

• Are foetuses persons? 
• Is a foetus a person from the moment of conception? If not, at what point does a foetus become persons? 
• What constitutes a person? Consciousness? Autonomy? Having the genetic human code? Emotions and feelings? Being able to communicate? 
• Is there a difference between a human and a person? Or is it the same thing? 
• Can animals be persons? http://dolphinproject.org/take-action/dolphin-personhood