PHIL 333 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Fetus, Zygote, Blastocyst
Document Summary
If we determine that fetuses (or embryos, or zygotes) have direct moral standing, a further question arises: Zygotes, embryos and fetuses: modern science draws a medical distinction between zygotes, embryos, and fetuses, zygote: a fertilized ovum; unicellular; present at conception. It should not be part of the definition (or be implied by the definition) that abortion is morally wrong (begging the question): a working definition: Abortion: intentional termination of a pregnancy which causes the killing (or death) of the fetus (embryo, zygote): not all authors agree on this definition. It is a substantive question whether abortion is the (intentional) killing of a fetus (embryo, zygote). Abortion laws in canada: abortion was criminalized in canada in the 19th century (1869). In 1967, the justice minister of canada (pierre trudeau) presented a bill to liberalize. Canadas" abortion law, which became law in 1969.
