Abortion should remain legal. Due to the fact that a universal definition of personhood will never be agreed upon, thus it should remain legal. For example, often when laws are passed that ban something that is felt to be a right, people will continue to act with it, like prohibition, but it would be in an unsafe manner. In order to protect the health and well being of pregnant women that wants an abortion, medical professionals should be legally permitted to perform this task in a safe way. As Warren argues that abortion is morally permissible up until birth as the fetus is not a person until this point.
Warren starts off pointing out that English law says that the point in which a legal person is considers into existence is that of the moment they are born (Warren 102). She then moves in to how after birth abortion would fall into the category homicide or infanticide. Following this, warren argues the sentience criterion which involves the point when a fetus can have experiences. Warren uses the example that later term fetuses have the ability to, when bright lights are close to them, they can turn away from it (Warren 103). Due to this she says that this differentiates late-term fetuses and first trimester fetuses because of the sensory ability that has been developed. The self-awareness criterion points that it is highly unlikely that fetus has developed a sense of which they may be or have that though to wish to stay in existence. Warren makes a good point that to protect infants from after birth abortion is a good idea because of our natural instinct to care for infants. Hence birth is a matter of definition as to when abortion can no longer be performed.
As warren makes multiple points as to when abortion is morally permissible and when it is not, she argues viability, sentience, and abortion till birth. Warren is correct when she argues that viability could very well be a point at which, if outside the womb a fetus could survive even if medical...