Unconscious People Aren’t Aware of Surroundings

This is an example of the Equal Rights Argument. On all sides of the abortion debate, most people agree that those of us outside the womb have equal value. Ask what we have in common that makes us equal, and listen carefully to the answer.

In this example, the proposed answer is that being aware of our surroundings is what makes us equal. But people who drink too much and pass out are temporarily not aware of their surroundings. This is important, because most people agree that people who are temporarily passed out deserve the right to life just as much as people who are awake. So being aware of our surroundings can’t be what makes us equal.

We think a good explanation for our equality is simply that we’re all living human organisms. A fetus is also a living human organism, so if we’re correct, then the fetus is a person with the same value as you and us.

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