ABSTRACT
On a commonsense level, this conflict is about the status of the embryo developing inside the womb: Is it a person or a potential person? If the embryo is assumed to be a person, then abortion is murder. But if the embryo is assumed to be a potential person, then abortion is a woman's right to control her fertility. Each stance reflects an unverifiable assumption about when human life begins-an issue that cannot be resolved. This fact heightens the conflict because activists ("pro-choice" and "pro-life") believe they are defending a moral position.
