ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that biological human life begins “at the well-defined ‘moment’ of sperm-egg fusion”. It focuses on the scientific evidence and is independent of any specific legal, ethical political or religious view”. The book explains: zygotes, embryos and fetuses are all persons. It outlines “inconsistency arguments”, which purport to show that abortion opponents are hypocritical with respect to their actions or beliefs. The book considers charges of inconsistency with a focus on abortion opponents’ obligations to adopt. It discusses analogies that have become commonplace within the abortion debate, arguing that we do not need any “analogy to pregnancy in order to understand its meaning and the moral obligations that may arise from it”.
