"Are Stem Cells Babies?: The Ethics of Making Perfect Transplants" is the title of the third chapter of Ronald Bailey's Liberation Biology. This portion of the book addresses, not as comprehensively as the LIBERTARIAN BIOETHICS BLOGger desired, a question humans have been asking since the dawn of man: When does human life begin? Bailey naturally opposes the typical conservative Christian doctrine of sperm/egg fertilization (an embryo) equaling a person. Of interest, he notes that Jewish and Muslim doctrines are not consistent with this conservative Christian dogma either; apparently Jews believe embryos less than 40 days old are not persons and Muslims believe embryos less than 4 months old are not persons. I admit the latter information was new to me.
Regardless of other traditions, the libertarian tradition provides no specific guidance on this fundamental bioethics issue. I again propose, based on ideas from Sigrid Fry-Revere and Hans Hoppe, that embryos or fetuses or babies become persons when they have developed the minimum biologic structure capable of engaging in propositional logic regardless if this capability is currently expressed or not. This means that an embryo or fetus or baby is a person when the embryo or fetus or baby has developed the appropriate neurologic structures needed for propositional logic (the basis of reason). I write "embryo or fetus or baby" because it is unclear at this time when this event occurs. This definition of personhood is certain to be controversial in libertarian circles, but any definition of personhood is controversial in libertarian circles.
Regardless of other traditions, the libertarian tradition provides no specific guidance on this fundamental bioethics issue. I again propose, based on ideas from Sigrid Fry-Revere and Hans Hoppe, that embryos or fetuses or babies become persons when they have developed the minimum biologic structure capable of engaging in propositional logic regardless if this capability is currently expressed or not. This means that an embryo or fetus or baby is a person when the embryo or fetus or baby has developed the appropriate neurologic structures needed for propositional logic (the basis of reason). I write "embryo or fetus or baby" because it is unclear at this time when this event occurs. This definition of personhood is certain to be controversial in libertarian circles, but any definition of personhood is controversial in libertarian circles.
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