Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The concept of a person in the context of abortion

  • Published:
Bioethics Quarterly Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper investigates the significance of the question of the fetus's status as a person for resolving the moral issues of abortion. It considers and evaluates several proposed solutions to this question. It also attempts to explain how different questions about the permissibility of abortion are appropriate to discussions at different levels of decision-making: the pregnant woman, the health professional, and the social policy level. The author's own conclusions to all these questions are offered along with other popular views.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Philosophy, Dalhousie University, 1410 Henry St., B3H 3J5, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    Susan Sherwin Ph.D. (Associate Professor)

Authors
  1. Susan Sherwin Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sherwin, S. The concept of a person in the context of abortion. Bioethics Quarterly 3, 21–34 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00915098

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00915098

Keywords

Search

Navigation