Saad Toni
a Cardiff University , UK.
New Bioeth. 2016 Nov;22(3):202-211. doi: 10.1080/20502877.2016.1238581. Epub 2016 Oct 21.
It is sometimes argued that interruptions of the life's continuum which have the same end result are morally equivalent. In other words, abortion and contraception are ethically identical because both prevent birth and the development of persons. We will examine two major arguments in favour of this thesis: (1) all things that are potential persons have equal moral status. Hence preventing fertilisation of gametes is morally identical to destroying an embryo; (2) all interruptions of the continuous process which leads to the creation of a person are morally equivalent; abortion and contraception are morally indistinguishable. These arguments challenge those who distinguish between abortion and contraception. It is argued, however, that there is good reason to doubt their validity. Furthermore, an argument is offered which confirms the ethical boundary between abortion and contraception on the basis that an embryo is something greater and other than the sum of its constituent gametes.
有时有人认为，具有相同最终结果的生命连续体中断在道德上是等效的。换句话说，堕胎和避孕在伦理上是相同的，因为两者都能防止生育和人的发育。我们将审视支持这一论点的两个主要论据：（1）所有潜在的人都具有平等的道德地位。因此，阻止配子受精在道德上等同于摧毁一个胚胎；（2）导致一个人诞生的连续过程的所有中断在道德上都是等效的；堕胎和避孕在道德上无法区分。这些论据对那些区分堕胎和避孕的人构成了挑战。然而，有人认为，有充分理由怀疑它们的有效性。此外，有人提出了一个论点，基于胚胎不仅仅是其组成配子的总和，而是具有更重要的意义，从而确认了堕胎和避孕之间的伦理界限。
