Does genetics prove that a zygote is a human? Argumentation-theoretic analysis of the justification of the genetic criterion in the Declaration on Procured Abortion Cover Image

Czy genetyka dowodzi, że zygota to człowiek? Teorioargumentacyjna analiza uzasadnienia kryterium genetycznego w Deklaracji o przerywaniu ciąży
Does genetics prove that a zygote is a human? Argumentation-theoretic analysis of the justification of the genetic criterion in the Declaration on Procured Abortion

Author(s): Piotr M. Sękowski
Subject(s): Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Special Branches of Philosophy, Philosophy of Middle Ages, Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Law
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego
Keywords: abortion; argumentation; Thomism; zygote; embryo; Church; biology; embryology

Summary/Abstract: In the Declaration on Procured Abortion, 1974, the Catholic Church argues that the zygote is human because it has a human genotype. The article presents a logical analysis of this argument. It shows that this argument is largely faulty. Thomism plays the function of warranty in this argumentation. The enthymematic Thomistic assumptions are necessary for the inference from premise to conclusion at all. Moreover, it turns out that this argument presupposes a Thomistic interpretation of biological concepts that is inconsistent with modern biological knowledge. Thus, the statement contained in the Declaration has not been effectively argued on the grounds of biology, and it even seems that biology undermines it. It is possible only as a metaphysical statement and only on the basis of certain metaphysics.

  • Issue Year: 2022
  • Issue No: 60
  • Page Range: 65-93
  • Page Count: 29
  • Language: Polish