1. Personhood Learning Intention:
Explore and attempt to define what is meant by a ‘person’.
Understand why the question of personhood is a key issue in the treatment of embryos.

2. The Philosophical Perspective
person is defined by philosophers as a being who is in possession of a range of psychological capacities that are regarded as both necessary and sufficient to fulfill the requirements of personhood. These are, in general, that it is capable of reasoning, that it is self-conscious, and that it has an identity that persists through time.
person is defined by philosophers as a being who is in possession of a range of psychological capacities that are regarded as both necessary and sufficient to fulfill the requirements of personhood. These are, in general, that it is capable of reasoning, that it is self-conscious, and that it has an identity that persists through time. The English philosopher John Locke defined a person as "a thinking intelligent Being, that has reason and reflection, and can consider it self as it self, the same thinking thing in different times and places; which it does only by that consciousness, which is inseparable from thinking, and as it seems to me essential to it" (Essay on Humane Understanding, Book 2, Chapter 27, Section 9).
The most obvious examples of persons are human beings. Some philosophers, like Peter Singer of Princeton University, regard non-human animals as persons, and argue that some human beings — for example, those with certain types of brain damage — are not. Beings from other planets could also be regarded as persons.
The most obvious trait that individuals considered persons usually possess is a conscious mind, typically (but not necessarily) with plans, goals, desires, hopes, fears, and so on. These traits therefore form a natural set of criteria for personhood.
Despite this, these criteria are controversial. In particular, some have argued that these criteria fail to recognize babies as persons.[citation needed] Although they meet some of the criteria, such as some degree of consciousness, and the ability to feel pain, the mental abilities of a newborn baby often seem to some to be no more impressive than many animals not commonly considered persons.
Because of these problems, some philosophers suggest that the potential to become fully thinking beings is sufficient to convey personhood, regardless of present mental status.[citation needed] A consequence of this view is that an embryo would be considered a person from conception; but others see the idea of a single cell - with absolutely no mind of any sort - being a person as counterintuitive.[

3. Fertilisation
Here we can see a single egg and sperm, what is termed conception has not yet taken place. This therefore cannot be a contender for the title ‘person’

4. Conception 30 hours Zygote
Thirty hours later do we have to change our view?
Conception has taken place and the single cell has split into two. This is the point at which most scientists would agree that life has begun, however lots of bugs and bacteria are alive, this doesn’t stop us from spraying them liberally with domestos!
The question we are being asked here is therefore: is this a person?
This would be the point at which Buddhists agree that consciousness is attained, the Dali Lama has said "Of course, abortion, from a Buddhist viewpoint, is an act of killing and is negative, generally speaking. But it depends on the circumstances. If the unborn child will be retarded or if the birth will create serious problems for the parent, these are cases where there can be an exception. I think abortion should be approved or disapproved according to each circumstance".
The Bible does not explicitly condemn abortion in any passage however, Jesus, according to Christian teaching, did not become divine or human at some later date but was so from the very moment of conception.
The Roman Catholic Church today firmly holds that "the first right of the human person is his life" and that life is assumed to begin at fertilization. The Roman Catholic Church today firmly holds that "the first right of the human person is his life" and that life is assumed to begin at fertilization.
Protestant views on abortion vary considerably.
Abortion is generally forbidden in Sikhism, and most Sikhs accept that life begins at conception (one reference is found on page 74 of the Guru Granth Sahib).
Despite this theoretical viewpoint, abortion is not uncommon among the Sikh community in India, and there is concern that the practice of aborting female embryos because of a cultural preference for sons is growing.

5. 6 days Blastocyst

6. Development of the primitive streak, on day 15
Development of the primitive streak, on day This is the basis for the nervous system and the reason that embryos are destroyed on day Development of the primitive streak means it is possible that the embryo can feel pain.

7. 5 weeks

8. 6 weeks
This is a foetus at 6 weeks old, notice the use of the term foetus rather than baby. What does it tell us about our understanding of the unborn that we have different names for different stages of development, at what point do we start calling this a baby?
The heart starts to beat two to four weeks after conception.
Jewish Abortion, when necessary, must take place before the first 40 days, when the fetus is referred to as "mere water". Before reaching her final decision, Conservative Judaism holds that the woman should consult with the biological father, other members of her family, her physician, her Rabbi and any other person who can help her in assessing the many grave legal and moral issues involved.

9. This is the point at which most abortions take place, the heart is beating the arms, legs, fingers, toes, ears, nose, mouth, muscles, organs, and bones are either formed or close to finish…
8 weeks

10. 18 weeks
Islam 120 days (approx 17 weeks) is often seen as the point at which a fetus becomes fully human. This has been described as an angel coming and "breathing life into the fetus." Before this time, the fetus lacks a human soul, and is considered on the same level as plants and animals.

11. 20 weeks

12. A fetus is generally considered viable 24 weeks after conception.
It is not till around 30 weeks of development the brain's EEG signals suggest the first signs of wakefulness. Wakefulness is a necessary condition for any awareness, including pain recognition, but is insufficient for awareness without a functional somatosensory cortex to recognize pain signals as such - which is lacking for people in permanently vegetative states. Because these two necessary conditions for consciousness do not occur before the 29th week of development, fetuses cannot be consciously aware (and therefore subjects of experience) before the 29th week.
24 weeks

13. Under English and United States common law, personhood has long been regarded as coming into being at the moment of live birth. In England, the 1989 case of R v Tait confirmed this legal view.

14. Quote Alert!
“Unless we separate these two questions - when does life begin, and when does it merit protection? - we are unlikely to achieve any clarity about the moral status of embryos.”
Peter Singer