abortion
September 2008 
Random Thoughts
Posted on Jun 26th, 2008
by 
Shreyan
Shreyan
Well, I realized something didn't make sense. Our perception of "I" is messed up. When people answer the question "if you could go back in time what one thing would you differently" they don't realize that any answer other than "nothing" would result in their own death. In a way, anyways.
"I" am not simply my genetics. I am also the result of my choices; the concept of "I" includes memories, and a past. If I radically altered my past, I could radically alter my existence, character traits, relationships, etc. "I" would no longer be there- there would be a different person, with the same genetics. A twin if you will. But not "I." Even the slightest change would result in a slightly different person.
This is not a common realization. Most people do not take it into consideration. There are many implications. For example, the abortion debate. Let us say a woman named Jane has an unplanned pregnancy, aborts the fetus, gets married 3 years later and has a child. If she had not aborted the first child, the second would not exist. In such cases, emotionalism is useless, and rationalism must take its place. In either situation, there is only one child that exists. The real question is whether that fetus is already a child, with a human personality, and whether that abortion was murder. Simply having the potential to be a child is not enough. In either case, aborted or not, the "potential" of someone's life was destroyed. By aborting, you destroy the potential of the first child. By not aborting, you destroy the potential existence of the second. In other words, we cannot live in the present, based on the potential of the future.
I realized one can think without words. Movement is the key. Movement is a conscious function, yet you don't think "move my hand to the fridge door." It just happens. Yet, it was a conscious activity. This is proof that language, or verbal thought, is not required for something to be conscious. This may be an intuitive conclusion, but it is a reliable proof that I needed, and this is it.
Also, I realized I am against the death penalty, because there is no such thing as an "evil" human. The death penalty destroys the good as well as the bad. That cannot rest on my conscience.
"I" am not simply my genetics. I am also the result of my choices; the concept of "I" includes memories, and a past. If I radically altered my past, I could radically alter my existence, character traits, relationships, etc. "I" would no longer be there- there would be a different person, with the same genetics. A twin if you will. But not "I." Even the slightest change would result in a slightly different person.
This is not a common realization. Most people do not take it into consideration. There are many implications. For example, the abortion debate. Let us say a woman named Jane has an unplanned pregnancy, aborts the fetus, gets married 3 years later and has a child. If she had not aborted the first child, the second would not exist. In such cases, emotionalism is useless, and rationalism must take its place. In either situation, there is only one child that exists. The real question is whether that fetus is already a child, with a human personality, and whether that abortion was murder. Simply having the potential to be a child is not enough. In either case, aborted or not, the "potential" of someone's life was destroyed. By aborting, you destroy the potential of the first child. By not aborting, you destroy the potential existence of the second. In other words, we cannot live in the present, based on the potential of the future.
I realized one can think without words. Movement is the key. Movement is a conscious function, yet you don't think "move my hand to the fridge door." It just happens. Yet, it was a conscious activity. This is proof that language, or verbal thought, is not required for something to be conscious. This may be an intuitive conclusion, but it is a reliable proof that I needed, and this is it.
Also, I realized I am against the death penalty, because there is no such thing as an "evil" human. The death penalty destroys the good as well as the bad. That cannot rest on my conscience.
Access: Public