The moral calculus concerning abortion involves matching the well-being of a mature human against that of an embryo. The calculus generally works out overwhelmingly in favour of the potential parent. Although a foetus undoubtedly has a level of consciousness it is certainly very far below that of someone who has had years of experience of the world. The embryo has no relationships, aspirations and loving memories; there is no awareness of the future and all the other things that shape a fully fledged person. Thus, although abortion should surely be a last resort, it must be permissible if it seems highly likely that the parent would suffer acute hardship if the pregnancy came to full term. In fact, very often when abortion is being considered, the difficulties facing the potential parent would also entail a troubled life for the infant. It is a hard and traumatic thing to have to do but there are no grounds, in Alphomist terms, for declaring the act of abortion to be immoral. BACK