> There is no scientifically plausible basis for a ban on abortion Is there a scientifically plausible basis for a ban on other forms of homicide, or on genoci

> There is no scientifically plausible basis for a ban on abortion Is there a scientifically plausible basis for a ban on other forms of homicide, or on genocide? Science just tells us that a 24-year-old Korean, a 6-year-old English child, an American five minutes before birth and a Frenchman 5 weeks before birth are all equally human beings and all equally different from any other human beings. It doesn’t have anything to say about the morality of killing any of them, or in what circumstances. If your moral position is ‘no homicide except in self defense,’ then that plus the scientific facts points in one direction. If your moral position is ‘homicide of slaves, children, fœtuses and other humans owned by another is permissible when the owner desires,’ then that plus the scientific facts points in another direction. If your moral position is ‘homicide of those without a functioning brain is permissible,’ then that plus the scientific facts points in yet another direction. Scientific facts on their own are just facts; they just talk about what is, not about what one should do or not do.