[Student] "so my question was about abortion and I just wanted to know why exactly do you think a first trimester fetus has moral value"
[Shapiro] "okay so a first trimester fetus has moral value because whether you considered a potential human life or or a full-on human life it has more value than just a cluster of cells if left to its natural processes it will grow into a baby so the real question is where do you draw the line so you can draw the line at the heartbeat because it's very hard to draw the line at the heartbeat there are people who are adults who are alive because of a pacemaker they need some sort of outside force generating their heartbeat okay you get into it based on brain function okay well what about people who are in a coma should we just kill them right the problem is anytime you draw any line other than the inception of the child you end up drawing a false line that can also be applied to people who are adults so either human life has intrinsic value or it doesn't I think we both agree that adults who moonlight has intrinsic value can we start from that premise?"
[Student] "I believe that sentience has is what gives something moral value not necessarily not necessarily being a human alone..."
[Shapiro] "okay so when you're - when you're asleep can I stab you?"
[Student] "I'm still considered sentient when I'm asleep"
[Shapiro] "okay if you are in a coma from which you may awake can I stab?"
[Student] "you... well... then... no! so that's still potential sentence and..."
[Shapiro] "it's still a potential you know this potential sentience being a fetus"
[the audience cheers Shapiro]
[Student] "the issue I have with that though is that in me if I'm in a coma and I'm not like doing anything to anyone I'm not causing any issues amongst the world whereas an unwanted child may or may not be a burden to people"
[Shapiro] "people's parents who are unwanted right we're bunch of college students you know that the problem is that now sooner shifting the argument right before you were making the argument based on the intrinsic value of a life based on sentience and now you're talking about the level of burden that somebody presents as a separate moral argument, okay? I don't believe that you being a burden on somebody is justification for them killing you."
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