Within this illogical temporal continuum, though, exists a clearly defined 280-day gestation period in which humans develop from a zygote to fully formed animals capable of existing outside of the womb. In fact, the moral permissibility of abortion appears to exist precisely along this continuum, with the moral permissibility being graphed on the y axis and the numbers of days of gestation on the x axis. Taken to each of their irrational extremes, the twinkle in the parents' eyes could be said to be the beginning of conception, and the months could be extended to actual emancipation and formal recognition as an adult citizen in a given society and children...

In the final analysis, an enlightened society will seek to provide as many opportunities for survival for these children as possible, irrespective of the point at which they become "persons."
References

Etherington, K. (2000). Anatomica. Willoughby, NSW: Global Book Publishing.

Harrison, B.W. (1993). Our right to choose: Toward a new ethic of abortion. Boston: Beacon

Press.

Hursthouse, R. (1991, Summer). Virtue theory and abortion. Philosophy & Public Affairs, 20(3),

223-246.

Joyce, J.J. A defense of abortion. In Bowie, G.L., Michaels, M.W., Solomon, R.C. (1996).

Twenty questions: An introduction to philosophy. Fort Worth: HarcourtBrace…