title: Fission and confusion.
abstract: Catholic opponents of abortion and embryonic stem cell research usually base their position on a hylomorphic account of ensoulment at fertilization. They maintain that we each started out as one-cell ensouled organisms. Critics of this position argue that it is plagued by a number of intractable problems due to fission (twinning) and fusion. We're unconvinced that such objections to early ensoulment provide any reason to doubt the coherence of the hylomorphic account. However, we do maintain that a defense of ensoulment at fertilization must deny that we're essentially organisms.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hershenov
authors.forename: Rose J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Koch-Hershenov
mesh_terms: D033421:Beginning of Human Life / Q000941:ethics*; D002410:Catholicism; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D006801:Humans; D008678:Metaphysics; D028723:Personhood; D028725:Theology; D038522:Twinning, Monozygotic; D015053:Zygote