CiRA　Reporter

When does human life begin? The ancient confusion surrounding this question has continued to the present day and morphed into the controversy over regulations concerning abortion and embryo research. A look back at history shows that theologians in the late 19th century, along with developments in modern developmental biology, view that human life begins at the moment of fertilization. Until then, the first sensation of fetal movement (quickening) was considered the defining time point.

“Quickening” is an English translation of the Latin term animatus used in canon law. This word is the past participle form of the verb animare, meaning “to give life,” and its noun form is anima, meaning “soul.” In the West, the question of the beginning of human life has revolved around the question of when anima begins or “ensoulment” occurs. The first sensation of the embryo is but only one of many possible interpretations.

The origin of this question is ancient, posed originally by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) and introduced into Christian theology through the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274). In Generation of Animals, Aristotle attempted to explain the generation from fetus to human in stages by distinguishing the soul into three categories: “the vegetative soul,” “the sensitive soul,” and “the rational soul.” However, as he admitted, the most challenging question was “when, how, and from where” we receive “the rational soul” that distinguishes humans from animals. Aristotle rather hesitantly said it “comes from outside” during the last stage of gestation, which Thomas argued against, saying it is instead “created by God.”

However, can we leave this question to philosophers, theologians, scientists, politicians, and judges alone? Western philosophy has traditionally fixated on regarding humans as “mortals,” and, as such, philosophers had idealized contemplative life as a way to reach eternality after death. Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), who refused to be called a philosopher during her lifetime, called humans “natals,” emphasizing birth rather than death, as if she was calling them out for looking at a wrong way. According to her, the miracle of a new beginning, human birth, contains hope for the world. Marveled by Händel’s Messiah, she found its perfect expression in the “glad tidings” of “a child has been born unto us”.

I was reminded of the birth of my daughter when writing this piece. That day, I left the hospital with my ex-wife in a state of exhaustion and my daughter sleeping peacefully. It was almost dawn, but I could not contain my teeming jubilation, so while looking up at the stars, I took my phone out to play A Child Is Born by jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell. I will always be grateful to her for bringing me such “glad tidings.”

*Dr. Okui was a researcher at the Uehiro Research Division for iPS Cell Ethic at the time of writing. His current affiliation is a Project Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Faculty of Letters, Kobe University.