Brian Welsko '14

2012 Soar Student

Major/minor: Double major in Neuroscience and Philosophy

Hometown: Nazareth, Pa.

Project: Abortion is Morally Wrong: An Analysis of Rights and Personhood

Project advisor: Dr. Bernie Cantens

Project details: I researched the idea that abortion is immoral. To do this, I separated my project into two parts. The first part deals with the idea of personhood. I examine whether or not a fetus is a person. The second part of my project deals with the idea of rights. I dissect the rights of the mother and the possible rights of the fetus. Based on the personhood argument I established earlier, I give a unique look at this topic, while incorporating famous works; such as “A Defense of Abortion,” by Judith Jarvis Thomson.

Why I wanted to participate in SOAR: I was motivated to do SOAR by my professor, Dr. Cantens. I had Dr. Cantens for many classes in previous years, and he knows that I like to write and do research. He thought it would be a good opportunity for me to use my skills. Since I am planning on going to medical school, the chance to put SOAR on my resume also provided motivation.

Results: My article is more than half done and is progressing at a nice pace. Overall, finding research on the topic was fairly easy, since the topic of abortion is popular and often debated. From the research found, I now have a better understanding on the topic of abortion.

Future plans: After graduating from Moravian University, I plan on attending medical school and hope to become a spinal surgeon.