The reason religion is so powerful

[The Architect Of Fate]

Personhood is something we all lack, is it not? It must be ascribed by a governing body.

Nope

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In the event of a fire, would you save an elderly person over an infant on the basis that they have a story, loved ones, and a coherent inner life? I don't think you would, given that society places value on children (but maybe you would). Perhaps the issue here has to do with faulty object permanence: The younger the individuals the more value is placed on their life, until it crosses into the womb and becomes "out of sight out of mind."

p.s. I didn't realize there were two abortion threads going on at once lol.

That's an excellent question. If I had to make a choice, I would save the baby. It's not unlikely the elderly person would want me to save the baby too. All stories must come to an end, and I personally would rather have mine wrapped up a few pages sooner than I planned than live with the knowledge that my survival came at the cost of someone with their whole life in front of them.

You could also ask whether I would save a pregnant woman over a woman not carrying who were about the same age, knowing nothing else about them. I would save the pregnant woman, on the assumption that she both wants to live and give birth, so it would be a twofer. Or how about if I had a choice to save a baby or an embryo in a tube?

This isn't about whether it's desirable that a viable fetus survive to be born hypothetically. It's about whether that is enough to justify forcing a woman to give birth against her will, regardless of the woman's ability to carry to term safely, the circumstances of the impregnation, her ability to raise a child, the welfare of other children she may already have, her ability to climb out of poverty, or anything else. That is, whether forcing a woman to give birth against her will (forced labor!) is more important than her human dignity.

Indeed his scenario fails to give agency to the characters