Part I. Philosophical background -- 1. Ethics, meta-ethics, and philosophical thinking -- Part II. Abortion -- 2. Abortion: introductory remarks -- 3. The relevance of the moral status of the foetus -- 4. Persons and human beings -- 5. The concept of a person -- 6. Potential persons -- 7. Possible persons -- 8. Moderate positions on abortion -- 9. A brief summary -- Part III. Infanticide -- 10. Present-day attitudes, and the historical and anthropological background -- 11. Objections to infanticide -- 12. Summary and conclusions