Thomson’s and Marquis’ Views on Abortion
The subject of abortion is a highly controversial topic, with each side firmly believing that the opposing view is prima facie immoral. Much discussion regarding abortion is focused on whether or not a fetus can be categorized as a person. Many assume that if a fetus is labeled as a person, then it would be wrong to kill it; however, if a fetus has not reached personhood, then it should be fine to end its life. Judith Thomson decides to circumvent this discussion, realizing that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to determine at which point a fetus becomes a person with a right to life. For the sake of argumentation, Judith assumes that a fetus is a person. However, instead of automatically …show more content…
Her method of writing by creating pictures and then arguing from analogy is easier to understand than Marquis’ is. When she discusses, for instance, if abortion is permissible in case of rape, she gives us the violinist illustration. Once she discusses this example in a convincing matter, she then links it to abortion. By using this method, she grabs people’s attention and helps them understand a simple, or isolated, example that is easier to comprehend. Marquis, however, has a more traditional way of arguing; he lays out his opinion and then explains why it is superior to other methods. Although this way works, Thomson’s method is easier to …show more content…
Thomson discusses abortion in three main instances: rape, threat to mother’s life, and consensual sex. For each of these categories, she goes into detail explaining why abortion should still be permissible. Furthermore, she starts with the situation that most people would be most likely to agree with her on―that abortion should be permissible in the case of rape. She then goes on to discuss the next instance, a threat to the mother’s life, that people would be less likely to agree with her, but still more likely than the last situation with consensual sex. By using this method, she keeps her readers interested instead of abruptly discouraging them from reading at the very start. Both this method and the way she illustrates her points make her account more interesting and thus more likely to draw people
The subject of abortion is a highly controversial topic, with each side firmly believing that the opposing view is prima facie immoral. Much discussion regarding abortion is focused on whether or not a fetus can be categorized as a person. Many assume that if a fetus is labeled as a person, then it would be wrong to kill it; however, if a fetus has not reached personhood, then it should be fine to end its life. Judith Thomson decides to circumvent this discussion, realizing that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to determine at which point a fetus becomes a person with a right to life. For the sake of argumentation, Judith assumes that a fetus is a person. However, instead of automatically …show more content…
Her method of writing by creating pictures and then arguing from analogy is easier to understand than Marquis’ is. When she discusses, for instance, if abortion is permissible in case of rape, she gives us the violinist illustration. Once she discusses this example in a convincing matter, she then links it to abortion. By using this method, she grabs people’s attention and helps them understand a simple, or isolated, example that is easier to comprehend. Marquis, however, has a more traditional way of arguing; he lays out his opinion and then explains why it is superior to other methods. Although this way works, Thomson’s method is easier to …show more content…
Thomson discusses abortion in three main instances: rape, threat to mother’s life, and consensual sex. For each of these categories, she goes into detail explaining why abortion should still be permissible. Furthermore, she starts with the situation that most people would be most likely to agree with her on―that abortion should be permissible in the case of rape. She then goes on to discuss the next instance, a threat to the mother’s life, that people would be less likely to agree with her, but still more likely than the last situation with consensual sex. By using this method, she keeps her readers interested instead of abruptly discouraging them from reading at the very start. Both this method and the way she illustrates her points make her account more interesting and thus more likely to draw people