Your paper must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font, with 1-inch margins and written in complete grammatical sentences. Excessive grammatical mistakes will adversely affect your grade. You must use proper citations, e.g., MLA, APA, etc., in your paper where appropriate. Work that does not satisfy these requirements will not be accepted.
- 20% for your thesis, presentation of the topic, introduction and conclusion, organization, and quality of writing
- 40% for your main argument
- 20% for your two objections
- 20% for your responses to the two objections Argumentative research paper draft
Thesis statement: Abortion should be legal in all cases because women have the fundamental right to choose what is best for their own bodies and reproductive health, and legalizing abortion can reduce the number of unsafe and illegal abortions.
Argument 1: Women have the fundamental right to choose what is best for their own bodies and reproductive health, regardless of whether their decision involves rape or threats to the life of the mother or fetus. Denying women access to safe and legal abortion is a violation of their human rights, as it forces them to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, putting their health and well-being at risk. Women should have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and lives, and should be provided with safe and legal options for abortion.
Argument 2: Legalizing abortion can reduce the number of unsafe and illegal abortions that put women’s lives at risk. When abortion is illegal or inaccessible, women may resort to unsafe and unregulated procedures that can lead to serious health complications or even death. By legalizing abortion, women have access to safe and regulated procedures that can protect their health and well-being, while also reducing the number of unintended pregnancies and promoting responsible family planning.
Objection 1: The fetus has a right to life, and therefore abortion should be illegal after a certain point in pregnancy, such as when the fetus is able to survive outside the womb.
Response 1: While the fetus may have a right to life, a woman’s right to choose what is best for her own body and life should not be disregarded. However, to address this concern, restrictions on late-term abortions may be appropriate. But ultimately, the decision should be left up to the woman, in consultation with her physician, as she is the one who must bear the physical, emotional, and financial consequences of pregnancy and childbirth. Furthermore, it is important to note that the vast majority of abortions occur in the first trimester of pregnancy, when the fetus is not viable and does not have the same legal status as a person.
Objection 2: Legalizing abortion may lead to an increase in the number of abortions, and could promote a culture that devalues human life.
Response 2: While it is possible that legalizing abortion could lead to an increase in the number of abortions, studies have shown that legalizing abortion can also lead to a decrease in the number of unsafe and illegal abortions. Providing women with access to safe and regulated procedures can improve their overall health and well-being, while also promoting responsible family planning. Furthermore, legalizing abortion does not mean that society devalues human life; rather, it recognizes that women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and lives, and that those decisions should be respected and protected.
Bibliography references:
Thomson, J. J. (1971). A Defense of Abortion. Philosophy & Public Affairs, 1(1), 47–66. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2265091
Kirkman, M., Rowe, H., Hardiman, A. et al. Reasons women give for abortion: a review of the literature. Arch Womens Ment Health 12, 365–378 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-009-0084-3
The PLOS Medicine Editors (2022) Why restricting access to abortion damages women’s health. PLoS Med 19(7): e1004075. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004075
I provided a sample essay, to help out in the structure of how my professor what’s the paper and tips for writing an argumentative paper that he also provided.