Don Marquis Abortion Ethos Essay

Abortion remains one of the most controversial issues in our society today. Pro-life supporters are those who are against abortion and who believe abortion is in all cases wrong. Pro-choice supporters are those who are in favor of abortion and who believes that whatever a woman does with her body is her choice. Patricia Bauer and Don Marquis are both scholars who wrote in depth articles explaining their views on abortion in an effort to spur their audience into action. Even though the both share same views, they use different and strong rhetorical strategies, mainly logos, ethos, and pathos, to get their message across their audience and to show the effectiveness and seriousness of their arguments. In his essay “why abortion is immoral”, Don

Marquis is an ethics and medical ethics philosopher. Marquis is currently professor of philosophy at the University of Kansas. His field works and advanced degree is enough for him to gain more trust from his audience. To bolster the credibility of his claims, Marquis quotes fellow experts and scholars throughout his article. For example, he quotes George Robert who stated that, “In the case of ordinary sexual reproduction, the life of an individual human being begins with complete fertilization” (188). This quotation helps Marquis identify with the audience and speak to his credibility and trustworthiness. After identifying with the audience and gaining credibility and trustworthiness, Marquis begins emotionally appealing to his audience.
Finally, Marquis backed up his claim using one general but strong emotional appeal, and then generated other examples using it. For example, when he stated that “the loss of one’s life deprives one of all the experiences, activities, projects and enjoyments that would otherwise have constituted one’s future” (189). He further tries to capture and appeal to the audience emotions by stating that “the loss of one’s life is one of the greatest issues one can suffer”

Bauer’s credibility centers on the fact that she is a Washington post reporter and bureau chief. Although she is not an expert in abortion related issues, her own education and experience gives her enough credibility to offer a reasonable opinion on the topic. She can therefore, assume that her audience will listen, if not wholeheartedly embrace her ideas. Ethos can also be noted when she stated that her own daughter has Down syndrome (par.2). This shows that she’s writing from a more personal and experienced level and helps her earn the trust of her readers.
Bauer’s appeal to logic is somewhat weak. Putting up a picture of Margret’s graduation from high school can be perceived as a logical evidence which she uses to appeal to the reader’s sensibilities. She also states “the abortion debate is not just about a woman’s right to choose whether to have a baby; it’s also about a woman’s right to choose which baby she wants to have” (par.15). This statement invites her audience to engage in logical reasoning as to the role a woman has to play in the decision making