In her essay “A Defense of Abortion,” Judith Jarvis Thompson outlines the most common arguments that people defend and explains her opinions on each of them. He shares numerous examples and situations that he believes support his opinions. One of his most important arguments is whether or not a fetus has a moral standing as a “person.” It highlights the so-called "battle" between an innocent life, that of the fetus, and the bodily rights of the mother. Within this topic, Judith outlines several situations that can provide people with a different perspective regarding abortion. Throughout the essay, Judith doesn't really give a clear position, but rather lets her readers choose for themselves. Thompson immediately identifies the main argument used by "anti-abortionists", namely that a fetus is a person and therefore should not be allowed to have an abortion. He claims that this position is poorly argued. Judith believes that it is simply not possible to discern at what point a fertilized egg truly becomes a person (p. 47). Where do you draw the line? In one example, Thompson compares an acorn to a fetus. Note that an acorn will definitely become an oak tree, however at what point do you define an acorn as having completely become an oak tree? This transition point is essentially impossible to identify. This example constitutes one of his most important defenses. Thompson believes that whether or not a fetus is a person is completely irrelevant to the issue of abortion. This is mainly because he discovered that the purpose of becoming a person cannot be proven with complete certainty. Judith doesn't seem to understand why people think that just because a fetus can actually be a person, it's immoral. I also see that it may not be unethical for a woman to have an abortion if she has made maximum effort to avoid pregnancy by using contraceptives. However, as Thompson states, I think that in this situation a mother “should” not have an abortion. The fetus should have the right to life, but the mother should also have the right to decide how to use her body. So I too find it difficult to take a solid position on this issue. I have always believed that a fetus is a person, but I have also always struggled to discern when the fetus becomes a person. Regardless of what science may or may not prove regarding when a fetus is a person or how many arguments are made regarding the permissibility of abortion, this topic will forever be surrounded by debate. I don't think there will ever be a unanimous opinion on whether abortion is moral or not.