Workshop on Writing an Argumentative Essay

Examples of Counter-arguments and Refutations

Commerce in Organs is Ethical
Organization
Keywords-Connectors

Text
Arguments Against Organ Commerce
Critics of an organ market claim that the
removal of a kidney presents an unnecessary risk
to a "voluntary" donor. This concern would be
especially relevant if the seller of a kidney were
to end up with ESRD. The risks associated with
the removal of a kidney, however, are
comparable to the risks associated with common
bodily activities that are not illegal. These risks
include occupations (for example, coal mining,
fire fighting, and bomb rescue) and life-styles
(for example, promiscuity, smoking, eating foods
high in saturated fats, and drinking) that are
arguably more risky than losing a kidney.
Research has found that the risk to a healthy
thirty-five-year-old of giving up a kidney is
"equal to that incurred by driving a car 16 miles
every working day." Therefore, if the removal of
a kidney poses no more of a risk than accepted
daily activities, the prohibition of organ
commerce based on the "unnecessary risk"
argument is unjustified.

-Counter-claim
-Elaboration by example

- Refutation
- Example
- Example

-Evidence

Concluding remarks

Main idea of each

paragraph

Removal of a kidney
is only as risky as
common bodily
activities that are not
illegal.

Text

Organization
Keywords-Connectors

Another argument offered against financial

inducements for organ donation contends that
payment to donors will undermine and
discourage acts of unpaid donation, and
consequently erode the fibers of altruism in
society. Proponents of commerce, however,
argue that altruism can coexist with incentives. It
does not necessarily follow that a person
receiving incentives for a kidney has no altruistic
motives. An analogy can be drawn with tax
deductible incentives on charitable donations:
since the donor incurs a net loss even after the
tax deduction, it is an act (at least partially)
motivated by altruism. Similarly, then, an
incentive may be a factor in the decision to
donate a kidney, but the underlying motive may
still be an altruistic concern. Also, supporters
point out that "it may be incongruous and
hypocritical that, when hospitals make volumes
of money from transplantation, physicians and
associated health professionals advance careers
and incomes, drug companies profiteer, and the
medical-industrial complex is enriched, the
original donor of tissues is expected to be
altruistic." By allowing commerce, donors are
given an opportunity to use their resources to
make money just as the other players in the
kidney transplantation process do.

-Counter claim
-Effect
-Claim
- Refutation
- Reason

Main idea of each

paragraph
People who sell their
kidneys can still be
altruistic and it
would only be fair to
allow them to
benefit from the
removal of their
organs.

-Comparison

-Claim

Comparison

Sources:
Lee, M.C (2008). Integrating Reading and Writing [Class handout]. Centre for English Language Communication.
National University of Singapore. Singapore
Lu, L. (1998) Commerce in Organ Transplants. Opposing Views Series. Greenhaven Press.

APA Citation Conventions

Example 1
surname (year of publication) introductory verb summary

Moisse (2010) claims that children conceived via assisted reproductive technology are more
likely to be plagued with obesity, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Example 2
summary (surname, year of publication)

Children conceived via assisted reproductive technology are more likely to be plagued with
obesity, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes later in life. (Moisse, 2010).

Example 3
According to surname (year of publication), summary

According to Moisse (2010), children conceived via assisted reproductive technology are
more likely to be plagued with obesity, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes.

Example of End text citation

Moisse, A.P. (2010). Health risks faced by children produced through assisted reproductive
technology. Boston Medical Review. 43(2), 90-1102.

Source:
Lee, M.C (2010). Paraphrasing and Summarizing [Class handout]. Centre for English Language Communication.
National University of Singapore. Singapore.