"An acorn is not an oak tree." But they are both plants.

The following statement is used to "explain" the dehumanization of life in the womb: “An acorn is not an oak tree.” And ergo, based on this logic, “a fetus is not a human.”

But the problem here is that it’s a flawed analogy. It’s flawed because the terms are not equivalent.

You remember analogies on achievement tests, right? They’re like math equations:

“A door is to a building as a gate is to a ____.” The correct answer would be “fence.”?

The terms are equivalent: a door and a gate are openings to larger structures (building, fence).?

The analogy would not work if it read this way: “A door is to a building as a gate is to a chimney.”?

Just as with math equations, analogies must balance out on each side.

So here’s the problem with the (flawed) analogy I started with: an acorn is not exclusive of the category of “oak tree.” Acorns and oak trees are each points on the same continuum – the acorn in its nascent stages and the oak tree in its fully-developed stages. If left unmolested, the acorn will proceed from the acorn stage and progress to the oak-tree stage. The oak tree does not spring forth fully grown on its own – it is an acorn that has been allowed to grow, on its natural, uninterrupted trajectory, to maturity.?

In the same way, a fetus, an infant, a toddler, a child, a teen, and an adult are each points on the same continuum. If left unaborted, the fetus will proceed from the fetal stage and progress through the infant, toddler, child, and adult stages. The adult does not spring forth fully grown on its own – it is a fetus => infant => toddler => child => teen who has been allowed to grow, on its natural, uninterrupted trajectory, to maturity.?

But the above analogy – “An acorn is not an oak tree, and a fetus is not a human” – contains a fatal flaw. The unmolested acorn develops into an oak. The unaborted fetus does not develop into a human – it IS a human. Just ask its DNA. The terms of the analogy as stated are not equivalent. In order for it to work, you would have to say, “...and a fetus is not a ____” and fill in the blank with something analogous to an oak tree that represents another level of human development.

An acorn is not an oak tree. But regardless of their positions on the botanical continuum, they are both plants.?

A fetus is not an infant is not a toddler is not a child is not a teen is not an adult. But regardless of their positions on the biological continuum, they are all humans.?

(In the imaginary dialogue I always imagine taking place if I were having this conversation in real life, a person who disagrees with me will respond not to the logic of this argument but with a counter-argument on some other aspect of the subject. This is colloquially known as “changing the subject” or “dodging the issue” and is a sure sign that the respondent lacks an effective rebuttal of your position, or critical thinking skills, or both. Remember this the next time you hear a politician give an interview.)