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Introduction:

The burning IVF clinic analogy is often presented as a flawless analogy, but the truth is its extremely flawed. It is often seen as flawless because it is commonly used, so it gets the reputation of being a good argument. The easiest to repeat arguments are often more common than deep, good arguments because are easier for people to remember and understand first time.

The Analogy:

There are multiple different variations but here one of them.

You are in a burning IVF clinic. You can save either save a newborn or a several embryos. You only have time to save one. Which do you choose?

Panic Doesn’t Determine Value:

This argument’s first flaw is that it relies on what people would do in an emergency. It doesn’t matter if your choice the newborn or the embryos since it doesn’t show how you value each human being. There are many reasons why you many pick newborn child or the embryos.

• Newborn – There are many reasons someone might grab the newborn: embryos are often treated as property legally, which means if you don’t give them back there may be legal consequences. Another reason is impossible to practically keep an embryo alive without specialist equipment and there likely higher mortality rate. Many people feel a stronger protective instinct toward newborns simply because they are more visible.

• Embryos – Someone may choice the embryos because they can save multiple lives. Another reason is they many think the newborn many be more likely saved by somebody else or even more attached emotionally.

The False Dilemma Problem:

Where or not it is intentional doesn’t matter the scenario is designed so that any choice can be used against their opponent.

Here what can and often does happen:

• If you save the newborn, some critics say, “you don’t really believe embryos have value.”

• If you save the embryos, some critics say, “you don’t care about actual children.”

The analogy is unrealistic to the point that it distorts the moral question it is supposed to represent. It is meant to show that newborns and embryos don’t have the same value, but instead it shows how people behave in a crisis where they can only choose one thing.

Conclusion:

The burning IVF clinic analogy fails because it relies on panic and unrealistic conditions instead of revealing a truth or what people believe about moral worth.