A Critical Examination of Judith Thomsons Argument for Abortion
Judith Thomson’s argument through her article, “A Defence of Abortion” is one that adopts the premise that the fetus is a human being from the moment of conception. By doing this, Thomson is distancing her argument from the various theorists who maintain the moral view that it is wrong to kill another human being, such as (Marquis, 1989). This ultimately allows her to assume various hypothetical situations in which the cognitive status of the fetus is otherwise not considered. This is important. It helps the case she develops to detach itself from the focal points considered in the 'common argument', which illustrates that the development of a human being from conception through birth into childhood and then adulthood is continuous, and to draw a line where abortion is acceptable is futile. Thomson’s argument that contrasts a “right to life” against a “right to decide what happens in and to one’s body" is based on what Finnis describes as “confusing the issue” (Finnis, 1973). Throughout the article, her various thought experiments are presented in order to support and help the reader identify situations in which the permissibility of abortion seems just. This essay will scrutinise the effectiveness of Thomson’s ideas, and whether they have led to a more definable understanding when defending abortion.
From the assumed premise that Thomson begins her article with, she develops a juxtaposition between every person's right to life and the mother's right to her own body. The concurrent positions held by the mother and fetus are alluded to in Thomson's first thought experiment which is heavily discussed throughout her argument in defending abortion. The thought experiment in question is of the "famous unconscious violinist". In so many words, it involves a situation in which your circulatory system is unknowingly plugged into the violinist's, in order to keep him from dying. Also, unplugging means death to the violinist, and nine months is the amount of time the
From the assumed premise that Thomson begins her article with, she develops a juxtaposition between every person's right to life and the mother's right to her own body. The concurrent positions held by the mother and fetus are alluded to in Thomson's first thought experiment which is heavily discussed throughout her argument in defending abortion. The thought experiment in question is of the "famous unconscious violinist". In so many words, it involves a situation in which your circulatory system is unknowingly plugged into the violinist's, in order to keep him from dying. Also, unplugging means death to the violinist, and nine months is the amount of time the
References: Finnis, J., 1973. The Rights and Wrongs of Abortion. Philosophy and Public Affairs, vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 117-145 Larkins, S.L., Page, R.P., Panaretto, K.S., Scott, R., Mitchell, M.R., Alberts, V., Veitch, P.C and McGinty, S., 2007. Attitudes and behaviours of young Indigenous people in Townsville concerning relationships, sex and contraception: the “U Mob Yarn Up” project. Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 186, No. 10, pp. 513-518 Marquis, D., 1989. Why Abortion is Immoral. Journal of Philosophy, vol. 86, pp. 183-202 Russell, D.E.H., 1990. Rape In Marriage. Indiana University Press Temkin, J., 2006. Rape and the Legal Process. pp. 86 Thomson, J.J., 1971. A defense of Abortion. Philosophy and Public Affairs, vol. 1, No. 1 Tooley, M., 1972. Abortion and Infanticide. Philosophy and Public Affairs, vol. 2, pp. 37-65