Judith Jarvis Thomsons Defense Of Abortion - 1850 Words

The topic of abortion is extremely controversial. There are countless view points on when it is and is not morally permissible to abort a growing fetus. In attempts to understand or perhaps end the controversy, philosophers have pondered the morality of abortion and the many situations that may lead a mother to desire terminating her pregnancy. One such philosopher that explains why it morally permissible in most in situations to have an abortion is Judith Jarvis Thomson. Thomson has a well defended position on the morality of abortion when considering rape, saving the mother’s life and the desire to not have a child. However, Kate Greasley, another philosopher explaining the morality of abortion in various situations, disagrees with†¦show more content†¦Once Thomson laid the foundation for her defense of abortion, she began explaining her views on weather a woman could abort a fetus conceived via rape. However, to make her point, she does not talk directly about a mo ther and her unborn child. Instead, she creates the analogy of a kidnapped person and a forcible attached violinist (Thomson 2). In this analogy, the kidnapped individual is a raped woman and the violinist is the conceived fetus. Thomson furthers this analogy by stating that the kidnapped person is the only one in the world that had a compatible blood type to become the violinist’s dialysis machine and there was no other way to save him. She explains that after only nine months the person would be free and the violinist would be healthy to go on his way. Despite being the good Samaritan thing to do, Thomson claims that the person does not have the moral obligation to stay attached to the violinist. She goes further to say that it would be outrageous to force this person to support the violinist because it seems absurd to put the violinist’s right to life above the right of the person to decide what happened to his/her body (Thomson 2). Considering this conclusion, ther e is a profound problem forcing a raped woman to carry a fetus conceived from that violation to term. In other words, the fetus’ right to life does not outweigh the mothers right to her body when she does not consent to the act leading to conception. Despite Thomson’s clear descriptionShow MoreRelatedIn Don Marquis’ Article, â€Å"Why Abortion Is Immoral†, He1030 Words   |  5 PagesIn Don Marquis’ article, â€Å"Why Abortion is Immoral†, he argues that abortion is seriously immoral, except in rare instances. His main argument implies that it is wrong to kill a fetus because a fetus has a future-like-ours (FLO). In this paper I will analyze Marquis’ main argument, propose an objection to one of his premises, and then reference one of Judith Jarvis Thomson’s points in support of my objection argument. The central argument posed in Marquis’ article goes as such: P1: If a fetus hasRead MoreIs Abortion Morally Permissible?966 Words   |  4 PagesIn Judith Jarvis Thomson’s philosophy paper, A Defense of Abortion, she argues that abortion is permissible because an individual’s right over their own body outweighs a fetus’s right to life. In this paper I will focus on whether or not abortion is always permissible. First, I will present Thomson’s argument which says that abortion is sometimes permissible. I will do so by describing her â€Å"famous violinist† thought experiment. Next, I will object to Thomson’s claim and expand the scope of her argumentRead MoreThe Debate On Abortion And Abortion1448 Words   |  6 PagesAbortion. This word leaves most people feeling uneasy after just saying it out loud. 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In her article â€Å"A Defense of Abortion† Thomson argues that even ifRead MoreA Defense Against Abortion By Judith Jarvis1439 Words   |  6 Pages In her article â€Å"A Defense Against Abortion,† Judith Jarvis Thomson explores the permissibility of abortion through both the rights of a fetus and of a woman, and further argues that abortion is sometimes permissible under circumstantial situations. Thomson offers multiple thought-experiments, but the one I am focusing on in my paper is her burglar-based argument. In short, this situation involves you leaving your window open, knowingly increasing the risk of a burglar entering your home. She furtherRead More The Controversial Issue of Abortion Essay1359 Words   |  6 PagesAbortion is a very controversial topic. This paper will discuss the opposing sides of the issue as well as my own personal opinion. The basic question is when a developing person actually becomes a person or alive. The following articles: A Defense of Abortion, by Judith Jarvis Thomson and Opposition to Abortion: A Human Rights Approach, by Baruch Brody discuss the opposing sides of the abortion is sue. I will be using and summarizing those articles in my evaluation of the topic abortion. Read More A Rational Look at the Abortion Controversy Essay3888 Words   |  16 PagesA Rational Look at the Abortion Controversy One of the most hotly contested issues inside and outside of biomedical ethics today is abortion. The discussion received a new impetus at the release of the controversial abortion drug RU-486, a pill to increase access to abortions and let women get them privately from their own doctor instead of facing shouting protesters at clinics.2 As is the case with all controversial issues, there are very passionate people on both sides of the fence. UnfortunatelyRead MoreEssay on Judith Jarvis Thomson: a Defense of Abortion1946 Words   |  8 PagesJudith Jarvis Thomson: A Defense of Abortion – CRITICAL EXPOSITION The goal of Judith Jarvis Thomson in her defense of abortion is to sway the ideas of those who are against abortion by challenging the arguments they give for thinking so. She begins by stating a premise. â€Å"For the sake of the argument† a human embryo is a person. This premise is one of the arguments most opponents of abortion use, but as she points out, isn’t much of an argument at all. These people spend a lot of their time dwellingRead More A Defense of Abortion by Judith Jarvis Thomson Essay1075 Words   |  5 PagesA Defense of Abortion by Judith Jarvis Thomson In the article A Defense of Abortion Judith Jarvis Thomson argues that abortion is morally permissible even if the fetus is considered a person. In this paper I will give a fairly detailed description of Thomson main arguments for abortion. In particular I will take a close look at her famous violinist argument. Following will be objections to the argumentative story focused on the reasoning that one persons right to life outweighs anotherRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal For Women?1350 Words   |  6 Pagesmade it legal for women to have an abortion, society continues to debate whether or not women should have the right to have an abortion. Judith Jarvis Thomson’s famous article â€Å"A Defense of Abortion† defends a women’s right to have an abortion. However, I disagree with Thomson’s defense against abortions, and believe that abortions are highly immoral and should be illegal. Many whom are pro-choice argue that a fetus is not a person until birth. However, Thomson’s article is unique in that she openly