Thomson Abortion Analysis

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Recommended: Thomson’s arguments and conclusions on abortion

Thompson on the Moral Permissibility of Abortion
The standard argument against abortion rests on the claim that the fetus is a person and therefore has a right to life (Thompson, 1971). Judith Jarvis Thomson shows why this standard argument against abortion is a somewhat inadequate account of the morality of abortion. She argues for the conclusion that abortion is sometimes permissible. She begins the essay by pointing out on whether or not the fetus is a person. If fetuses are persons then abortions must be impermissible, and that if fetuses are not persons then abortions must be permissible. Thomson, begins by conceding the issue of personhood to her opponent; she assumes, for purposes of argumentation, that the fetus is a person from …show more content…

The violinist analogy compared to abortion neither the violinist nor the fetus had any say in their condition. If the violinist dies, from being unplugged, it’s not from you unplugging, but from his medical condition. If a woman undergoes an abortion, the fetus dies immediately, due to a decision you made (Thomson, 1971). In the Henry Fonda analogy, the fetus isn’t considered, she reverts back to the violinist by saying, if you continue to allow him to use your kidneys, it’s from your kindness not because you’re being forced to (Thompson, 1971, p. 55). Thompson’s people seed analogy, was ridiculous and hard to take seriously. She was trying to say even when you take all precautions to prevent pregnancy sometimes pregnancy still happens. Like if you are having consensual sexual intercourse with a member of the opposite sex, you know there is a possibility of becoming pregnant or impregnating …show more content…

She says that is why very early abortions are permissible, and do not comprise the subject matter for moral debate (Thomson, 1971, p. 66). I agree with her final statement. I too, believe, at conception the fetus is not yet human and that an abortion would be permissible. My personal beliefs go along with pro-choice, even though I personally would never consider having an abortion, I believe a woman has the right to decide. Pro-life activists would strongly object, and believe an abortion is killing a human and under no reason should a defenseless life be taken. They also believe that even in instances of rape a woman should not abort because it is the fetus you are punishing instead of the rapist. My response to that is, why should the mother be punished for being physically violated resulting in an unwanted pregnancy? If she chooses to have an abortion, which would be in the first trimester, the fetus cannot survive outside of her body; therefore, should not be considered a separate

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