Thomson, a defense of abortion, the following essay is an analysis of her arguments. Thomson s t imaginative examples and controversial conclusions have made a defense of abortion perhaps the most widely reprinted essay in all of contemporary philosophy. Abortion advocates accuse fred thompson of lobbying for. Pdf this is an analysis of the argument presented by thomson on the. Thomsons t imaginative examples and controversial conclusions have made. Philosophers and the issue of abortion page 3 of 6 72700 the conservative position contends that from conception the fetus has full moral status. Abortion mortality is a subset of maternal mortality. Fortunately, none of the arguments for and against abortion need be expressed in terms of rights. In this article, thomson uses the phrase permissible to mean within ones moral rights.
Most opposition to abortion relies on the premise that the fetus is a human being, a person, from the moment of conception. Thomson grants for the sake of argument the premise that a human embryo is a person she challenges the idea that one can argue effectively from this premise to the conclusion that all abortion is morally impermissible. The complex problem of abortion peter millican, university of leeds the problem of the morality of abortion is one of the most complex and controversial in the entire field of applied ethics. Lecture notes for judith thomson s a defense of abortion. A critical examination of judith thomsons argument for. A defense of abortion judith jarvis thomson philosophy and public. Judith jarvis thomson is best known for a defense of abortion that con cedes the fetuss personhood but nevertheless maintains that a right to abor. Some of these cases are pretty silly, but that is because she wants us to think about the. Definitions of abortion mortality produced by the population research institute note. The debate hinges on the moral status of the fetus. The violinist example you cannot expect the women to lay their for nine months to support the violinist when she had been taken there against her will.
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. The step from a fetus is a person to abortion is morally wrong is usually taken for granted. A former law colleague of likely republican presidential candidate fred thompson told cnn monday that thompson worked in the 1990s for a group trying to loosen abortion restrictions. In her 1995 essay, thomson argues that the anti abortion position on the morally protected status of the fetus from conception is not. Thomson defense of abortion 3 march 2017 in this paper i will discuss the relevance of j. John noonan objects to the example of the unconscious violinist of thomson s model and offers a more realistic example. Judith jarvis thomson on abortion in this article, thomson uses the phrase permissible to mean within ones moral rights. Thomson argues that abortion is permissible in order to save the mothers life.
Judith thompson and the case for abortion sophia project. Stella browne, a pioneering feminist, campaigned for the liberalization of abortion law. So when thomson argues that it is permissible for a woman to abort a fetus, she means that a woman in within her rights to abort the fetus, not that it is the morally best option. Thomson s a defense of abortion a common argument against abortion. This worksheetquiz will determine how well you understand judith jarvis thomsons defense of abortion.
There is a familiar argument that purports to show that it is always wrong for an expectant woman to have an abortion. It may therefore appear rather surprising that the most popular proposed solutions to it are extremely simple and straightforward, based on clear. Philosophy final abortion thomson flashcards quizlet. If its a person, then it is usually thought that the argument against abortion is sound, much as we saw with noonan. Lecture notes for judith thomsons a defense of abortion. Although thompson embraced some proabortion positions in his 1994 senate race, such as favoring legal abortion in the first trimester, he earned a. As the title suggests the article aims to defend abortion at least in some cases. On closer examination, thomsons essay a defense of abortion is one of the most helpful prolife documents ever penned.
Does judith jarvis thomson really grant the prolife view. Thompson on abortionit turns out that rising conservative hero fred thompson has given some modestly equivocal answers about abortion in the past. Debates over abortion are ordinarily thought to hinge on the status of the fetus. Outline thomson and abortion thomson and abortion i. It covers the complex reasons women seek abortions, the co. Outline thomson and abortion thomson and abortion i arguments a a definition 1 an argument a list of statements the premises advanced in support of. In her 1995 essay, thomson argues that the antiabortion position on the morally protected status of the fetus from conception is not. And i argue that thomsons view implies that any late term abortion that. In an article entitled, a defense of abortion, judith thomson presents what is perhaps the most famous article ever written on abortion, and is indeed one of the most frequently cited articles in academic literature on abortion. Granting for the sake of argument that the fetus has a right to life, thomson uses thought experiments to argue that the fetuss right to life does not trump the pregnant womans right to have jurisdiction over her body, and that induced abortion is therefore not.
Russo i n the united states, the abortion debate has typically been framed in terms of rights, usually pitting the fetus right to life against the mothers right to control her body. Thompson maintains that when a couple have taken all reasonable precautions against having a child, they do not by virtue of their biological relationship to the child who comes. Youll be quizzed on topics like what thompson compares ending a. When the mothers life is at stake abortion is killing a person. A critical examination of judith thomsons argument for abortion. If we grant that a fetus has a right to life, does that make voluntary abortion immoral. Essay about response to judith jarvis thomsons a defense for abortion. To cause a fetus death through abortion is morally wrong since it violates one of the basic rights of an already considered person, that is, the right to life of the fetus in judith jarvis thompson s a defense of abortion a different view of abortion is presented 47. Abortion a defense of abortion by thomson essay 1597 words. Summary of judith jarvis thomsons, a defense of abortion. In her groundbreaking 1971 article, a defense of abortion, judith jarvis thomson argues that even if one grants to the prolifer her most important premisethat. Abortion examines the current landscape of the abortion debate. Thomson, the right to life, and partial birth abortion or two mules for. Abortion remains an emotionally and politically charged issue today.
Candidate thompson splits hairs on abortion support. A defense of abortion by judith jarvis thomson 1971 most opposition to abortion relies on the premise that the fetus is a human being, a person, from the moment of conception. Mary anne warren begins her discussion of abortion by disagreeing with judith thomson. So when thomson argues that it is permissible for a woman to abort a. Judith thomson and don marquis are no different, as both of these philosophers have their own opinions on abortion. Judith thompson and the case for abortion michael s. Thomsons strategy is to get us to think about cases that do not involve abortion, in order to force us to articulate our basic moral assumptions. It is an essay notable for its structure, relying almost entirely on thought experiments crafted to challenge unreflective righttolife arguments.
Judith thomson and don marquis on abortion philosophy essay. T does not think the conceptus a neutral way of referring to the fetus is a person from the moment of conception, anymore than an acorn is an oak tree. She holds that abortion is also permissible in cases in which the pregnancy resulted from a an involuntary act or b a voluntary act, where reasonable precautions were taken to. Thomson, the right to life, and partialbirth abortion. On a daytoday basis, a provider or a patient sees this hostility when she opens the newspaper, drives by a group of protesters at a. Given her view, whether or not an abortion violates the fetuss right to life. Get the knowledge you need in order to pass your classes and more. Summary of judith jarvis thomsons, a defense of abortion may 25, 2015 abortion classics john messerly. In politics, religion and even ethics, abortion is a highly controversial topic. A defense of abortion judith jarvis thomson philosophy and public affairs,vol. Sometimes a fertilised egg or embryo is lost naturally. Come browse our large digital warehouse of free sample essays. Does judith jarvis thomson really grant the prolife view of fetal.
A critique of judith thomsons a defense of abortion essay. Prochoice supporters had often denied the status of personhood on the fetus, some even going so far as to deny that the clump of cells qualified as human life. Maternal mortality includes abortion related deaths. By definition, then, maternal mortality must be equal than or greater to abortion mortality. The famous violinist, people seeds and the chocolate example are three of a series of thought experiments in philosopher judith jarvis thomsons article a defence of abortion. Thomson presents a qualified argument in favor of abortion in some cases based on what we as humans are obligated to do to help others. Response to judith jarvis thomsons a defense for abortion judith jarvis thomson, in a defense of abortion, argues that even if we grant that fetuses have a fundamental right to life, in. Whereas thomson stated that, even if the fetus has a full right to life, abortion is nevertheless permissible. The premise is argued for, but, as i think, not well.
Judith jarvis thomson a defense of abortion to print or download this file, click the link below. This is known as a spontaneous abortion or miscarriage, and happens in about one in four known pregnancies. Philosophers and the issue of abortion page 1 of 6 72700 philosophers and the issue of abortion published in essays in the philosophy of humanism, m. Thomson defends the case by the premise that life begins at the moment of. A rebuttal of thomsons abortion defense walking christian. Judith jarvis thomson a defense of abortion hcc learning web. Study 17 terms thomsonviolinist abortion flashcards. Ironically, it was one of thompsons supporters, russell arben fox, who smoked out thompsons stance on abortion, his website being conspicuously silent. Conservatives argue that the fetus is a person from the moment of conception, and, therefore, should enjoy. Alward poses a serious challenge to those who are relying on thomsons conclusions for their prochoice stand. Terms in this set 28 even supposing the fetus is a person, and hence, has a right to life, it doesnt follow that abortion is, necessarily morally wrong. Judith jarvis thomson on abort ion in this article, thomson uses the phrase permissible to mean within ones moral rights.
A critique of judith jarvis thomsons a defense of abortion, part iii for part one of this series, go here. Does judith jarvis thomson really grant the prolife view of fetal personhood in her defense of abortion. An abortion is when a pregnancy is ended, or terminated. Thomsons argument in her article, a defense of abortion, to that of pregnancy reduction and if there is any relevance, if there are exceptions or situations where that might change. In the article a defense of abortion judith jarvis thomson provides an argument that abortion in some cases is morally permissible, because all persons have a right to life. A defense of abortion by judith jarvis thomson 1971. From what thompson has said on abortion, however, it is an entirely reasonable inference that he would favor both positions. A defense of abortion judith jarvis thomson philosophy and. Judith jarvis thomson a defense of abortion most opposition to abortion relies on the premise that the fetus is a human being, a person, from the moment of conception. Hita gurung qcc,2003 return to the listing of readings for the chapter by clicking herereadings. The current controversies series examines todays most important social and political.
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